​EmTech Singapore 2015 Wraps with Acclaim for Innovative Content

30 January 2015 – SINGAPORE – The EmTech Singapore 2015 conference, which is hosted by MIT Technology Review magazine and co-organized and managed by Koelnmesse Pte Ltd, wrapped to heartfelt praise from speakers, sponsors, delegates and partners.

Close to 500 participants from 23 countries attended the event on 27-28 January at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. “I’ve been both surprised and delighted by the quality of speakers and the warm reception that Technology Review received,” said Jason Pontin, Editor in Chief & Publisher of MIT’s Technology Review magazine. “Most of all what struck me is that Singapore is an innovative and entrepreneurial culture that is a leading light for what a smarter city, and what a smarter nation, might be like.”

Antoine Hubert, the President CEO and Co-Founder of YNSECT, a company that uses the biodiversity of insects, and the variety of their diets, to bioconvert biomass and transform those insects into compounds for animal feed, human nutrition and green chemistry, said that they participated in EmTech Singapore, both as a speaker and as an exhibitor, because they needed to make connections in Asia. The company is based in France, but recently received capital investment from a Singaporean investor, Demeter Partners, and feels a need to expand their footprint in Asia. Alexis Angot, YNSECT’s CFO said the reception they received, and the connections that they made, were so positive that YNSECT would definitely return to EmTech Singapore 2016.

The host partner for EmTech Singapore 2015 was the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA). The event was supported by SMART (the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology), Obsidian Strategics, TATA Communications and Ynsect. Starhub was the Network Sponsor and CNBC the official broadcast partner. Numerous media partners and strategic partners generously helped spread the word to build a diverse and interesting audience.

EmTech Singapore was opportunity to glimpse the future and begin to understand the emerging technologies that matter and how they will change the face of business and drive the new global economy. The content this year both delighted and inspired speakers and delegates that attended.

Participants attended to find new technologies to work with, such as a Walt Disney representative who was sourcing technology that they could incorporate in their work. Many of the speakers expressed how advantaged they felt to present at the conference simply because of the number of inquiries they had after they presented.

Professor Anton PJ Middleberg, the Pro Vice Chancellor (Research and International) at the University of Queensland in Australia, said that he attended as a delegate because he found the programme wide-ranging, but what delighted him about EmTech Singapore was the young Singaporeans he met. He expressed how privileged they are to have such a supportive research environment to come up with very innovative ideas.

EmTech Singapore also featured eye opening segment on the Space industry called space 3.0. Former astronaut Bonnie Dunbar, Virgin Galactic’s Steve Isakowitz, Gian Yi-Hsen of EDB, Daniel E. Hastings of SMART, Kay Soon Low of Nanyang Technological University, and Chris Boshuizen from Planet Labs gave us insight into opportunities and the latest technologies that are bringing space closer to us. Steve Isakowitz said, “EmTech Singapore pulled together a compelling group of innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and educators to share ideas for technologies that stir the imagination and promise new industries. I met many wonderful people and appreciated Singapore’s wonderful facilities and welcoming setting.”

EmTech Singapore also featured the regional TR35 ‘Innovators under 35’ competition – the 10 young innovators all under the age of 35, whose inventions and research were found to be most groundbreaking and exciting from a regional list of 100 nominations. The 10 selected innovators presented a three-minute elevator pitch. For Gabey Goh, it hit a bit close to home. She learned from Peh Ruey Feng, one EmTech Singapore’s 10 regional Innovators Under 35 and the Program Director of Singapore-Stanford Biodesign (SSB) at Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) of the implant they’ve been developing which can protect a fistula when used in dialysis, prolonging a dialysis patient’s life span. Goh posted to Twitter, “With a dad on dialysis ... This hits close to home #EmTechSG”.

EmTech Singapore will return in January 2016. Visit www.emtechsingapore.com to learn more.