Dream it, build it right here
The UOB Innovation Hub houses the newest home for budding entrepreneurs, giving students the space and support to make it real
by Tan Zi Jie
Got an idea that could solve a problem? A good concept is only the start. To grow it into something real, you need the right people, expert guidance, space to experiment, and time to get it right.
Alongside NTU’s Innovation Ports, the new UOB Innovation Hub is here to help. With dedicated incubation spaces below existing smart classrooms and study areas, it is also the latest home for venture teams and deep-tech start-ups formed by NTU professors and students.
The aim is to help founders get started without huge upfront costs. So build your network, get mentored by industry partners, and pitch your ideas to investors and accelerators – all in one place. Over the next five years, the hub aims to incubate more than 90 teams.
More students are bringing NTU tech to where it matters. NTU master’s student Lu Xinran (centre) is interning at PQStation, an NTU spin-off in quantum cybersecurity, alongside NTU graduate Harish Balaji (left), who is also part of the team.
Think like a founder, build like a pro
From August, the new Venture Creation Programme will teach NTU students to spot meaningful challenges, build solutions, and test and refine their ideas. Promising teams can be incubated at the hub, receiving up to $5,000 for prototyping and a further S$100,000 for concept testing. Here are some ideas from last year's pilot run.
Using data to restore damaged wetlands
The idea: revive degraded peatlands – damaged wetlands that fuel haze and carbon emissions. Renaissance Engineering Programme students (from left) Louise Goh and Delfina Poernomo won $15,000 in seed funding to build a data-driven platform that uses satellite imagery and ground sensors to alert rural communities to areas they can restore. Verified restoration efforts can be turned into tradable carbon credits, creating environmental and economic value.
Smarter physiotherapy
Renaissance Engineering Programme students (from left) Koh Wei Yang and Kho Wei Xuan want to tackle the global physiotherapist shortage with robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). Their idea uses smart exoskeletons to capture patients’ real-time movement and muscle data. AI-powered software tracks progress and adjusts treatment – cutting manual work and helping physiotherapists care for more patients at once.
Backing bold ideas – and brighter futures The UOB Innovation Hub and Venture Creation Programme are backed by a S$110 million gift from UOB and the Wee Foundation that supports NTU’s priorities in education and entrepreneurship. The gift also supports two new initiatives reaching up to 1,200 NTU students in need and another 1,500 beneficiaries each year. One is the NTU Opportunity Grant, which provides up to S$10,000 to help students with the greatest financial need cover their education costs. The other is a credit-bearing service-learning programme where students tutor and mentor disadvantaged youth and give back to the community. |
This story was published in the Mar-Apr 2026 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.
