NYP launches S$10 million Living Lab fund under Sustainability Masterplan
The polytechnic is looking to work with firms which have sustainability ideas concerning the ‘E’ and ‘S’ of ESG
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NANYANG Polytechnic (NYP) launched its Sustainability Masterplan on Sunday (Nov 3), which included a S$10 million fund for the tertiary institution’s Living Lab.
The NYP Living Lab is a platform to experiment, co-create and co-develop sustainability projects and testbed them on the campus, with the goal of implementing these solutions in the public space thereafter.
The launch event, Eco Fest (Teck Ghee x NYP Collective), was graced by guest of honour Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. “Global warming affects all of us… We have to do our part to keep Singapore sustainable... And I think with NYP working on the project together with us, we will be able to do that better,” said SM Lee.
The polytechnic is therefore looking to work with companies which have sustainability ideas concerning the “E” and “S” of environmental, social and governance (ESG).
On the importance of having such a platform, Russell Chan, principal & CEO of NYP, said: “With the (initiative), we are able to integrate relevant projects directly into campus operations, providing a real-world testbed. This hands-on approach accelerates innovation and helps (to) ensure that successful solutions are ready to scale beyond (the) campus, supporting both industry needs and community sustainability goals.”
He added: “By building strong industry partnerships and providing an avenue for companies to embark on their own sustainability journeys… we want to see more… innovative solutions being put out into the public space.”
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Chan said that measures of the initiative’s success include the viability of implementing these solutions within the public space for real-world impact, and the capacity of the projects to “significantly enhance sustainability within campus operations”.
However, he noted that success will be measured not only by NYP’s progress towards sustainable campus operations but also by the mutual benefits gained. “Companies can refine or launch new sustainability solutions for business growth and create employment opportunities for our graduates.”
Some of the current projects undertaken in the polytechnic that could potentially come under the Living Lab platform include the research and development of cultivated meats.
NYP started working with industry partners on cultivated meat in 2022, to support the enhancement of food security, and at the same time raise awareness among potential consumers for cultivated meat.
Last year, the tertiary institution worked with an industry partner to develop proprietary cell cultures for high-value fish species that cannot be farmed, or could be potentially overfished, such as unagi.
Dr Phua Chee Teck, deputy principal of sustainability and technology at NYP, said: “Having seen how startups and mid-sized companies face financial limitations in scaling up as they transition from lab-scale innovation to pre-pilot and pilot-scale production for market testing, we worked on developing the NYP Living Lab, as part of our Sustainability Masterplan.”
He noted: “As each project progresses into subsequent phases, more staff and learners will be involved in co-creating solutions. Coupled with funding support for companies, we believe that we can collectively make a bigger impact.”
The event was held at Teck Ghee Community Club and saw about 1,000 residents and NYP students participating in various activities such as a terrarium workshop to promote the adoption of eco-friendly habits.
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