Asxban Technologies Pte Ltd has signed a licensing agreement with Exploit Technologies Pte Ltd (ETPL) for the know-how to fabricate the high absorption arsenic removing material. This technology was developed by Prof Paul Chen of NUS and funded by A*STAR and ETPL with the intent to accelerate the development of the technology and proliferate it through commercialisation.
Asxban Technologies, established in August 2011, works in the areas of waste water treatment and oilfield chemicals. Its key partner – Tami Systemtenik, provides a one-stop system solution to drinking water contamination problems; with its point-of-use water purifiers with a built-in UV sterilization process. With this technology licensed from ETPL, Asxban will manufacture and supply arsenic removing materials to Tami Systemtenik for their point-of-use water purifiers.
The worldwide need for contamination-free drinking water supply remains a teething and costly problem where it will continue to require both research efforts and industry expertise and resources to bring viable solutions to homes. Asxban is currently working with NGOs from Bangladesh and Vietnam, where arsenic contamination in ground water is a common problem in these countries, to supply family-sized water treatment system to the households there.
Exploit Technologies will award its 2012 Distinguished Technopreneur Speaker (DTS) Award to Dr Shuji Nakamura, prominent LED light scholar and pioneer of the blue spectrum breakthrough technology. Launched in 2008, the award provides recognition of the speaker’s solid track record in exploiting technology to value-add and create wealth for their community. The award, which will be conferred at the DTS Forum held on 8 February 2012, from 3 to 5 pm, aims to inspire innovation and entrepreneurship in emerging technologies for economic benefit to Singapore.
The DTS Forum, organised by Exploit Technologies with support from the Singapore Workforce Agency (WDA), serves as an opportunity for entrepreneurs, industry leaders, researchers, scholars and students to converge, share ideas and network with various industry players to seed the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship amongst the local scientific community.
The inaugural DTS Award Winner in 2008 was awarded to Professor Stephen G Davies, Chairman of Chemistry and Waynflete Professor of Chemistry, a highly successful serial entrepreneur and an accomplished Oxford professor in research. Dr. Michael Hayden, a world-renowned geneticist, who made outstanding contributions in the areas of genetics and neurodegenerative diseases, was the second DTS Award Winner. The most recent winner was Sir Gregory Winter, a well-known authority in Molecular Biology and a serial inventor and entrepreneur.
At a time when many scientists considered creating a Gallium Nitride LED too difficult to produce, Dr Nakamura invented the first high brightness Gallium Nitride LED whose brilliant blue light is the key to white LED lighting. Despite facing a dwindling research budget and depleting support, he went on to develop the methodology which facilitated the mass production of the blue LED device. Today, Dr Nakamura’s blue laser diodes not only created more vibrant video billboards and traffic signal lights but also helped lead to the development of blue lasers, which revolutionised the DVD industry.
In 2006, Dr Nakamura won the Millennium Technology Prize of Finland, better known as the Nobel Prize in the technology field. He also received the Benjamin Franklin Medal in 2004, previously conferred upon Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein. In addition, he won The Economist’s Innovation Award, given to just six scientists who have made outstanding contributions to the innovation of technology.
Mr Philip Lim, Chief Executive Officer of Exploit Technologies said, “We are honoured to award and host an inspiring figure like Dr Shuji Nakamura. He embodies sheer ingenuity in scientific research and a tremendous perseverance towards commercializing his discovery for applications that have benefitted communities beyond his own. By sharing his insights, perspectives and experiences, we hope this inspires the local research community towards their own success stories. It is our aim that the DTS forum will continue to be a platform for young technopreneurs to meet, network, exchange ideas and hopefully, spark off new technological innovations in Singapore.”