Centres of Innovation provide tech solutions and R&D support for firms

Order processing at logistics company SIM Solutions used to be tedious and labour-intensive - customers sent in orders through various channels including email, text message, handwritten forms and fax. These orders then had to be converted into a standard template for further processing. 

“With manual entries, we tend to run into errors, extra time needed due to double checking and operational delays,” said managing director Francis Sim. 

In a bid to streamline and digitalise its processes, the company, which has 130 staff and annual turnover of about S$6 million, turned to the Centre of Innovation for Supply Chain Management (COI-SCM). 

The centre offers a no-code app development service, which allows individuals and companies with no coding experience to develop applications to enhance processes. SIM Solutions tapped on this service to develop an application to digitalise its ordering and stock replenishment processes.

The application halved the time needed for order processing and also offered customers improved visibility on the status of their orders. 

“As there is no real complex programming needed, we are able to maintain the system relatively easily and also refine it from time to time,” added Sim. 

GET BT IN YOUR INBOX DAILY

Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign UpVIEW ALL

The COI-SCM team was “keenly aware of the constraints faced by local SMEs and our difficulties in adopting (leading-edge) solutions at one go, as well as the hefty costs of these solutions”, said Sim. He noted that the team at COI-SCM sought to understand the company’s needs and constraints before suggesting several “right-sized” solutions. 

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) looking to embark on technology innovation can tap on an array of ready resources available at one of the nine Centres of Innovation (COIs). From laboratory facilities to consultancy and training courses, companies can receive assistance in developing and testing technology projects.

Such centres are typically based in polytechnics and research institutes, with each a one-stop hub specialising in a different industry. 

The nine COIs cover aquaculture, energy, electronics, supply chain management, environment and water, food, materials, and precision engineering industries.

From tech consultancy to innovation and product development

Tan Boon Kim, the executive director for the startup and innovation ecosystem at Enterprise Singapore, said COIs were initially set up to offer technology consultancy and advice to SMEs by leveraging existing equipment and know-how. 

More recently, however, COIs have been playing a larger role in new product development as well as addressing industry-specific innovation needs. 

“For example, when the Environment & Water Technologies COI (EWTCOI) was set up in 2006, they provided mostly performance testing services, but over the years, they have pivoted to working on developmental projects with SMEs, IP licensing and providing training to industry personnel,” Tan noted.

As SMEs and startups often lack technical expertise and facilities to develop innovative solutions, COIs can help by uplifting companies’ capabilities and facilitating product development. 

COIs provide access to specialty equipment, laboratory facilities, technology consultancy and training for the SMEs and startups, lowering barriers to entry for innovation activities, Tan noted. 

In the energy sector, for instance, startups and SMEs often grapple with lengthy time-to-market and scale-up costs, as well as early-stage funding gaps, said Mahesh Kumar, the programme director at the NTU EcoLabs COI for Energy. 

To address some of these challenges, EcoLabs provides access to labs and test-bedding facilities, facilitates commercial pilot projects, and also offers research and development manpower. 

“Our aim is to help startups translate to ‘scale-ups’ by de-risking their development and innovation efforts by providing these niche value-adds,” added Kumar. 

Key sectors of focus for EcoLabs include energy efficiency, carbon reduction and energy digitalisation. “There are opportunities for Singapore to be a global leader in platform technologies for energy management,” noted Kumar. 

COIs can also help to bring technologies invented within institutes of higher learning and research institutes closer to market by applying them to solve practical industry problems. 

“Engaging the COIs exposes the companies to, and raises their awareness and knowledge of new technologies, which helps to cultivate an innovation mindset,” added Tan. 

At least one company plans to continue its digitalisation journey after working with a COI. SIM Solutions’ Sim said, “We hope to build a workforce who is more digitally ready and able to adopt such solutions to enable the future growth of the company. We also hope to be able to give a different perspective of the logistics industry to the younger workforce and attract more to join this important and essential sector.”

For more of our SWITCH 2021 coverage, go to bt.sg/switch21