From L to R: Eric Lai, Regional Managing Director for Industry APAC and Country Director, Singapore, Grundfos; Humphrey Lau, Group Senior Vice President of Global Industry Sales, Grundfos; Georgina Phua, Deputy Principal (Development), Singapore Polytechnic; Loh Yew Chiong, Senior Director, Computing, Chemical & Life Sciences Cluster, Singapore Polytechnic.

Grundfos, a global leader in advanced pump solutions and water
technology, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Singapore Polytechnic (SP) to co-develop energy and water efficient smart solutions that support industries in Singapore in their efforts to be sustainable, through collaboration, talent development, and sustainability education.

In alignment with the Singapore Green Plan 2030, Grundfos and SP will be jointly exploring and developing smart sustainable solutions for industries, as well as driving initiatives focused on UN Sustainability Development Goals such as SDG6 (clean water and sanitation) and SDG13 (sustainable
consumption and production patterns) for climate action.

The partnership will see both parties contributing complementary expertise, knowledge, and talent that will advance sustainability efforts for industries. SP will facilitate the various touchpoints between academia and industry, while Grundfos will tap into its extensive network and industry knowledge to provide staff and students with the necessary resources and industry opportunities to successfully codevelop innovative sustainable solutions.

These solutions will be subsequently implemented with industry manufacturers in Singapore through pilot projects. To achieve this, the 3-year partnership will focus on sustainability education and talent development.

Grundfos and SP will look to roll out a comprehensive range of solution packages, projects, events, courses, and trainings to proactively promote sustainability and smart sustainability to the industry, which includes webinar sharing sessions, seminars, and conferences.

To build talent pipelines and foster talent development, Grundfos will also be working closely with SP across various programs such as mentorship programmes, book prizes, student projects, and internships. One such initiative includes Grundfos’ sponsorship of the annual book prizes for SP’s School of Chemical & Life Sciences (CLS).

Humphrey Lau, Group Senior Vice President, Global Industry Business, Grundfos, said, “With industries being the most energy-intensive sector in Singapore, we believe sustainable manufacturing technologies are key to reducing Singapore’s carbon footprint, while also strengthening its position as the regional manufacturing industry hub.

‘By tapping into Internet of Things (IoT) and moving industries towards digitalisation, the smart sustainable solutions that can be expected from this partnership will ultimately help industries strengthen their business through sustainable operations.”

He also added, “Institutes of Higher Learning (IHL) such as Singapore Polytechnic are best placed to take the lead in driving sustainability innovations, as youths have shown a growing passion for sustainability issues. Sustainability is a key part of Grundfos’ DNA, and so with this partnership we hope to foster growth and development among our younger generations, and spur innovative thinking that has the potential to advance Singapore’s sustainability trajectory.”

Eric Lai, Grundfos’ Regional Managing Director, Industry – APAC & Country Director for Singapore, said, “Both Asia and Singapore have set ambitious targets towards greater sustainability, and given Grundfos’ footprint in the region and Singapore, we see a growing role for us to help drive progress in this sustainability journey. We see partnering with local educational institutes like Singapore Polytechnic as the first step towards uncovering new thinking and innovation while also inspiring the next generation of industry leaders.”

SP Principal and CEO, Soh Wai Wah, said, “Our goal for this partnership is to strengthen Singapore’s commitments in harnessing energy and water efficient smart solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises so that they can enhance their overall resource-efficiency and capture new business opportunities. By taking these steps early, Singapore companies will be better positioned to maintain their competitiveness globally by embracing sustainable development.

“This exciting partnership with Grundfos will spur the growth of the sustainability sector, and present our students and staff with the
resources and opportunities to co-develop innovative and sustainable solutions.”

Both Grundfos and Singapore Polytechnic are kick-starting this initiative with a pilot project at Grundfos’ facility in Singapore. This will include feasibility studies followed by implementation of a rainwater harvesting system, solar power as alternative power source at the facility and applying
digital solutions in the production building.

The final outcome of this pilot project will help Grundfos’ Gold-rated Green Building further reduce its water and carbon footprint.