SP launches food lab to drive innovation and collaboration

17 Apr 2024

The Straits Times, 17 April 2024 - SP launched its new Future Food Lab (FFL) on 17 April. The launch is in line with the national push to upscale Singapore’s capacity for manufacturing novel food products and to attract investments in research and development. The facility will also support Singapore’s 30 by 30 vision of enhancing food security, with the goal to have 30 per cent of local food needs met through domestic production by 2030, through research and exploring alternative food manufacturing sources and processes. Apart from serving as a teaching facility, FFL also houses three food tech companies which will provide mentorship to Diploma in Food Science and Technology (DFST) students working on their final-year projects or students who aspire to create innovative food products. These three companies will also work with students under SP’s Industry Now Curriculum (INC), a programme that allows students to work with companies on real-life industry projects in place of taking conventional classroom modules. Ms Ng Su Ling, senior manager at SP’s Department of Industry and Partnerships, said this is a “win-win for everyone”, as companies get to groom future talent and enjoy state-of-the-art facilities and space in FFL without having to pay rent. At the same time, students and teaching staff can benefit from the technical expertise by keeping abreast of the latest industry developments and technologies.