Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Ian Ferguson Innovation Seed Fund (IFISF)
Inculcating creativity and spirit of entrepreneurship
MSE and the Ian Ferguson Foundation aims to develop an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset among MSE students. To support this, the Ian Ferguson Innovation Seed Fund (IFISF) has been launched to provide seed funding for all MSE students to
undertake prototyping projects by applying for funding, which will be evaluated by a committee comprised of MSE faculty.
All year round
Winner of The Student Project Competition 2021
Year 4 (AY21/22) Materials Engineering student, Giang Nguyen founded a start-up Linh AI
Ian Ferguson Innovation Challenge (IFIC) 2022/2023
Champion:
Group 22: SmartGrip
Group 24: xGlove
Group 4: Logic Toy for Adults
- Champion and Most Popular Project: SmartGrip by Tang Leng Ze and Su Jiangtao
- 1st Runner-up: xGlove by Su Jiangtao, Jambulingam Padmapooja, Ruth Theresia Arwani, Zhu Yinqi
- 2nd Runner-up: Logic Toy for Adults by Chan Eugene, Farhan Suhada Bin Rasip, Lee Bao Jun, Nathanael Tan Chih Eng, Sriniketh Krishnan, Yip Ying
Ian Ferguson Innovation Challenge (IFIC) 2021/2022
Champion:
Group 1: Auxy Wrap
Group 5: PlastaSoil
Group 6: Nitinol Generator
Congratulations to the winning teams in the Ian Ferguson Innovation Challenge AY21/22. Prof Joachim Loo, Associate Chair (Students), presented the winners with the certificates and prizes on 3 March 2022. The winning teams are:
- Champion: PlastaSoil by Afrina Bte Zaidi, Natalie Teo, Tee Hui Min, Tan Si Xian
- 1st Runner-up and Most Popular Project: Auxy Wrap by Natalie Teo, Mohamed Khwajah Syed Meera Lebbai Maricar, Tan Shao Yun, Nivasini
- 2nd Runner-up: Nitinol Generator by Leo Fernando Tan and Welthan Ang
Ian Ferguson Innovation Challenge (IFIC) 2020/2021
Two MSE undergraduate students won the Champion Prize in the AY2020/2021 Ian Ferguson Innovation Challenge (IFIC) for the project TERRAPIN– A Temperature-Controllable Thermal Flask. The team of Muhammad Naziruddin Bin Mohd Ali and Pang Pei Yi developed TERRAPIN thermal flask that aims to revolutionize the reusable water bottle industry by incorporating a unique temperature control that allows for heating and cooling of the liquid inside. Situated in the cap of the flask is a thermoelectric cooler (TEC), which utilizes the Peltier Effect and is capable of heating up to 100 degrees Celsius or cool down to - 40 degrees Celsius. This allows the flask to heat or cool its contents rapidly. This temperature can then be held for extended periods through vacuum insulated walls.
The team chose to prototype their project which they completed in early 2022. Learn about their prototyping journey here.
The IFIC is supported by the Ian Ferguson Foundation. It is an annual ground-up, student-centric catalyst to spur innovation, encourage prototype development and develop an entrepreneurial mindset among students at MSE. Projects submitted are relevant to materials science and engineering and the teams have to demonstrate creativity and provide original and practical solutions to an engineering problem. They can also choose to prototype their project.
Ian Ferguson Innovation Challenge (IFIC) 2019/2020
Phileon Goh Ze Wei, MSE undergraduate student, won the Champion Prize in the AY2019/2020 Ian Ferguson Innovation Challenge (IFIC) for his project Bitez. It features piezoelectric pressure sensors in artificial teeth to monitor the distribution of biting pressure among teeth during use, allowing dentists to analyse information, and to adjust dentures more effectively than by manual examination/ tactile sensors. Quartz is used as a piezoelectric material, incorporating it within artificial resin teeth which improves hardness and mechanical stability, increasing biting power.
Phileon’s Bitez project has since evolved to Bruxol which he developed with other NTU students. They have also developed the OraHub app. Learn more about it here.
The IFIC, which is supported by the Ian Ferguson Foundation, is an annual ground-up, student-centric catalyst to spur innovation, encourage prototype development and develop an entrepreneurial mindset among students at MSE. Projects submitted are relevant to materials science and engineering and the teams have to demonstrate creativity and provide original and practical solutions to an engineering problem. They can also choose to prototype their project.
Ian Ferguson Innovation Challenge (IFIC) 2018/2019
Five MSE undergraduate students took home the Champion Prize (Undergraduate Category) in the AY2018/2019 Ian Ferguson Innovation Challenge (IFIC) for their proposed innovative new product. The team of Jain Palash Abhineet, Low Ker Yang, Matthew Jun-Hui Reavley, Tan Zhen Yuan and Teo Ren Jie developed HyLite – a lightweight, low power electronic sensor to monitor dehydration through sweat. The sensor takes the form-factor of a watch, utilising electrode-less deposition of copper to integrate the circuit board with the actual watch itself, a simple display utilising electroluminescent paint for minimal weight and reduced power consumption while retaining maximum flexibility to achieve user comfort. It is intended to be a low-cost system with long battery life which is not invasive and simple to use by individuals at risk of heat injury.
Jerome Lim won the IFIC Champion Prize for the Postgraduate Category. His project on Responsive NasoGastric (NG) Tubes for Confident Intubation involves the use of a newly designed feeding tube in conjunction with a device adaptor. These feeding tubes have two copper wires embedded within the walls of the tube. When used with the device adaptor, it will give out a false or positive response of the tube-tip location. This invention can replace the current method of confirming tube-tip location using radiography, i.e. x-ray, which is inconvenient and may not be readily available (e.g. home-care nursing), considering the frequency at which feeding has to be carried out.
2017 Soft Robotics Design Competition
Photo of the winning team with their invention, B-Robot: (L-R) Febby Krisnadi, Nguyen Linh Lan, Muhammad Iszaki Bin Patdillah and Ankit
We are delighted to share that the NTU team comprising of Febby Krisnadi (2nd year MSE undergraduate), Nguyen Linh Lan (2nd year SPMS undergraduate) and Muhammad Iszaki Bin Patdillah (4th year MSE undergraduate) overcame stiff competition to emerge as the runner up for the college-level category of the 2017 Soft Robotics Design Competition.
The team’s project scored high marks for a very interesting project idea as well as for great documentation showcasing useful images and videos during prototyping and testing. The team’s robot, named B-Robot, inspired by the rolling robots of Star Wars, is a sphere controlled by the shift in weight within the centre of mass within the body of the robot. Using Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (DEA), the electrical signal causes the corresponding DEA to contract and cause the rolling motion of the robot. More details are available at https://softroboticstoolkit.com/b-robot.
Ian Ferguson Innovation Challenge (IFIC)
A ground-up, student-centric catalyst that spurs innovation, prototype development, and an entrepreneurial mindset among students at NTU MSE.
Congratulations to the 2 joint winning teams of the Ian Ferguson Challenge AY16/17.
Decarbonathon 2016

In addition, the MSE undergraduates had the privilege of participating in a hackathon and final presentation in held in Paris, France.
Schneider Electric: Go Green in the City 2016
"Go Green in the City" is the ultimate global student competition for sustainable energy solutions. In teams of two, students from all over the world are invited to enter the competition and share their innovative solutions to real world business challenges within energy management.
P&G Tech Challenge 2016
Vatican Youth Symposium 2016
The annual symposium held by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN SDSN) brings together young leaders from around the world to devise solutions for the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
"I am grateful for the one-in-a-million opportunity to represent MSE at the 2016 Vatican Youth Symposium. It was an eye-opener, as young leaders from all around the world come together and devise solutions for education, technology and environmental issues".
Security Awareness for Everyone (SAFE)

International Energy Innovation Challenge

Winner for 2015
Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Challenge 2015

Collaboration with NTUitive (The University’s Innovation and Enterprise Company)
