Last week (8 April) saw the launch of the UK-Singapore Universities Alliance (UKAEI) – the higher education sector’s first entrepreneurship and innovation acceleration partnership to be established between the two countries.
Witnessed by her excellency Kara Owen, British high commissioner to Singapore; his excellency Lim Thuan Kuan, Singapore high commissioner to the UK; and Dr Lim Khiang Wee, executive director of Singapore’s National Research Foundation, the formation of the UKAEI enables technology knowledge transfer and commercialisation, as well as the cross-border licensing of technologies, and entrepreneurial training.
H.E. Lim Thuan Kuan said he was “honoured” to be able to witness the launch of the Alliance, claiming that research, innovation and enterprise partnerships have grown from “strength to strength” since the two nations signed the Innovation and Research Partnership Agreement in 2014.
“I welcome this ground-up initiative and the aim of the Alliance to facilitate commercialisation and innovation among our [universities],” added the Singapore high commissioner. “I wish them every success. Congratulations to all involved in the launch of the Alliance.”
The UKAEI brings together leading universities from the UK (Bath, Coventry, Cranfield, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, King’s College London, Newcastle, Nottingham, Manchester and Strathclyde) and Singapore (Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore Management University, National University Singapore, and Singapore University of Technology and Design), striving to accelerate ideas to market and value capture, on top of expanding cooperation between innovation ecosystems across both countries.
The Alliance is supported by the British High Commission Singapore, the UK Science and Innovation Network in Singapore, and the UK Universities in Singapore Network.
“The Alliance builds on the extensive links between UK and Singapore universities to make a practical contribution to the role innovation and enterprise development will play in post-COVID-19 recovery” – H.E. Kara Owen
H.E. Kara Owen commented on the launch, saying: “Both the UK and Singapore are strongly committed to investing in research and development (R&D), innovation and enterprise, and recognise the importance of collaborating internationally in these areas to support economic growth. Collaboration in knowledge and education is a top priority for the SG-UK Partnership for the Future, with science and innovation at its heart. The Alliance builds on the extensive links between UK and Singapore universities to make a practical contribution to the role innovation and enterprise development will play in post-COVID-19 recovery.”
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