Fast-tracking innovation with industry titans

In today’s complex world, innovative solutions are required more than ever to overcome humanity’s grand challenges. Academia-industry partnerships tackle these issues by turning scientific discoveries into useful real-world applications more quickly, as well as by grooming forward-thinking talent.

To leverage Nanyang Technological University, Singapore's (NTU Singapore) research more easily, and stay ahead of the competition, leading companies are setting up industry research labs with NTU right on the University’s campus.

Dr Lee Meng Yeong (top left) and Dr David Woon (top right) from Continental-NTU Corporate Lab with researchers testing a vehicle simulator developed by the lab. The simulator integrates two key systems – one that monitors and profiles a motorist’s driving behaviour, and another for collision detection. Credit: NTU Singapore.

Industry partners stand to benefit from such labs, says Prof Lam Khin Yong, NTU’s Vice President (Industry), who leads the University’s efforts to speed up the translation of research into industry applications that address global challenges.

“Through NTU, leading companies can gain early access to top-notch research and innovations that can help them develop products and services to address real-world pain points and challenges. These collaborations will foster translational research, accelerate technological breakthroughs and fuel innovation. We look forward to forging stronger partnerships with industry leaders to create lasting value for both the economy and society,” he says.

NTU’s strengths in research have placed it on the global stage as a world-class institution. The US News and World Report global university rankings for 2024 to 2025 place NTU top five worldwide in 10 areas, highlighting the University’s strengths in these fields:

• Electrical and electronic engineering
• Artificial intelligence
• Computer science
• Condensed matter physics
• Engineering
• Materials science
• Chemistry
• Energy and fuels
• Nanoscience and nanotechnology
• Physical chemistry
  

NTU researchers work closely with partner companies at industry labs right from the start as well, so that the deep market knowledge that businesses have can help guide scientific research to produce results that can be commercialised to benefit society, Prof Lam says.

For example, technology company Continental is looking to create new urban mobility solutions through a corporate lab it formed with NTU.

Says Dr David Woon, Director (Academic Liaison) at Continental and Co-Director of the Continental-NTU Corporate Lab: “We are very impressed with the lab’s research, which has helped Continental to accelerate the development of new products and services in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, smart electric vehicle fleet management, autonomous driving and wireless technologies. The research from the lab has also helped us expand our collaboration with both existing and new customers and partners.”

Nanofilm Technologies International (NTI Nanofilm), a startup spun out of nanotechnology research at NTU, is leveraging the University’s expertise in areas such as clean energy, materials science and smart electronics.

The company, Singapore’s first deep-tech unicorn to be listed on the Singapore Exchange, is collaborating with NTU through the NTI-NTU Corporate Lab. The lab aims to drive innovation in advanced coatings and cutting-edge nanofabrication technologies.

Dr Eric Phua, Principal Technology Secretary at NTI Nanofilm and Co-Director of the NTI-NTU Corporate Lab, describes the corporate lab as a “union of NTI Nanofilm’s technology and NTU’s academic brilliance”.

“With NTU’s latest research contributions, NTI Nanofilm stays competitive by integrating new intellectual property from the lab into our existing products or by developing new solutions with the insights,” Dr Phua adds.

Companies can also plug talent gaps through industry labs. E-commerce giant Alibaba intends to tap a pool of researchers nurtured in a corporate lab it established with NTU to develop green digital technologies.

“We have plans to engage students who have conducted research at the lab for potential roles at Alibaba after their graduation,” says Alibaba Chief Technology Officer Mr Wu Zeming. “These students will be an asset to Alibaba, as they will be well versed in technical skills and sustainable development practices after their lab stint.”

Major industry labs in NTU at a glance