Programme
MANUFACTURING
TOPICS
Next-Gen Manufacturing
Green Tech Revolution
Next-Gen Biomanufacturing
Singapore: The Science and Engineering Nexus
The future of manufacturing lies in intelligent, connected, and sustainable production. This theme explores how breakthroughs in automation, advanced materials, and digital technologies are transforming industries for efficiency, flexibility, and circularity. The talks will highlight next-generation processes, from precision engineering to biomanufacturing, showcasing how innovation is redefining industrial sustainability and global competitiveness.
Keynote Speakers
Aarti TOBIN
Just Meat Protein
“Rethinking Meat: Maximising the protein potential through whole-animal utilisation”
Aarti TOBIN
Just Meat Protein
Dr Aarti Tobin is the Co-founder and Co-CEO of Just Meat Protein, a start-up manufacturing high protein powders from underutilised meat. She is a globally recognised research scientist and food technologist with over 35 years of experience leading innovation in the food and meat industries. During her 31 years at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, she has driven high-impact research focused on boosting the value, functionality, and sustainability of animal-derived proteins, contributing to Australia’s Future Protein Roadmap. Her work includes the development of innovative, market-ready products such as nutrient-dense, soluble meat powders designed to address global nutrition and food security challenges; as well as specialised solutions for the aged care sector, particularly for individuals with dysphagia (swallowing disorders). Dr Tobin combines deep scientific expertise with a strong commercial mindset, bridging traditional food science and emerging technologies to deliver scalable, consumer-centric solutions. Over the last 5 years Dr Tobin with her colleagues at CSIRO have developed a patent pending process to convert meat into a high protein, allergen free powder, that can be used in any food or beverage product that needs a nutritional boost. Her leadership continues to shape the future of sustainable protein production and strengthen Australia’s role in the global food innovation ecosystem.
Lukas MAYR
BASF South East Asia Pte Ltd.
“Green Transformation at BASF
Lukas MAYR
BASF South East Asia Pte Ltd.
Dr. Lukas Mayr is an accomplished physical chemist and executive with extensive experience in research, innovation management, and strategic leadership. Based in Singapore, Dr. Mayr leads BASF strategic initiatives focused on growth and raw material transformation in Asia Pacific. In addition, he is Executive Assistant to BASF Board Member Dr. Stephan Kothrade for his Chief Technology Officer role and his responsibilities in Asia Pacific. Previously, he contributed to BASF’s global green transformation and growth market strategy. Dr. Mayr also steered projects and fostered industry partnerships in his role as leader of the BASF’s Carbon Management R&D Program. He joined BASF in Germany in 2016 and lead R&D teams in material physics and inorganic synthesis, where he specialized in surface science and advanced reactor design. He holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Innsbruck including research stays at international institutions. Dr. Mayr’s achievements are recognized by multiple awards (such as the Eduard-Wallnöfer Award) for scientific excellence and innovation.
Tae-Eog LEE
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
“Next-Generation Manufacturing: Challenges, Issues, and Future Strategies”
Tae-Eog LEE
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Tae-Eog Lee is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology). He has worked on semiconductor manufacturing automation, including scheduling & control and software engineering of clustered process tools, fab operation management, discrete event system modelling and control, AI-based scheduling and control, smart fab and factory, and manufacturing innovation strategies. He actively collaborated with industrial partners, including semiconductor manufacturing tool vendors and fabs. He graduated from Seoul National University, KAIST, and Ohio State University. He joined KAIST in 1991. He was an associate editor of IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering. He received the Korea Engineering Award and the Month’s Scientist from Korea Research Foundation and Korea Ministry of Science and Technology, the Year’s KAIST Award, etc. He is a member and a board member of the Korea Academy of Science and Technology.
Xiaodong CHEN
Nanyang Technological University
“Conformal Bioelectronic Interface”
Xiaodong CHEN
Nanyang Technological University
Professor Xiaodong Chen is a Distinguished University Professor at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, with appointments in Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry, and Medicine. Internationally recognised for his work in interdisciplinary materials science, he has pioneered bio-interfaced electronics that integrate biological systems with rigid devices. His innovations, spanning from water-responsive materials for nerve repair to wearable tactile sensors, are transforming medical diagnostics and treatment.
Prof Chen’s achievements have earned him numerous prestigious honours, including the Singapore President’s Science Award, NRF Investigatorship and Fellowship, the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award, the Dan Maydan Prize in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, and the Kabiller Young Investigator Award. He is an elected member of the Royal Society, the Singapore National Academy of Science, the Academy of Engineering Singapore, and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. He plays an active role in the scientific community, serving on editorial boards of top journals such as Advanced Materials, Chemical Reviews, Matter, and Small. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of ACS Nano, a leading global journal in nanoscience and nanotechnology.
Invited Speakers
Andreas PESCHEL
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
“Enabling Large-scale Hydrogen Transport and Storage by Chemical Hydrogen Carriers”
Andreas PESCHEL
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
Since March 2023 Andreas Peschel is Director for Process and Plant Engineering for Chemical Hydrogen Storage at the Institute for a Sustainable Hydrogen Economy of Forschungszentrum Jülich and Professor at RWTH Aachen University. Before he headed Chemical Technology at Linde Engineering. With his industrial and academic experience, he combines deep know how in process and plant design for H2, syngas & downstream chemicals with technology portfolio management, patent strategy, and commercialisation of new processes.
Andreas VILCINSKAS
Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME
“Future Potential of Controlled Environment Agriculture”
Evelyn WANG
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dr. Evelyn N. Wang is the Vice President for Energy and Climate and the Ford Professor of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She previously served as the Senate-confirmed Director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) from 2023-2025, where she led the Agency’s development, launch, and execution of high-risk, high-reward energy research and development programs. At MIT, she developed technologies for thermal management, energy conversion and storage, and water harvesting and purification. Dr. Wang holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. She also received an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Bakyzhan AKHMETOV
Ansys Inc
“Transforming Smart Manufacturing Through Simulation and AI-Driven Real-Time Intelligence”
Bakyzhan AKHMETOV
Ansys Inc
Dr. Bakytzhan Akhmetov has over 13 years of experience in technology development and commercialization. He secured innovation funding from the World Bank and Newton Fund, successfully commercializing products for a sustainable future. As a co-PI on numerous R&D projects funded by NRF and international agencies, he has published over 25 papers, co-authored 3 books, and holds several patents in energy efficiency technologies.
Specializing in computational multiphysics since his undergraduate studies, he advanced his aerospace & mechanical engineering expertise at Georgia Tech with Prof. Krishan K Ahuja. Moreover, he co-developed Cryo-Polygeneration Technology at NTU with Surbana Jurong for the SEA market and helped startups expand from Seed to Series A funding stages. At Ansys, Dr. Akhmetov leads the CFD, energy management, Digital Twin, AI, simulation optimization and sustainability projects across ASEAN customers & partners.
Balamurugan RAMALINGAM
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR ISCE2)
“Integrating High-Fidelity Experiments with Machine Learning for Molecular Design and Optimization”
Balamurugan RAMALINGAM
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR ISCE2)
Dr. Balamurugan Ramalingam obtained his PhD in Bioinorganic Chemistry from Bharathidasan University, India, and undertook postdoctoral research in Asymmetric Catalysis at the University of Basel, Switzerland. Since 2007, he has been a Scientist at A*STAR, Singapore, focusing on flow chemistry, catalysis, sustainable processes, high-throughput experimentation, and data-driven reaction optimization.
Dr. Ramalingam has co-authored over 35 publications and inventor on 11 patents with 3 technology transfers. He is the recipient of notable fellowships, including the India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Senior Research Fellowship, Swiss Federal Commission Scholarship, and Swiss National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Bernard TAN
National University of Singapore (NUS)
“How the Internet Came to Singapore”
Bernard TAN
National University of Singapore (NUS)
Bernard TAN Tiong Gie is an Emeritus Professor of Physics at NUS, where he is Chairman of CRISP and has been Dean of Science. He was also Chairman of the National Advisory Committee on Laboratory Animal Research (NACLAR), the Advisory Committee on Radiation Protection and Nuclear Science of the NEA and the National Internet Advisory Committee (NIAC).
He was a member of the Rail Excellence Advisory Panel of the LTA, the Nuclear Safety Advisory Panel of MEWR and the NRF’s Mid-Term Review panel for the Nuclear Safety Research and Education Programme, and was an Honorary Consultant to DSO National Laboratories. He is a Fellow of the SNAS, a Fellow of the Institute of Physics (U.K), and a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, Singapore.
Constanze NEUMANN
Max Planck Institute for Coal Research
“Metal-Metal Cooperation to Reduce Energy Requirements of Chemical Reactions”
Constanze NEUMANN
Max Planck Institute for Coal Research
During her PhD in the group of Tobias Ritter at Harvard, she studied concerted nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions while her postdoc with Mircea Dincă at MIT was dedicated to the development of MOF- and alloy nanoparticle-based catalysts for alcohol upgrading. In 2020, she started her independent career as a Lise-Meitner group leader at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung. Her lab is interested in the precision synthesis of heterogeneous catalysts, with a focus on metal-organic frameworks. The focus of her group’s work lies on the optimization of the extended environment of active sites as well as the spacing of active sites in heterogeneous catalysts.
David YOUNG
University of Glasgow
“Porphyrin-based Coordination Cages for Combination Therapy of Cancer”
David YOUNG
University of Glasgow
Professor David Young received his degrees from the University of Queensland in the 1980s. He then held postdoctoral research positions at the University College of North Wales and Oxford University. He is currently the Executive Dean (Academic) of Glasgow College, UESTC based in Chengdu, China. Professor Young has been awarded two national research medals by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. He is a Managing Editor of Journal of Molecular and Engineering Materials and has published approximately 350 research articles and book chapters.
Dirk HENKENSMEIER
Korea Institute of Science and Technology
“Membranes for Water Electrolysis and Flow Batteries”
Dirk HENKENSMEIER
Korea Institute of Science and Technology
Dirk Henkensmeier graduated from Hamburg University, is a principal researcher at KIST and professor at UST. Including positions at Paul Scherrer Institute, Sartorius and LG Chem, he has 20 years of experience with polymeric membranes for electrochemical energy devices. He is known for his work on fuel cells, and pioneered the use of acid-doped membranes for flow batteries, reaching energy efficiencies of > 90%. More recently, he introduced low-alkalinity ion-solvating membrane water electrolysis, which promises increased durability and performance of green hydrogen production. He received the ministers award (2022) and the presidential citation ribbon (2024) of the Republic of Korea.
Dong Yup LEE
Sungkyunkwan University
“Autonomous Bioprocess Digital Twins for Next-Generation Biomanufacturing”
Dong Yup LEE
Sungkyunkwan University
Dr. Dong-Yup Lee is a Professor of the School of Chemical Engineering at the Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), a director of White Bioinnovation Research Center, and leads both Process Design and Systems Engineering (PDSE) lab and Bioprocess Digital Twin lab at SKKU. He has stellar track record and expertise in Multi-omics integration, Model-guided metabolic engineering, and Mammalian systems biotechnology. He has coauthored more than 170 research articles on these and other topics. His current research focuses on bioprocess digital twins, computational synthetic gene design for biotherapeutics, and microbiome engineering for health, biotechnology, and cosmetic applications. With a strong emphasis on applied research, he has successfully led numerous consultancy and industrial projects for global biopharma, biotech, and cosmetic companies.
Ekkehardt HAHN
Universität Münster
“Mechanically Interlocked Molecules”
Ekkehardt HAHN
Universität Münster
F. Ekkehardt Hahn received his Ph.D degree from the Technische Universität Berlin in 1985. He was postdoc at UC Berkeley with Prof. K. N. Raymond from 1985 to 1988. In 1988, he began his independent research at the Technische Universität Berlin followed by an appointment as Professor at the Freie Universität Berlin. In 1998 he moved to the position as chair of Inorganic Chemistry at the Universität Münster. He has been awarded a JSPS fellowship and the Julius von Haast fellowship (New Zealand) and was appointed adjunct professor at Cardiff University and Fudan University. Visiting Professorships took him to UC Berkely, the Universidad de Zaragoza, the National University of Singapore, the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte and the Ben Gurion University of the Negev. Prof. Hahn was elected to the European Academy of Sciences and was appointed Thousand Talents Professor at Northwest University Xi’an where he still serves as one of the directors of the FM&EM International Joint Laboratory.
Fuwei LI
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (LICP CAS)
“Selective conversion of biomass derived molecules over heterogeneous catalysts”
Fuwei Li
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (LICP CAS)
Dr. Fuwei Li is currently a Professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS). From 2006 to 2009, he conducted postdoctoral research in the group of Professor Andy Hor at the National University of Singapore (NUS). His research interests focus on the green catalytic conversion of carbon-oxygen resources (including CO, CO₂, and biomass) for the production of high-value-added oxygenated chemicals. He has published over 110 research papers and holds more than 30 authorized patents, among which one catalyst has been successfully applied in an industrial plant with an annual output of 100,000 tons.
Gaëlle LISSORGUES
Université Gustave Eiffel
“Enhancing AI in Diagnosis Using Micro-biosensors”
Gaëlle LISSORGUES
Université Gustave Eiffel
Dr. Gaëlle LISSORGUES studied applied physics at ENS Paris Saclay, France, and graduated with a PhD in Electronics in 1997 from Sorbonne university. She obtained her habilitation for Research in 2006 from University Paris Est, now University Gustave Eiffel. She created the Department of Health, Energy and Environment in 2012 and implemented academic engineering majors in Energy efficiency and Renewable energy on the one hand, Biotechnology and e-health on the other hand. She led the department from 2012 to 2021. After 2007, she oriented her research activities towards MEMS for environment and biomedical applications in the CNRS ESYCOM UMR 9007 lab, within the team “Sensors for Health and Bio-interfaces” (VOC detection, air quality, e-nose approaches, MEMS for healthcare monitoring, innovative wearable physiological sensors, bioelectronics interfaces, microelectrodes and implants for neurosciences). She has supervised around 25 PhD students. Her publications cover 12 patents as co-inventor, around 35 international papers and more than 75 conference papers. She was the director of the doctoral School MSTIC (Mathematics, Communication and Computer Sciences) of University Paris Est from 2019 to 2024, and Vice-President of the ComUE University Paris Est from July 2021 to march 2024. She became Deputy Director of ESIEE PARIS, school of engineering at University Gustave EIFFEL, in March 2024.
Geoff S. BALDWIN
Imperial College London
“A Self Driving Lab for Accelerating the Engineering of Biological Systems for Sustainable Production”
Geoff S. BALDWIN
Imperial College London
Professor Geoff Baldwin is Co-Director of the Imperial College Centre for Engineering Biology and Director of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in BioDesign Engineering. His research develops cutting-edge synthetic biology tools to accelerate the design of new biological systems, including DNA-BOT, an automated DNA assembly platform based on the BASIC method. These innovations underpin his vision for the “Self-Driving Lab,” where automation and human-interpretable AI transform the speed and scale of metabolic engineering. His work applies these approaches to engineer microbial systems for the sustainable production of valuable compounds, advancing both scientific discovery and real-world impact.
Guo-Xin JIN
Fudan University
“Molecular Macrocycles, Catenanes and Knots”
Guo-Xin JIN
Fudan University
Dr Guo-Xin Jin is Chair Professor in Fudan University. His current research interests include various aspects of organometallic chemistry, self-assembly of metallacycles and metallacages and carborane chemistry. He has published more than 420 research papers and 20 review papers and books, and has been involved in 45 patents. He was as an Associate Editor of Dalton Transactions from 2005 to 2019 and now is an Editorial Board Members of “Coordination Chemistry Reviews”, “Journal of Organometallic Chemistry” and “Molecules”. He obtained Humboldt Research Award in 2016. He was selected as a Foreign Members of Russian Academy of Natural Sciences in 2014 and European Academy of Sciences in 2019.
Hideki AMII
Gunma University
“Catalytic Aromatic Trifluoromethylation with Recoverable and Reusable Reagents”
Hideki AMII
Gunma University
Prof. Hideki Amii graduated from Kyoto University, where he received his Doctorate in 1996. During 1996-2003, he worked as Research Associate of Okayama University. He carried out postdoctoral work at Université Paul Sabatier, France during 2000-2001. In 2003, he was appointed to Associate Professor of Kobe University. In 2010, he moved to Gunma University as Full Professor. He was the recipient of the Chemical Society of Japan Award for Young Chemists (2002) and the Ichimura Prize in Science for Distinguished Achievement (2019). His research interest focuses in the synthesis of organofluorine compounds using metal reagents.
Huimin THAM
Evonik (SEA) Pte. Ltd.
“Sustainable Specialty Additives through Novel Process Innovation”
Huimin THAM
Evonik (SEA) Pte. Ltd.
Hui Min THAM obtained her B.Sc. (Hons) and Ph.D. from the National University of Singapore before joining Evonik (SEA) in 2020. She has since worked in Evonik’s RD&I department, focusing on projects to develop specialty additives used in the coatings industry. This cross-disciplinary endeavour spans the synthesis of inorganic materials to the utilisation of relevant chemical engineering knowledge for process improvement and scaling up. Hui Min currently leads the Colloidal Silica team, focusing on the development of this material class as a coating additive.
Iris YU
National University of Singapore
“Biomass Waste Valorisation for Making Renewable Chemicals and Products”
Iris YU
National University of Singapore
Iris Yu is an Assistant Professor at NUS Civil and Environmental Engineering, specialising in microwave-assisted thermoprocessing and heterogeneous catalysis. Before joining NUS, she was a Research Assistant Professor at Hong Kong PolyU and Humboldt Fellow at the Technical University of Munich, Germany. She actively contributes to the scientific community, serving as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) and Editorial/Advisory Board member for scientific journals. She received accolades such as MIT Technology Review Innovator Under 35 Asia Pacific 2023, L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Singapore 2024, and Rising Star in Green Chemistry Education Award, ACS GCI, 2025.
Isabel WEBB
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
“Engineering Biology: A National Policy Perspective”
Isabel WEBB
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Dr Isabel Webb is Deputy Director for Technology Strategy and Security in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). She leads UK Government policy on robotics, advanced materials and engineering biology. Prior to this she was Head of Engineering Biology in the same department. Isabel has held a range of roles in the UK Government including in the No10 Policy Unit and the office of the Business Secretary.
Isabel studied a PhD at the University of Oxford and the John Innes Centre. Her PhD investigated the plant-microbial interactions involved in biological nitrogen fixation.
Jason HEIN
The University of British Columbia
“Autonomous Chemistry Through Real Time Insight and Modular Design”
Jason HEIN
The University of British Columbia
Jason Hein is a Professor at the University of British Columbia and Adjunct Professor at the University of Bergen, Norway. He completed his Ph.D. with Phil Hultin at the University of Manitoba in 2005, moving to become an NSERC PDF fellowship with Barry Sharpless and then senior research associate with Donna Blackmond at Scripps Research. In 2011 he started his independent research program at the University of California, Merced, joining the University of British Columbia in 2015, where he was promoted to Professor in 2024. His internationally recognized work in automated kinetic reaction analysis has advanced reaction discovery and optimization, yielding key mechanistic insights into catalytic processes. His work has been recognized though the ACS Young Investigators Prize (2015), NSERC Discovery Accelerator (2021) and the R. U. Lemieux Award (2025).
Jason has been very active outside of his academic role. In 2020 he founded Telescope Innovations, a chemical technology company aiming to translate academic research into practical solutions. In 2021, he became Associate Editor for Digital Discoveries, an innovative new journal with the Royal Society of Chemistry. He is a founding member of the Acceleration Consortium based at the University of Toronto, driving advancements in self-driving laboratories and digital chemistry.
Jia ZHANG
A*STAR IHPC
“Studies on CH4 Decomposition over carbon for CO2-free H2 production”
Jia ZHANG
A*STAR IHPC
Dr. Zhang Jia is a Principal Scientist II at the A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing, where she co-manages the Catalysis and Process Control Group within the Computational Sustainability Division. She earned her B.S. (2000) and M.S. (2003) in Chemistry from Nankai University, China, and her PhD in Chemistry from the National University of Singapore in 2007. Zhang’s research focuses on advancing a low-carbon future by combining traditional computational methods with machine learning and high-throughput calculations to deepen the understanding of catalytic systems and accelerate catalyst development. Her work has been published in high-impact journals such as Nature Communications, ACS Catalysis, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, and so on.
Kei OHKUBO
The University of Osaka
“Photochemical Conversion of Biomethane into Bio-based Liquid Chemicals by Chlorine-Dioxide Oxidation for Sustainable Dairy System”
Kei OHKUBO
The University of Osaka
Dr. Kei Ohkubo, Chemistry Doctor (Ph.D. Engineering), now is a Professor of Chemistry of Institute for Advanced Co-Creation Studies and Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Japan. He earned his Ph.D. degree from Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University in 2001. He was working as a JSPS fellow and a JST research fellow at Osaka University (2001-2005), a designated associate professor in Osaka University (2005-2014) and a specially appointed professor at Osaka University (2014-2017). He has been a full professor at Osaka University sinc 2017.
Keiichi MOCHIDA
RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science
“Microalgae-based Carbon Capture and Utilization for a Sustainable Energy and Food Nexus”
Keiichi MOCHIDA
RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science
Keiichi Mochida is a Team Director at RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science,
specializing in genome informatics as well as plant genetics and breeding. His
work also explores carbon fixation and utilization with microalgae, aiming to develop
sustainable and profitable bio-based technologies for CO₂ capture and use through
international and industrial collaborations. He is also a Professor at Nagasaki University and a member of its Interfaculty Initiative in Planetary Health.
Klaus HELLGARDT
Imperial College London
“Single atom catalysts for more sustainable processes”
Evelyn WANG
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dr. Evelyn N. Wang is the Vice President for Energy and Climate and the Ford Professor of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She previously served as the Senate-confirmed Director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) from 2023-2025, where she led the Agency’s development, launch, and execution of high-risk, high-reward energy research and development programs. At MIT, she developed technologies for thermal management, energy conversion and storage, and water harvesting and purification. Dr. Wang holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. She also received an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Kohei TORIKAI
Kyushu University
“A Simple 1,2-trans Selective Glycosylation Using a Simple Solid Addition Apparatus”
Kohei TORIKAI
Kyushu University
Kohei Torikai received his Ph.D. in 2007 from The University of Osaka under Professor Michio Murata. He then conducted postdoctoral research with Professor Hiroaki Suga at The University of Tokyo. In 2010, he became a research associate at University of Shizuoka before joining Kyushu University as an assistant professor, where he is now an associate professor. His research focuses on synthetic and bioorganic chemistry, and he has been recognized with several awards such as 9th Young Scientist’s Award in Natural Product Chemistry, 26th Inoue Research Award for Young Scientists, and Wako Pure Chemical Industries’ Award in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Japan.
Leong Keong KWOH
National University of Singapore
“From Space to Solutions in Air, Water, and Land Applications with Satellite Remote Sensing”
Leong Keong KWOH
National University of Singapore
Mr Kwoh Leong Keong is the Advisor and former Director of the Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing (CRISP) at the National University of Singapore. He joined CRISP in 1992 as Deputy Director and became Director in 2000, serving until 2025. He played a key role in establishing the CRISP ground station, oversaw all satellite data reception programmes, and led continuous upgrades of its facilities. He also headed the development of ground processing systems for Singapore’s X-SAT and TeLEOS-1 satellites, with the latter earning the Singapore President’s Technology Award in 2016. His research focuses on optical and SAR data processing and geospatial AI.
Limsoon WONG
National University of Singapore
“When logic meets biology: Seeking elegance through understanding and insight.”
Limsoon WONG
National University of Singapore
Wong Limsoon is the Kwan-Im-Thong-Hood-Cho-Temple Professor in Computing an Honorary Professor in Medicine at the National University of Singapore. He was elected Fellow of the ACM in 2013 and Fellow of the Singapore National Academy of Science in 2024, in recognition of his contributions to database theory and computational biology. His honours include the FEER Asian Innovation Gold Award (2003) for advances in childhood leukemia treatment optimization, and the ICDT Test of Time Award (2014) for his work on naturally embedded query languages. He co-founded Molecular Connection (Molcon) in India and, beyond the company’s 400-fold growth over the past two decades, is particularly proud that Molcon has become one of the best companies in India for women to work in.
Melanie WEINGARTEN
A*STAR SIFBI
“Highlights of Singapore’s Biotech and Food Tech Ecosystem and The Development of BASF’s Insecticide InscalisTM”
Melanie WEINGARTEN
A*STAR SIFBI
Dr. Weingarten is Co-Head of the Biotransformation & Engineering Division at SIFBI, A*STAR and Co-Lead of the Fermentation Joint Lab at Singapore’s Food Tech Innovation Center.
She worked at BASF SE in White Biotechnology and was responsible for synthesis and process development for applications in flavour and fragrance, crop protection, pharma, nutrition and consumer care. She studied chemistry as a fellow of the German National Merit Foundation at RWTH Aachen and UC Berkeley and graduated with a Ph.D. at the Max-Planck-Institute for Coal Research followed by a Post-doc at MIT.
Together with her team she drives food and biotech innovation made in Singapore.
Michael BREUER
BASF SE
“Biocatalysis as a tool for the production of chemicals – scope and limitations”
Michael BREUER
BASF SE
Dr. Michael Breuer, born in 1965, pursued his academic studies in Biology at the University of Bonn. After a research fellowship under the guidance of Professor H.G. Floss at the University of Washington, supported by the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds scholarship he earned his doctorate for his research on the biosynthesis of ansamacrolides in actinomycetes in 1995.
He commenced his career at BASF as Laboratory Manager within Central Research and advanced to his current position of Senior Principal Scientist in the White Biotechnology Research department.
Dr. Breuer’s primary area of expertise is the development of biocatalysts for the production of fine chemicals and agrochemicals. It encompasses the identification and optimization of suitable enzymes, as well as designing production processes for industrial applications
Michael DJOHAN
Evonik Methionine SEA Pte. Ltd.
“Smarter Manufacturing: Harnessing AI/ML for Autonomous Chemical Production”
Michael DJOHAN
Evonik Methionine SEA Pte. Ltd.
Michael Djohan is a digitalization strategist with over 10 years of experience in process engineering and digital transformation across the chemical and energy sectors. He currently serves as Director of Advanced Process Innovation Animal Nutrition at Evonik, where he leads efforts to make the DL-Methionine production facility smart and autonomous with pilot projects in Singapore. Michael holds a Master’s in IT in Business (Digital Transformation) from Singapore Management University and a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering and Business Administration from the National University of Singapore. He is also a chartered member of the Institution of Chemical Engineers.
Michael Wing-Yiu YU
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
“Recent Advances in Regioselective Aliphatic C–H Amidation: Interplay between Inner- and Outer-Sphere Pathway for Nitrene Cross-Coupling Reactions”
Michael Wing-Yiu YU
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Wing-Yiu Yu obtained his Ph.D. (1993) from The University of Hong Kong under the supervision of Prof. Chi-Ming Che. He is now a full professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His research focuses on designing effective catalysts for regio- and enantiocontrolled C–H bond cross-coupling reactions toward sustainable organic synthesis.
Milind NIKAM
Fresenius Medical Care Dubai
Milind NIKAM
Fresenius Medical Care Dubai
Dr Nikam is Chief Clinical Officer & Head of Digital Health, Global Medical Office of Fresenius Medical Care (FMC) and is based in Dubai. He leads medical governance and digital health in Asia Pacific. Dr Nikam joined FMC in 2017 as Medical Director for Singapore. He graduated in medicine from Mumbai and obtained his postgraduate training in internal medicine and nephrology in the United Kingdom, earning a doctorate in dialysis vascular access from the University of Manchester. His interests are vascular access including device development, haemodialysis medical program management and application of digital health, including AI for improving dialysis care.
Nikolaus Isidor STELLNER
TUMCREATE
“Tailored enzyme formulations for the processing of novel food ingredients in Proteins4Singapore”
Nikolaus Isidor STELLNER
TUMCREATE
I am a biotechnologist with a background in protein chemistry and optimization of circular bioprocesses. I studied Nutritional Sciences (B. Sc.) and Molecular Biotechnology (M. Sc.) at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), and I obtained a PhD from the Department of Chemistry at TUM. Currently, I am a research fellow at TUMCREATE in Singapore working on the project Proteins4Singapore, which explores sustainable protein production in urbanized environments. My research focuses on microbial enzyme production for the processing of biomass, extraction of biocompounds, and waste stream valorization.
Pao Chuen LUI
Temasek Defence Systems Institute
“Integrated Systems-of-Systems Approach in Developing Climate Change Defence and Energy Security Defence and Space”
Pao Chuen Lui
Temasek Defence Systems Institute
In 1966 he enlisted in the SAF as Captain Lui, Officer-in-Charge of Test & Evaluation. He served 20 years in the uniform service and continued serving as Chief Defence Scientist in Non-Uniform SAF (NUSAF) for 22 years. He is Temasek Defence Professor. He serves on the steering committees of Changi Airport and Tuas Mega Port and various steering committees and expert panels. He is chairman of Sembcorp Specialised Construction Pte. Ltd and Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute. He was conferred honorary Doctor of Science by SUTD and received the National Day Award 2025 Distinguished Services Order.
Philippe SOUCAILLE
Institut National des Sciences Appliquees de Toulouse
“EY Global Integrity Report – How can trust survive without integrity?”
Philipp KLOEBER
Ernst & Young Pte. Ltd. (Singapore)
Philipp is a Director in the Forensic & Integrity Services team at Ernst & Young Advisory Pte. Ltd. based in Singapore. Experienced in the prevention, detection and response to integrity-related issues, with a focus on complex cross-border fraud and corruption investigations (including litigation support), compliance as well as anti-bribery and anti-corruption (ABAC) advisory, Philipp has gained depth of experience with a broad range of clients, including their legal counsels, across various industry sectors in Asia-Pacific and Europe over the past 12 years. As part of his work, Philipp frequently collaborates with government regulators.
Philipp KLOEBER
Ernst & Young Pte. Ltd. (Singapore)
“EY Global Integrity Report – How can trust survive without integrity?”
Philipp KLOEBER
Ernst & Young Pte. Ltd. (Singapore)
Philipp is a Director in the Forensic & Integrity Services team at Ernst & Young Advisory Pte. Ltd. based in Singapore. Experienced in the prevention, detection and response to integrity-related issues, with a focus on complex cross-border fraud and corruption investigations (including litigation support), compliance as well as anti-bribery and anti-corruption (ABAC) advisory, Philipp has gained depth of experience with a broad range of clients, including their legal counsels, across various industry sectors in Asia-Pacific and Europe over the past 12 years. As part of his work, Philipp frequently collaborates with government regulators.
Pooi See LEE
Nanyang Technological University
“Tailoring charge trapping of polymeric composites for sensing and gesture recognition”
Pooi See LEE
Nanyang Technological University
Prof. Pooi See LEE is the President’s Chair Professor in Materials Science & Engineering at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. Her current research focuses on stretchable electronics and energy devices, soft actuators and stimuli-responsive materials. Professor Lee received the Nanyang Research Award in 2016 and the Nanyang Award for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Award in 2018. She was awarded the NRF Investigatorship 2016. She has been listed as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics in 2018-2024. She is being inducted in the Singapore 100 Women in Tech 2021 (SG100WIT) and received the SNIC – AsCA2019 Distinguished Woman Chemist Award 2022. She was elected the National Academy of Inventors Fellow in 2020, MRS Fellow 2022, RSC Fellow 2022.
Rajashekar DURAI
Aimitari Medtech Pte. Ltd.
“Innovation to Execution: Forging Medical-Engineering Partnerships for a Healthier Tomorrow”
Rajashekar DURAI
Aimitari Medtech Pte. Ltd
Rajashekar Durai is currently serving as a CEO of AImitari MedTech Pte Ltd in Singapore based in Mount Elizabeth Orchard Hospital spearheading the transformation of healthcare for over one billion individuals globally through innovative precision diagnostics for a Healthier Tomorrow. AImitari is formed by a dedicated Medical-Engineering team to develop safe and standardized diagnostic solutions for diabetes and cardiovascular management starting with Smart Green Tailored Dialysis by integrating advanced imaging, bio-signals, and sensor technologies.
Prior to this role served as a R&D Senior Director at Rohde & Schwarz Singapore in Wireless communication. I have been in the R&D role for last 24 years after completing his BEng in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from University of Edinburgh in 2000. In 2019, he also attended INSEAD Executive Program, Leadership Transition. At R&S , was involved in technical , business and product design cycle topics. Enjoyed problem solving and innovation (Coauthored more than 20 Patents) and finally spent considerable amount of time at assembling, developing and empowering high-performance teams that deliver.
My career goal is to be associated in the field of engineering where to direct and lead teams to bring the best entrepreneurial spirit that ends up in a best innovative solution or a product that is well received and appreciated by the Market.
Saif KHAN
NUS
“Microfluidics-enabled flow factories for advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing and data factories for accelerated process development “
Saif KHAN
NUS
Saif A. Khan is a Professor of Chemical Engineering and Head of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) in the College of Design and Engineering at the National University of Singapore. He received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2006, where he was an R. T. Haslam Presidential Fellow, and his Bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) Mumbai, where he was a University gold medallist. His research at NUS is focused on (re)imagining the next generation of sustainable, efficient and intelligent molecular manufacturing processes. Over the past decade, his group has developed novel microfluidics-based manufacturing and analytical methods spanning both drug substances and drug products in collaboration with global industry partners. Prof. Khan has also held technical leadership roles within the Pharmaceutical Innovation Programme Singapore (PIPS) – a country-wide industry-academia consortium.
Taka SAWAZAKI
Wakayama Medical
“Peptide Fibers Inducing Selective Chemical Transformation”
Taka SAWAZAKI
Wakayama Medical
Taka Sawazaki graduated from Tokyo Institute of Technology in 2017. In the middle of his doctoral course, he obtained an assistant professor position in Wakayama Medical University in 2021. He received his PhD from The University of Tokyo in 2022. His research focuses on the integration of organic chemistry into amyloid. His doctoral work is developing photo-oxygenation reactions where photocatalysts converted pathogenic amyloids to oxygen-adducted amyloids (for a review: Y. Sohma, T. Sawazaki, M. Kanai, Org. Biomol. Chem, 19, 10017 (2021).). Since 2021, he has been pursuing research that leverages amyloids for catalytic reaction systems.
Timo GEHRING
Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft des Saarlandes
“Floating Light Ball Reactor: Scalable algae cultivation with artificial lighting for large-scale industrial production””
Timo GEHRING
Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft des Saarlandes
Timo Gehring is Professor of bio- and environmental process engineering at htw saar – university of applied sciences in Germany. He holds degrees in Chemistry, Mathematics, Quality by Design, and a doctorate in Chemistry. He spent 12 years in the chemical-pharmaceutical industry, thereof being 9 years head of production. As Professor, his research focuses on algae technology, algae cultivation using artificial lighting, design of new photobioreactors and scale-up. He is inventor of the Floating Light Ball Reactor (FLBR®) and leads the international research project ALGAE-BOOST (EU-Interreg program). He supports the promotion of young scientists in the association “Friends of Chemistry Olympiad”.
Viktor DEDE
Evonik (SEA) Pte. Ltd.
“Driving Sustainable Process Innovation in Asia – Investments and Partnerships”
Viktor DEDE
Evonik (SEA) Pte. Ltd
Viktor Dede is Head of NextGen Technologies SEAANZ & India at Evonik, serving as a business enabler for strategic investments and innovation across Asia Pacific. With 15+ years in chemicals, construction, and manufacturing, he focuses on technology deployment, digital transformation, and building high-performance teams. Viktor has led multimillion-euro projects across Asia and holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship & Business Development. He is passionate about sustainable growth, process optimization, and circular economy strategies that drive impactful change across industries.
Wan Ru LEOW
A*STAR ISCE2
“Powering chemicals production with renewable electricity”
Wan Ru LEOW
A*STAR ISCE2
Leow Wan Ru is a Principal Scientist in the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and jointly a Nanyang Assistant Professor in Nanyang Technological University. She received the Singapore National Research Foundation (NRF) Fellowship, Class of 2024, L’Oreal Women in Science Singapore, MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 Asia Pacific. Prior to that, Wan Ru was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto. She received her Ph.D. in 2017 from the School of Materials Science and Engineering Nanyang Technological University. Her research interests are focused on the study and design of novel and efficient photocatalytic and electrocatalytic systems for decarbonized chemical conversions.
Wai Fen YONG
Xiamen University Malaysia
“Toward Sustainable Membrane Fabrication for CO2 Capture”
Wai Fen YONG
Xiamen University Malaysia
Wai Fen Yong is a Professor and Head of Postgraduate Programmes (Chemical Engineering) at the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Malaysia, and Director of the Centre of Excellence for Green and Advanced Technologies in Efficient Separations (GATES). Her research focuses on sustainable green materials, membranes, and separation technologies. She has received numerous prestigious awards, including the National Outstanding Researcher Award (Private Education Cooperative of Malaysia (Educoop)), 2024 Distinguished Women Scientist Award (ISPT, Elsevier), Green Talents Award, and recognition among the World’s Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University (2023–2024) and Top 50 Green Talents alumni (BMBF).
Wei CHEN
National University of Singapore
“Interface Controlled Electrocatalysis for Hydrogen Research”
Wei CHEN
National University of Singapore
Professor CHEN Wei is currently a Provost’s Chair Professor in both the Chemistry Department and Physics Department at the National University of Singapore (NUS). He received his Bachelor degree in Chemistry from Nanjing University (China) in 2001 and his PhD degree from the Chemistry Department at NUS in 2004. His current research interests include molecular-scale interface engineering for 2D materials based electronics and optoelectronics, and interface-controlled nanocatalysis for energy and environmental research. Prof. Chen is a recipient of Singapore Young Scientist Award (2012), Mitsui Chemicals-SNIC Industry Award (2020), NRF Investigatorship (2023), and the Provost’s Chair Professor (2023).
Yanli ZHAO
NTU
“Integrated Supramolecular Systems for Multispectral Photoacoustic Bioimaging”
Yanli ZHAO
NTU
Yanli Zhao holds the Lee Soo Ying Professorship in Nanyang Technological University. His group conducts research in an interdisciplinary area of synthetic chemistry, functional materials and biomedical engineering with an emphasis on design and synthesis of integrated systems for targeted bioimaging and therapy as well as sustainable catalysis. Having an H-index of 134, Prof. Zhao has been honored with several awards and recognitions, including the Fellow of Singapore National Academy of Science, Mitsui Chemicals-SNIC Industry Award in Materials and Nano-chemistry, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics, Singapore NRF Investigatorship, Asian and Oceanian Photochemistry Association Prize for Young Scientists, and Singapore NRF Fellowship.
Ye LIU
East China Normal University
“Design and Synthesis of Phosphine Ligands for Pd-catalyzed Carbonylation of Alkenes/Alkynes”
Ye LIU
East China Normal University
Dr. Ye Liu is a full professor in Chemistry Department of East China Normal University, which is located in Shanghai. She obtained her B.S. Degree from Inner-Mongolia University in 1992 and Ph.D Degree from Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1998. She used to work as a post-doctor in Tsinghua University (from 1998 to 2000) and as an associate research fellow (from 2000 to 2001) in National University of Singapore.
Prof. Liu’s research areas are organometallic chemistry and homogeneous catalysis, specialized in ligand design, synthesis and application to transition-metal catalyzed carbonylation.
Yongfa ZHU
Tsinghua University
“Hydrogen Evolution from Water Split and CO2 Reduction under Solar Irradiation
Yongfa ZHU
Tsinghua University
Yongfa Zhu is a professor of Tsinghua University. His research is focused on photocatalysis and application on environmental, energy conversion, photosynthesis and anti-tumor. Publication in Nature Energy, Nature Catalysis, Nature Comm., Energy Environ. Sci., Angew. Chem. , JACS, Adv. Mater., Chem., EST etc. About 650 papers have been published. The total cited numbers reached about 61500 and H-index is 138. About 50 papers were High-Cited Papers by Essential Science Indicators. Elsevier highly cited scholar from 2014 to now, and Clarivate highly cited scientist from 2018 to now. Now，he is the creative editor of Science for Energy and Environment and the Associate editor of Green Carbon.
Yun LIU
Peking University
“Precision Synthesis of Poly(disulfide)s for Sustainable Polymers”
Yun LIU
Peking University
Dr. Yun Liu received his B.S. in Chemistry from Xiamen University in 2011, and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Indiana University with Prof. Amar Flood in 2017. After a postdoctoral research position at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with Prof. Jeffrey Moore, he started his independent career at the College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering at Peking University in 2021. Dr. Liu’s research interests include controlled synthesis of dynamic covalent polymers for functional materials and developing the toolbox of polymer mechanochemistry for circular economy. He has received several awards and recognitions, including honorable mention award of IUPAC International Young Chemists, International Leading Young Scientist of the Society of Polymer Science, Japan (SPSJ), and Chinese Polymer Journals Excellent Young Investigator awards, and was elected as a member of Early Career Advisory Board of JACS Au and Chinese Journal of Polymer Science.
Zeng ZENG
A*STAR ARTC
“Artificial Intelligence Applications in Semiconductor Manufacturing”
Zeng ZENG
A*STAR ARTC
Dr. Zeng Zeng has long been engaged in R&D on artificial intelligence for core areas of the semiconductor industry. He has led major AI–semiconductor collaboration projects between A*STAR and large high-tech companies from the United States, Germany, Austria and other countries. He has published over 140 papers in internationally renowned journals and leading AI conferences, including IEEE T-PAMI, He has served as a guest editor for top international journals He previously served as Chief Scientist of the first Singapore-China Joint NSFC Project, is a Senior Member of IEEE, and a recipient of Singapore’s Special AI Allowance.
Zhi LI
ShanghaiTech University
“Sustainable Catalysis Enabled by Clustered Sodium Salts”
Zhi LI
ShanghaiTech University
Professor Zhi Li received BS from University of Science and Technology of China, PhD from the University of Chicago under the supervision of Prof. Hisashi Yamamoto, and performed postdoctoral research at Northwestern University with Prof. Tobin Marks. In 2015, he started his independent career at ShanghaiTech University in China as Assistant Professor, and was promoted to tenured Associate Professor in 2021. His research interests covered green chemistry and catalysis, in particular new reactions utilizing renewable feedstocks, eco-friendly conditions, and low-cost reagents and catalysts. His personal recognitions include Thieme Chemistry Journal award, CAS Education award, and CSJ Distinguished lecture award.
Zhongyue ZHANG
Kumamoto University
“Strongly Correlated Electrons and Spins in Metal-Organic Frameworks: Towards the Application of Future Quantum Technologies”
Zhongyue ZHANG
Kumamoto University
Zhongyue Zhang is an Associate Professor at Kumamoto University, Japan. He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Texas A&M University under Professor Kim R. Dunbar, followed by postdoctoral researcher, assistant professor and lecturer at Nagoya University. His background bridges coordination chemistry, solid-state physics, and materials science, with a focus on quantum phenomena in metal–organic frameworks. At Kumamoto University, he leads research on low-dimensional quantum magnets and correlated molecular materials, pursuing a fundamental understanding of structure–property relationships in complex molecular solids.
Information is accurate as of 6 December 2025. Please refer to the Full Programme for the latest version.
