Behind the scenes of the CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge 2023
Fun facts and more!
BY GROUP SUSTAINABILITY, CAPITALAND INVESTMENT
L-R: Mr Vinamra Srivastava, Chief Sustainability Officer of CapitaLand Investment, Ms Christine Wong, Executive Director, Urban Solutions and Sustainability of Enterprise Singapore, Mr Hugo Cheuk, Co-founder & COO of viAct and High Impact Award Winner, Dr Phrank Lin, CEO of Ralos Enterprise Corporation and Mr Terence Lim, Director of Ralos Enterprise Corporation, and Most Scalable Award Winner, Ms Oh Shu Xian, Founder of Magorium and Emerging Startup Award Winner, Mr Ryan Richie, EVP of Business Development of Healthyway Family of Brands and Most Innovative Award Winner, Mr Andrew Lim, Group Chief Operating Officer of CapitaLand Investment and Mr Anthony Lim Weng Kin, Lead Independent Director and Non-Executive Independent Director, who is also Chairman of the Board’s Strategy & Sustainability Committee of CapitaLand Investment.
Innovations such as an AI-powered video analytics tool to provide granular insights that enhance safety, productivity and compliance with safety and environmental standards at the workplace; lightweight flexible solar module integrated with corrugated steel; and a technology that converts contaminated and unsorted plastic waste into a sustainable construction material are among the entries for the CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge (CSXC) 2023. The third edition of CSXC came to a close with ten new innovations joining our growing list of CSXC pilots!
The exciting projects that will be piloted at selected CapitaLand properties globally are:
🏆 High Impact Award: viAct with its AI-powered video analytics tool to provide granular insights that enhance safety, productivity and compliance with safety and environmental standards at the workplace (AI-powered Video Analytics).
🏆 Most Innovative Award: Healthway Family of Brands with its patented low-pressure drop filtration technology that replaces existing media filters to improve the performance and system-level filtration efficiency of existing air handling units while reducing energy load on fans’ motors (Disinfecting Filtration System).
🏆 Most Scalable Award: Ralos Enterprise Corporation (Enamil LLC Japan) with its lightweight flexible solar module is integrated with corrugated steel that can be installed horizontally or vertically as a building integrated photovoltaic (PV) or as a conventional solar PV (Corrugated Solar Roof).
🏆 Emerging Startup Award presented by Enterprise Singapore: Magorium with its technology that converts contaminated and unsorted plastic waste into a sustainable construction material that can potentially be used for the construction of roads within CapitaLand’s business parks (Magorium).
🔧 AI Building Optimization Platform: A chiller plant and air side Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) optimisation solution that integrates seamlessly with the building management systems and utilises artificial intelligence (AI) for energy optimisation and predictive fault diagnostics.
🔧 Carbon Mineralization Concrete Tech: A carbon dioxide mineralised concrete technology that creates low-carbon green building materials with carbon dioxide captured and stored in concrete during its manufacturing process.
🔧 Refleshine Novel Heat-Reflecting Film: A clear and low absorption film that reflects solar heat, improves thermal insulation and can be installed on any smooth facade window or glass surface, minimising energy consumption.
🔧 Solar Hybrid Air-con: An air-conditioner that runs directly on solar power on a sunny day and integrates both solar and grid energy when there is insufficient solar energy, thus reducing grid energy consumption.
🔧 Automatic Flow Switch Testing System - CP 52: An automated sprinkler system flow-switch test that can be activated with just a key, reducing manpower, energy and water usage.
🔧 Nano-crystal Reverse Scaling Technology: A nano-crystal reverse scaling technology that reduces scaling and wastewater challenges in central air-conditioning system cooling towers, effectively reducing water discharge and cooling water usage.
Each finalist will be awarded up to S$75,000 to cover the cost of the piloting, while the four Special Recognition Award Winners will be awarded up to an additional S$75,000 for the piloting costs.
Find out more about the CSXC 2023 Demo Day here or watch the recording here.
From over 680 innovations and 79 countries – 10 finalists awarded with over S$1 million total funding to testbed their innovations at selected CapitaLand properties worldwide
The inaugural CSXC was launched in November 2020 to crowdsource the world for proposals to make buildings more climate-resilient and resource-efficient. CSXC is the first sustainability-focused innovation challenge for the built environment sector by a Singapore real estate company on a global scale.
Into its third run, the call for CSXC 2023 entries started in March 2023, with exciting new features to the Challenge:
💡 CapitaLand Group partnered its tenants for the first time, extending its sustainability efforts to its eco-system partners as it seeks to reduce its scope 3 carbon emissions. Selected CSXC innovations will have the opportunity to be piloted at the premises of CapitaLand’s tenant partners, in addition to the Group’s global network of properties available for startups to testbed their solutions.
💡 Funding was increased to over S$1 million to cover the piloting costs of all the 10 projects.
💡 New ‘Emerging Startup Award’ presented by Enterprise Singapore.
💡 CSXC Demo Day was held at the new Built Environment Innovation Hub @ Building and Construction Authority's (BCA) Braddell Campus (BEIH) in partnership with BCA. Industry experts from BCA also helped assess the CSXC entries received.
A rigorous selection process screened through over 680 submissions to choose 10 outstanding innovations that provided solutions for CSXC 2023’s challenge statements.
Mentors partnered our finalists in their Demo Day journey as they prepared for the Big Day!
The Top 10 finalists were carefully matched with CapitaLand and external mentors from around the world based on their solutions and expertise to ensure the right fit in helping the finalists refine their pitch decks and showcase their innovations! Mentors shared their own industry experience, and even helped the finalists connect their solutions to real world situations.
D Day – Demo Day!
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The top ten finalists with the Guest-of-Honour, Ms Indranee Thurai Rajah, Minister, Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for National Development, as well as special guests at the event.
The CSXC 2023 Demo Day is held in conjunction with the launch of the Built Environment Innovation Hub @ Building and Construction Authority’s Braddell Campus (BEIH) in Singapore. BEIH is a collaborative space to connect like-minded individuals, showcase innovative technologies and best practices, augmenting the transfer of ideas and knowledge to accelerate transformation of the Built Environment sector.
The finalists were put through the paces - pitching their solutions to our esteemed panel of judges and the audience. They were also kept on their toes taking questions from the judges as well as a special addition this year; a lightning question and answer round with the audience. The Judges had the tough job of selecting the four Special Recognition Award winners as the scores were neck to neck!
On top of receiving funding for the piloting costs, each of the four winners also walked away with a specially designed trophy.
Did you know?
The main body of the specially-designed CSXC 2023 trophy is inspired by the ‘X’ in the challenge name, representing the infinite possibilities and catalytic impact CSXC can bring to the built environment. It is crafted using Widuz's patented Bamboo Veneer Lumber technology, and held by a holder made from Laminated Veneer Lumber, which is one of the sustainable materials used in the Built Environment Innovation Hub @ Building and Construction Authority’s Braddell Campus (BEIH) in Singapore, where Demo Day is held. The holder serves a dual purpose as a versatile stand for items such as phones and notebooks. These environmentally-friendly alternatives to traditional building materials also represents CXSC’s commitment to continue sourcing for climate-resilient and resource-efficient innovations to make the built environment more sustainable.
Celebrating wins and getting an insider's look into some of CapitaLand's properties
The finalists, partners and CSXC organising team got together for a celebratory dinner over food and sustainable beer. This was in support of a local catering partner and CRUST which champion for sustainable causes. Caterers incorporated surplus items such as surplus avocados, cherry tomatoes, Japanese cucumbers and raspberries, as well as local microgreens and plant-based proteins for tea break and dinner, thus reducing food waste. Reusable plates, cups and cutleries were also provided to minimise waste. Crust produces artisan beers made from surplus bread and other surplus ingredients from their restaurant and hotel partners.
The next day, the finalists toured three of CapitaLand's properties in Singapore to understand how their innovations can help address the CSXC 2023 challenge statements. Check out the video below to get a glimpse of what went on and hear from some of the finalists on their thoughts!
Finalists from the past two editions of CSXC have also made significant progress. Twenty projects from the first two CSXC are being piloted or preparing to pilot at 24 CapitaLand properties in Singapore, China, India, Thailand, and the USA.
Watch the video for a quick summary on the progress and results >>