Straits Times 8 Jan 10;
BRIDGING the gap between technology and the marketplace is the aim of three organisations pushing for sustainable development practices.
The Singapore Manufacturers' Federation (SMa), which champions manufacturing, green charity Singapore Environment Council (SEC) and Temasek Polytechnic (TP) signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday to create opportunities for TP students to develop green technologies for the marketplace.
Reacting to a growing interest in environmentally friendly developments in Singapore, the trio plan to carry out and support studies and test-bedding activities in areas such as fuel cell - an electrochemical cell that produces electricity from fuels such as hydrogen - and identify other new technologies related to sustainable development.
'We want to help students get internships and to show their projects to businessmen and entrepreneurs, to get feedback for them and allow our members to have investment opportunities,' said Mr Renny Yeo, president of SMa, which has more than 2,600 corporate members.
SEC executive director Howard Shaw said he hopes the partnership will help build capacity by getting more tertiary-educated students into the increasingly lucrative green technologies field.
'The students will be able to get practical experience by helping us in our auditing of green businesses and green product verification,' Mr Shaw said.
'We hope to encourage the testing of renewable energy technology such as the fuel cell-powered bicycle. This is something we feel is going to be an interesting area in the future as we move more into electronic-powered vehicles.'
Mr Wong Kin Nyen, deputy director of Temasek Engineering School, said the agreement would help students find jobs and give them extra knowledge about working in the area of clean energy.
'Each year, we produce 200 students with experience in the area of green energy and sustainability. By tying up with industry, we can get the students' prototypes out into the marketplace,' he said.
VICTORIA VAUGHAN
