Modelled after the US I-Corps programme, Lean LaunchPad (LLP) Singapore is a 10-week immersive programme to help researchers discover and validate the commercialisation potential of their technologies. Funded by the National Research Foundation, the national programme is conducted by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). Besides its central education mission, LLP Singapore aims to enhance the pipeline of commercialisable technologies emerging out of academic research and build a national resource pool of entrepreneurial talent and mentors.
Since 2013, over 700 participants comprising professors, research scientists and engineers, post-docs/PhD and MBA students, and experienced industry mentors have undergone the rigor of LLP Singapore programme to validate the commercial potential of their technologies. Participants have demonstrated changed mindsets with positive impact in new knowledge gained & increased confidence in identifying which of several different pathways to commercialisation to pursue. Teams could move on to further technology translation, Proof of Concept development, packaging for licensing, or starting up a company.
With Singapore’s increased investment in R&D, LLP Singapore aims to enhance the pipeline of commercialisable technologies and directly impact commercialisation outcomes through the form of commercially viable products, licensed technologies and high-tech spin-offs.