Industry-Academia Innovation Partnership between Tokyo Electron Singapore and NTU I&E

"NTU Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E)" at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore is an initiative to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. As the main partner, Tokyo Electron Singapore (TEL Singapore) is participating in the "Port63 Challenge" hosted by NTU I&E. TEL Singapore's Senior Sales & Marketing Vice President Augustine Teo, who is involved in this partnership, spoke in an interview.

This article has been modified and republished from an article posted on NTU’s LinkedIn page with permission from NTU.

Innovating for a Sustainable Future

Port63 Challengeis NTU's flagship innovation competition that connects student innovators with industry partners to solve real-world challenges. The platform provides mentorship, resources, and funding opportunities to help transform promising ideas into viable solutions. "Innovation Challenges are invaluable in bringing academia and industry together to educate young inventors and entrepreneurs to refine and focus on bolstering critical aspects of the proposed solution to better address real-world needs," says Augustine, a key partner of the Port63 Challenge with NTU I&E.

TEL is one of global leaders in semiconductor production equipment, holding top market positions across key product categories. Guided by their corporate message of "Technology Enabling Life," TEL strives to build a dream-inspiring society through leading-edge technologies. Their commitment to a “Digital & Green” future emphasizes the synergistic balance between digitalization and decarbonization, focusing not just on enhancing semiconductor performance but also on sustainable solutions that reduce environmental impact. "We invest significantly in R&D each year, partnering with industry consortiums and academia to accelerate development-to-production timelines," shares Augustine.

Through TEL Venture Capital, the company actively seeks promising technologies and start-ups that align with its vision, "A company filled with dreams and vitality that contributes to technological innovation in semiconductors". Augustine explains, "we support portfolio companies both financially and technically, leveraging our global infrastructure and expertise."

Partnership with NTU I&E

Augustine expresses enthusiasm for NTU's initiative: "We would like to congratulate and thank NTU for pioneering such an exciting initiative to further invigorate the entrepreneurship landscape in Singapore. Establishing such a platform encourages our young innovators and entrepreneurs to be more forthcoming in identifying and developing unique solutions to real-life industry challenges. It allows industry and academia to enhance collaboration in mentoring and grooming new talent to support stronger future industry growth. This will be immensely helpful in continuing to attract global investment and catalyze even greater vibrancy in the Singapore economy."

TEL demonstrates its support for the Port63 Challenge by providing cash prizes to winning teams, enabling them to further develop their ideas and prototypes. This initiative reinforces TEL's commitment to fostering innovation among youth in Singapore and strengthening the bridge between academic excellence and industry needs.

Advice to Future Entrepreneurs

"I would suggest that they try their utmost to balance the delicate line between challenging current industry dogmas while being pragmatic and focused on generating impactful outcomes. In many instances, seemingly creative or innovative ideas fizzle out at an early stage primarily because the desired outcomes are simply not what the industry really needs at a fundamental level."

Pleaes watch the highlights of Port63 Challenge 2025 Final Pitch Day