【Speaker】 Professor HANG CHANG CHIEH, National University of Singapore

【Title】 Singapore’s GET-Up: an Alternative Mode of Technology Transfer

【Time】 10:00-11:15, Monday, Sept. 19

【Venue】 Room 513, Weilun Building, Tsinghua SEM

【Language】 English

【Organizer】 Research Center for Technological Innovation

Seminar:

In this seminar, Prof Hang will share Singapore’s experience in developing and implementing a bold initiative called GET-Up – Growing Enterprises through Technology Upgrading since 2003. It utilizes the R&D manpower from public research institutes to assist the technology upgrading of small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The key programme in this initiative is a manpower secondment programme (a kind of brain loan arrangement) called T-Up. T-Up represents a new approach to technology transfer which additionally maximizes the industrial impact of public sector research. Findings from two surveys conducted in 2005 and 2012 show that the T-Up secondment programme had positive impact on the technological capabilities, innovation performance and growth of participating companies. Additionally, selected case studies highlight that this initiative has addressed a range of challenges faced by local SMEs and inspired further R&D collaborations between the SMEs and public research institutes.

Biography:

Professor HANG CHANG CHIEH received the Ph.D degree in Control Engineering from the University of Warwick, England, in 1973. From 1974 to 1977, he worked as a Computer and Systems Technologist in the Shell Eastern Petroleum Company (Singapore) and the Shell International Petroleum Company (The Netherlands). Since 1977, he has been with the National University of Singapore, serving in various positions including being the Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering. From 1994 to 2000, he served as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University in charge of research. From 2001 to 2003, he was seconded to Agency for Science, Technology and Research to serve as its Executive Deputy Chairman. Since 2004, he has resumed his academic career in the National University of Singapore. He served as the founding Head of Division of Engineering and Technology Management, Faculty of Engineering from 2007 to 2016. His current appointment since 2012 is Executive Director, Institute for Engineering Leadership. His current research interest is in Innovation Policy & Strategy.

Prof Hang received the 1998 Public Administration Medal (Gold) for his leadership and contributions in the university, and the 2000 National Science & Technology Medal for his leadership and contributions to science and technology development in Singapore. He was elected a Fellow of IEEE (USA) in 1998 and a Foreign Member of the Royal Academy of Engineering, UK in 2000. He served as the founding Chairman of Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) from 2001 to 2009. Currently, he serves as non-executive Chairman of 3 high-tech local companies and as Board Member of a listed Israeli company in Singapore.