
New-paradigm membranes
Wed 18.1. at 3pm
We explore the next generation membranes, driven by the revolution in the materials science, and their capacity to leave the lab benches and address pressing real-world challenges. Our panelist will offer the perspective of science, government agencies, thriving startups, established water companies, and venture capital / startup accelerator community.
Supported by: Massimo Spina

Moderator

Prof. Rohit Karnik
MIT
Today what we was was a glimpse of the new-paradigm membranes. What is the change in paradigm?
Prof. Rohit Karnik is Tata Professor and Associate Department Head for Education in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he leads the Microfluidics and Nanofluidics Research Group. His research focuses on the physics of micro- and nanofluidic flows and the design of micro- and nanofluidic systems for applications in water, healthcare, energy, and environment

Perspective:
Science / New Materials

Prof. Sir Konstantin ‘Kostya’ Novoselov FRS
NUS
If you scale up the technology, it should work every single time. I am becoming a great believer of self-assembly properties. In terms of manufacturing it will be one of the priorities. Other than creating full control over the parameters of the processes, making full control over the material and let it self-assemble into beautiful structures.
Prof Sir Konstantin ‘Kostya’ Novoselov FRS is best known for isolating graphene at The University of Manchester in 2004, and is an expert in condensed matter physics, mesoscopic physics and nanotechnology. Every year since 2014 Kostya Novoselov is included in the list of the most highly cited researchers in the world. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2010 for his achievements with graphene.

Perspective:
Start-up

Dr. David Menzies
NematiQ
The journey from lab bench to commercial product takes a lot longer than anyone expects
There is a sea of change happening in F&B and agriculture, a lot of pressure from regulators, shareholders: dramatically reduce the contaminations that come out of their farms and this problem is not deal well enough with existing tech
Dr. David Menzies is CEO of NematiQ, an Australian company that brought to the marked a highly-scalable graphene nanofiltration membrane technology for producing pure and affordable water. He is advanced materials engineer with more than 10 years of company experience, leading marketing and financial operations and strategic planning.

Perspective:
VC / Accelerators

Beth Henderson
Startupbootcamp
Shell StartUp Engine
Ask yourself questions: How differentiated are you?
What is motivating me to work with a company that is risky, rather than with an established company?
Beth Henderson has been working with startups since 2015 spanning roles in corporate innovation, product management, startup accelerators and as a startup founder herself. She currently leads Startupbootcamp's Singapore office, running several programmes to accelerate local climate-tech startups and facilitate corporate collaborations. She is the Programme Director for the Shell StartUp Engine Singapore chapter, which supports startups developing solutions that help the world move to cleaner, greener, and more efficient forms of energy across all domains of the energy transition. Beth is a sustainability enthusiast, with a Bachelor of Environmental Politics and Culture from the University of Melbourne

Perspective:
Governmental Agency

Dr. Gurdev Singh
Public Utility Board
Singapore
Today many membranes are operating very close to where we can push the limit of permeability. Increase permeability of membrane does not make sense. To further reduce the energy we need to look at the whole process in terms of system and digital as well.
Dr. Gurdev Singh, is Senior Deputy Director (Technology) at PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency. He received his PhD from NUS’s School of Civil Engineering and was a Research Fellow at the NUS Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative (NUSNNI). Prior to joining PUB in 2016, he spent a decade working at a government funded Environmental & Water Technology Centre of Innovation providing technical consultancy to Start-Ups and Private Companies in the development of new technologies.

Perspective:
Big Business

Neil Hu
Veolia
Over the years I have seen the membrane technology increasing in application and size. The largest membrane MBR plant in the world is going to be here in Singapore.
Neil Hu is the Senior Product Manager at Veolia, focused on their ZeeLung membranes. He has 20+ years of industry experience ranging from hands-on commissioning, process design and commercial sales. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of Waterloo in Canada
Concept: Rohit Karnik, Sui Zhang, Slaven Garaj
Logistics and Organisation: Massimo Spina