Singapore, France call for proposals on joint innovation projects

ENTERPRISE Singapore and its French counterpart, Bpifrance, are calling for proposals on joint innovation projects in technological and application areas such as advanced manufacturing, clean technology and medical technology.

A project consortium must involve at least one company from each of the participating countries to apply for funding. The duration of the projects should also not exceed two years.

The agencies will jointly select and fund successful projects. The deadline for proposals is March 31, 2019.

The joint call for proposals follows a memorandum of understanding signed between the two agencies in July 2018 during Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing's visit to France. This is in line with the Singapore-France Year of Innovation to accelerate partnerships in innovation and entrepreneurship, said Enterprise Singapore in a press statement.

Singapore and France have already established partnerships in areas such as advanced manufacturing, aerospace, ageing and biotechnology, fintech, health and smart cities. French startups, including Kpler, Metron Lab and Finalcad have anchored their regional headquarters in Singapore. Similarly, Singapore startup H3 Dynamics has established its European headquarters in France.

Both countries are now placing a greater focus on innovation to drive their economies, and are keen to foster stronger partnerships between their startup ecosystems, said Enterprise Singapore.