Intel in innovation lab pact with Nanyang institutions

• Collaborating with Nanyang Technological University and Nanyang Polytechnic
• To help develop modern skillsets in IoT and wearables space

INTEL Singapore said it will collaborate with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) to establish Open Innovation Labs at both tertiary institutions.
 
This collaboration aims to enable students to obtain modern skillsets and spur innovation in the Internet of Things (IoT) and wearables space, Intel Singapore said in a statement.
 
It is also aligned with the national SkillsFuture movement, to develop individuals with industry-relevant training, strengthen industry engagement with institutes of higher learning, and propel Singapore into the next phase of development through skills and innovation, the company said.
  
“Every Singaporean student should have the opportunity to solve global challenges through innovation,” said Sumner Lemon, country manager, Intel Malaysia and Singapore (pic).
 
“The Open Innovation Labs with Intel will help nurture local innovation and encourage creative thinking, designing, making and inventing for the next generation of Singaporeans,” he added.
 
Initial collaboration between Intel and NTU and NYP started in 2014 with activities such as the Intel Galileo Makeathon in NTU and Intel Galileo Boot Camp in NYP.
 
Intel has also donated hardware including the Intel Galileo Gen2, Intel Edison Kit for Arduino, Intel Edison Breakout Board and DE2i-250 FPGA Board to the institutions.
 
Dr Lim Jui, chief executive officer of NTU Innovation and NTUitive, the university’s commercialisation arm, said that the collaboration with Intel opens doors and offers new opportunities for young student innovators to turn their ideas into reality.
 
“NTU’s own innovation labs have been a crucial training ground for creative students and staff who are keen to tinker with ideas and inventions,” he said.
 
“However, with this new collaboration with Intel, our students and staff will now have access to unique technology and expertise which gives them an extra edge when it comes to developing skillsets and prototypes needed to kick-start a company,” he added.
 
Over the next six- to nine-month period, several initiatives ranging from bootcamps and workshops to ‘makeathons’ and hackathons have been planned under the Open Innovation Lab initiative.
 
One of the first activities is a workshop on IoT programming in NYP, which took place recently.
 
“Spurring an interest in our young people to experiment, tinker and innovate solutions to solve real-world problems while bringing benefits to the society has always been a critical part of education and training at NYP,” said Nanyang Polytechnic principal and chief executive officer Jeanne Liew.
 
“As Intel is a world tech innovation leader, we are delighted to have this opportunity to collaborate with it to establish an Open Innovation Lab where students, lecturers, knowledge institutions and enterprises can come together to form a collaborative ecosystem, to learn, share, ideate, experiment and innovate needs-driven IoT and wearable solutions for the market,” she added.
 
The Open Innovation Lab initiative in NTU will involve NTUitive, the university’s innovation and enterprise, while the NYP partnership will be with the Centre of Innovation for Electronics (COIE), a joint establishment between NYP and Spring Singapore to help local companies develop and launch products in the local and global markets.
 
The labs are targeted mainly at students but will be open to staff and professors in the respective institutions as well, Intel Singapore said.
 
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