Panasonic, in collaboration with ACE and ICMG, launched its “Panasonic Deep Tech Innovation Challenge” on 10th April 2020. It aims to collect ideas from local companies to develop technologies and launch new businesses with Panasonic’s smell detection technologies. These are unique in being able to detect smell and visualise their relevance to human lives.
One such innovation is Panasonic’s Odor Sensing Technology, which has many commercial applications such as healthcare, food manufacturing, and industrial safety. Additionally, they have deep expertise in stress detection by human skin-gas sensing, relevant in various settings such as in the workplace, schools, and homes.
The two-part Challenge
This innovative challenge is in line with Panasonic’s vision to utilise its technologies to bring impactful solutions to existing social and customer issues. Within this challenge, two technologies are up for collaboration: Odor Sensing and Stress Detection by Human Skin-Gas Sensing.
In the first Challenge, Panasonic hopes to co-create new solutions and potentially launch businesses that can deliver its technology to make a significant difference to existing and new issues. Specifically, the technology should (1) provide human safety and comfort through precise odor sensing, and (2) implement preventive safe maintenance by detection of slight odor.
Examples of potential issues to tackle are:
• Exposure to harmful gases by healthcare professionals
• Lack of detection and regulation of harmful chemicals in agriculture practices
• Leakage of harmful substances in industrial areas endangering workers and the surrounding environment
For the second Challenge, Panasonic hopes to collaborate to transfer its technologies to local businesses that can leverage the potential of the technology to create and enhance solutions targeting critical issues. Solutions for this particular challenge should (1) provide fulfilling life through high-precision sensing of the stress marker materials and (2) enable objective standards to identify and understand different states of stress, therefore developing new and implementable solutions.
Examples of potential issues to tackle are:
• Employee wellness management and productivity maintenance due to stress in the workplace
• Reduced efficacy of education due to increasing competitiveness in schools
• Stressed and estranged family relationships due to lack of mutual understanding and support
Who should join and why?
The challenge is open to all startups and corporates who want to be part of this new technology. Registration for the challenge is open until 5th June 2020. All eligible teams and organisations are encouraged to sign up through the challenge website. Applications are completed by answering some questions about your proposed idea and submitting your team’s introduction deck.
Teams are challenged to tap on their technical expertise, business acumen, and creative skills through two different stages of the Challenge. This is a highly valuable opportunity to create new solutions and tackle new markets by using Panasonic technologies. Selected teams that will progress to the final round will have exclusive opportunity to be mentored closely by Panasonic representatives to continue developing their projects for the Demo Day.
Additionally, for Challenge 1, winning teams may have an opportunity to further develop their technologies and businesses as business partners of Panasonic, whereas for Challenge 2, winners may have the opportunity to get Tech & IP licensing from Panasonic and utilise Panasonic’s technologies to create and expand their businesses.
Keen on joining? Take note of the timeline
- A webinar briefing event will be held on 24 April and 14 May 2020 for participants to find out more about the challenge and interact with the organisers. Register here.
- Applications will be accepted until 5th June 2020.
- The results for the first round of judging will be released on 12th June 2020.
- A mentoring programme will be conducted for successful applicants, to be held from 12th June 2020 to 17th July 2020.
- The Panasonic Deep Tech Innovation Challenge will culminate with a Demo Day on 22nd July 2020.
Who are Panasonic, ACE, and ICMG?
Panasonic has researched and developed various kinds of sensor technologies, and filed IP about these technologies. The Panasonic R&D Centre in Singapore is starting this open innovation activity to utilise their innovative assets effectively and deliver a better life, work environment and etc in this South East ASIA’s emerging market.
The Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE), a national private sector-led organisation, plays a key role in building a dynamic and sustainable startup ecosystem in Singapore. ACE’s mission is to lead the ground-up community strategic support to promote entrepreneurship, scale startups and build champion enterprises. ACE supports startups across all stages through three strategic core functions:
- Driving co-innovation between startups and enterprises;
- Helping startups to scale and internationalise
- Building an access hub of connected ecosystems across countries
ICMG aims to become Asia’s Most Admired Accelerator. ICMG constantly works towards creating new corporate innovations. As the leading corporate innovation accelerator, ICMG Singapore works with different partners (Government, Businesses, Individuals & more) to co-create purposeful innovations for corporates.
For more details about the challenge, please visit their official page.
– –
This article is produced by the e27 team, sponsored by ICMG.
We can share your story at e27, too. Engage the Southeast Asian tech ecosystem by bringing your story to the world. Visit us at e27.co/advertise to get started.
The post Develop new solutions and technologies with Panasonic Deep Tech Innovation Challenge appeared first on e27.