Pacific Northwest cities grind to a halt in record heat

If you’re someone who has a reusable coffee cup (and remembers to use it), has a compost at home and regularly engages in meat-free mondays, then you might have heard of the phrase the Circular Economy (CE) before.  While most people assume that the CE is just about recycling (and no shade if you do), it actually goes much deeper than that—in fact, recycling is the last resort when it comes to an ideal CE. To put it simply, the theory behind the CE is about transforming our current linear consumption model (Take-Make-Waste) into a circular one that keeps products and services in use for longer (well, forever) to reduce environmental impact and protect precious natural resources. The benefits of the CE are endless, but in short it enables us all to consume more consciously, without compromising on quality, cost or experience.

Researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) say they have demonstrated a technology that rapidly detects pollutants in water by measuring their impacts on swimming microorganisms. Their proof-of-concept, published in Scientific Reports, does not require any chemicals, reagents or laboratory equipment. Instead, it leverages the regular camera of a smartphone as well as microorganisms called Paramecia that are ubiquitous in water bodies–making it especially suitable for assessing water drinkability in underdeveloped regions.

In our fifth edition, we are looking for startups in four emerging challenge sectors to showcase your game-changing solutions and products. Make the pitch of a lifetime to a global audience of major investors, industry leaders, and thought leaders!  Shortlisted startups will be given the opportunity to develop corporate partnerships and join us at Singapore Week of Innovation and TeCHnology 2021 (SWITCH 2021).  Even as Southeast Asia recovers from recent economic challenges, it continues to bear the brunt of global climate change and its myriad effects. Regional government and industry leaders have made sustainable practices and green solutions a key priority, generating US$1 trillion economic opportunities annually in the Southeast Asian region by 2030.