The Mapletree Challenge 2022 Grand Final

Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd and Singapore Institute of Technology successfully concluded the third edition of The Mapletree Challenge Grand Final. Two teams of SIT students – RADnovation and The Gastronauts – impressed the judges with their sustainable innovation proposals and emerged joint champions among the five finalist teams from SIT. The two winning teams each walked away with a cash prize of $5,000 and the winners’ trophies.

Team RADnovation, comprising six Year 2 Mechanical Engineering students, created a portable rehabilitation device that allows patients to perform exercises from home. The Gastronauts, made up of five Year 2 Food Technology students, proposed to repurpose spent coffee ground to grow oyster mushroom in a growing kit.

The Mapletree Challenge Grand Final was held at Mapletree Business City on 5 May 2022. Guest-of-Honour Ms Low Yen Ling, Minister of State, Ministry of Trade & Industry and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth graced the event and presented the awards to the top three winners.

SIT President Professor Chua Kee Chaing said, “We are delighted to continue partnering Mapletree to inspire another batch of SITizen thinking tinkerers who will potentially make meaningful contributions to society. The Mapletree Challenge complements the University’s pedagogy perfectly in that it enables our students to use their knowledge and skills to innovate and address problems of concern to society.”

Mr Edmund Cheng, Mapletree’s Chairman said, “The Mapletree Challenge has continued to support SIT students in their entrepreneurial journey for the third year running. We are glad to see SIT students constantly innovating and coming up with new ways to live sustainably. It is our hope that The Mapletree Challenge will inspire them to dream big and make a difference in today’s world through their innovations.”

This year’s Challenge with the theme, Improving Our World through Sustainability and Innovation, saw the participation of 120 SIT students in a series of face-to-face and virtual training and mentorship programmes in the preparation stage of the Challenge. From January to May 2022, these participants attended six masterclasses on personal leadership, value pitching and financial literacy; a forum discussion on entrepreneurship and sustainable innovation by leading young entrepreneurs; as well as small group mentorship from industry experts on their entrepreneurial ideas. 

Some of the ideas presented by the other teams include a sustainable water generation equipment that converts oxygen into water using solar energy, a mobile app for cyclists, and producing fish fingers from locally sourced ingredients with the lowest carbon footprint.

For the full press release, please see: https://www.singaporetech.edu.sg/digitalnewsroom/the-mapletree-challenge-2022-grand-final/