CapitaLand unveils S$50 million innovation fund and crowns winners of first CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge
CapitaLand, Singapore-headquartered Asia’s one of the largest diversified real estate groups, has set up a S$50 million CapitaLand Innovation Fund to support the test-bedding of sustainability and other high-tech innovations in the built environment space as the Group steps up its sustainability drive.
This was announced by CapitaLand’s Group Chief Executive Officer Lee Chee Koon at the Grand Finale of the inaugural CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge (CSXC) where the top two winners were crowned. The ‘High Impact Award’ went to INOVUES, INC, while the ‘Most Innovative Award’ went to Climatec Corp Pte Ltd.
INOVUES, INC and Climatec Corp Pte Ltd emerged winners amongst six finalists that were shortlisted from over 270 entries received from more than 25 countries. INOVUES, INC’s innovation focuses on an insulating glass retrofit technology that reduces heat gain inside a building, reducing the energy consumption used to heat or cool the building by up to 40%.
Climatec Corp Pte Ltd’s innovation is a water treatment process utilising photon vibration frequency technology to treat cooling tower water without the use of chemicals or power, achieving 60% to over 90% water savings and 1% to over 5% energy savings. Both winners of the CSXC will receive S$50,000 each to fund their pilot projects with CapitaLand.
Singapore Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Ms Grace Fu, who was the Guest-of-Honour at the CSXC Grand Finale, said research and innovation leading to commercialisation is a space where public and private sectors must collaborate.
“Research can be long-dated and involves high risk. Governments must support and fund it. Innovation and commercialisation of products of research require entrepreneurial acumen and nimble responses. This is where many enterprises have strengths,” said Ms Grace Fu.
Ms Grace Fu said initiatives such as the CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge help to uncover unique solutions that may offer the right competitive edge. “It also gives innovators an opportunity to testbed and refine their ideas, which can eventually be scaled up to benefit businesses, consumers and our environment,” said Ms Grace Fu.
CapitaLand’s Group Chief Executive Officer Lee Chee Koon said innovation is key to CapitaLand’s business and culture as the company seeks to deliver sustainable value to its stakeholders.
“The CapitaLand Innovation Fund will enable us to catalyse more innovations, accelerate our global sustainability efforts and ensure that we remain at the forefront of technology in the built environment space. The inaugural CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge has allowed us to uncover promising innovations that we can potentially implement at our properties across the globe and help us achieve our ambitious targets set out in our 2030 Sustainability Master Plan,” said Lee Chee Koon.
Through CapitaLand’s global network, Lee Chee Koon said CapitaLand aims to bring more innovators and leading industry players together to advance innovation and build a more sustainable planet.
Encouraging more innovations through the CapitaLand Innovation Fund and future editions of the CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge
The CapitaLand Innovation Fund with a S$50 million commitment over five years is another of the Group’s efforts to encourage more innovation in the built environment space with a strong focus on sustainability. In October 2020, CapitaLand opened the Smart Urban Co-Innovation Lab at the Singapore Science Park in partnership with the Infocomm Media Development Authority and Enterprise Singapore, with sustainability as one of its focus areas. CapitaLand will also redeploy interest rate savings from its sustainability-linked loans towards the Group’s sustainability initiatives.
At the CXSC Grand Finale, CapitaLand also announced that future editions of the CSXC will continue to advocate sustainability innovation. CapitaLand hopes that companies and innovators will continue to step forward to participate in future CSXC editions. The CSXC is one of CapitaLand’s signature events, and the first sustainability challenge by a Singapore real estate company on a global scale. It aims to accelerate sustainability innovation and collaboration within the built environment.
Winners of CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge to gain access to more business opportunities
In addition to the S$50,000 prize money, the winners will be showcasing their innovations to senior global business leaders, investors and policymakers at the annual Ecosperity Week, organised by Temasek, the lead partner of the CSXC. The winners were also presented with a specially designed trophy made of translucent low-carbon concrete. Designed and engineered by Pan-United, the low-carbon concrete allows natural light to pass through, saving electricity, energy and maintenance costs. Shaped as an ‘X’ to represent the CSXC, the star-like porous design signifies a galaxy of possibilities for innovation to create a more sustainable future.
The winners and the four other finalists will also gain access to CSXC’s partners’ global innovation programmes, where they get to connect with potential investors and business partners as well as receive expert advice to accelerate the growth of their businesses. The finalists and selected participants will also get a chance to pilot their innovations at selected CapitaLand properties worldwide.
Over 50 partners have contributed to the success of the sustainability challenge. CSXC’s international partners range from government agencies to the business community, industry experts, venture capitalists, financial institutions as well as institutes of higher learning.
The CSXC is a part of CapitaLand’s 2030 Sustainability Master Plan which details the Group’s sustainability strategies and goals over the next 10 years. For more information on the CSXC and CapitaLand’s 2030 Sustainability Master Plan, please visit: https://www.capitaland.com/international/en/about-capitaland/sustainability.html and www.capitalandsustainabilityxchallenge.com.
The winners and finalists of the CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge
Winners- High Impact Award
INOVUES adaptive glazing shield – Revitalising windows for better building by INOVUES, INC – INOVUES has developed an innovative solution to upgrade building facades and windows with the latest energy-saving and smart glass technologies without replacement or reglazing. The product can reduce noise and heat gain inside a building by up to 10 times. This increases the comfort of building occupants and reduces the energy consumption required to cool the environment by up to 40% without compromising luminosity indoors. It is a non-invasive and non-disruptive retrofit solution that can be easily installed externally or internally without removing, replacing, drilling, or alterations, saving time and reducing the cost of upgrading the windows and glass facades of existing buildings by up to 10 times. INOVUES is based in the United States of America.
Most Innovative Award
ClimaControl Quantum Resonance Water (QRW) – Revolution in cooling tower water treatment by Climatec Corp Pte Ltd – ClimaControl QRW is a novel and unique solution that treats water used in cooling towers without the use of chemicals or power. The water can be recycled for other uses in the building such as plant irrigation or toilet flushing. ClimaControl QRW utilises the principle of micro-molecular water and photon vibration frequency technology created through strong magnetic fields and ceramic-based composites to treat the water. ClimaControl QRW is able to reduce blowdown water from 60% to over 90% and reduce associated downstream chiller system energy consumption from 1% to over 5%. Climatec is based in Singapore.
Finalists
Blue Green World
Powered by 100% green energy by g-EN Pte Ltd – Making its global debut at CSXC, the CooGenTM is a self-powered cold hydraulic generator that can generate clean energy affordably for buildings, using ambient heat or waste heat of minimally 25 degrees Celsius which is abundant. The cold air from the exhaust can also be used to cool buildings. Similar to a standalone power generator, the CooGenTM is also highly portable. g-EN is based in Singapore.
Glassfiber Reinforced Polyurethane (GRPU) curtain wall
The future of green building by Taichu Guocai Materials Co, Ltd – The Glassfiber Reinforced Polyurethane (GRPU) curtain wall is an innovative substitute to conventional aluminium curtain walls. It offers improved thermal insulation – reducing energy consumption used to heat or cool the building by up to 25%, is five times stronger and is also more heat and wind resistant. The GRPU material also has around 10 times less embodied carbon emissions compared to aluminium, making the building construction process more sustainable. A curtain wall system is non-structural and is installed on the building’s facade to keep out natural elements like heat, rain and wind. Taichu Guocai is based in China.
TrashBot
Sorting waste with artificial intelligence and robotics by CleanRobotics Inc. – Making its debut in Singapore, TrashBot is a smart waste bin which uses artificial intelligence, robotics and multiple sensors to sort waste with around 90% accuracy, promoting more efficient recycling or disposal. TrashBot is also able to record data on the type of waste collected and alert building operators when the bin is full. CleanRobotics is based in the United States of America.
LumenAire
The startup makes the air you breathe healthy and safe by ARID Builders Pte Ltd – The LumenAire UV Air Disinfection Solution is a shielded air purification device with a high-efficiency particulate absorbing (HEPA) filter and Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) technology. It could not only sanitise the air but also reduce virus survivability by over 99% within seconds, eliminating airborne pathogens to create a safer and healthier environment indoors. ARID Builders is based in Singapore.
