CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge 2022 awards 10 startups to testbed their innovations at CapitaLand properties

CapitaLand Innovation Fund to support 28 more projects, including 16 sustainability-related projects, in the Group’s global innovation drive. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) July 22, 2022 - CapitaLand has awarded 10 startups from its CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge 2022 (CSXC) to testbed their innovations at selected CapitaLand properties worldwide, following their final pitches made at CSXC’s Demo Day. Three outstanding innovators, CleanAir.ai, Enexor BioEnergy and Sunman Energy have won the special recognition awards - High Impact Award, Most Innovative Award and Carbon Action Hero Award respectively, and a total of S$100,000 each to fund their pilots.

CleanAir.ai’s ALVI CleanAir Safety System™ uses sensors and active polarisation to provide buildings with HEPA-class air quality. Enexor BioEnergy’s renewable energy system can convert any combination of organic, biomass, or plastic waste into onsite renewable electricity and thermal power while offsetting significant volumes of carbon dioxide. Sunman Energy has created the world's first glass-free, lightweight and flexible solar panel which can be used on roofs that are unable to support glass modules for static-related reasons. Seven other innovations on low carbon transition and water conservation & resilience have also won S$50,000 each to fund their pilots. The projects are from Singapore, Canada, China, India, Israel, South Africa, South Korea and USA. More than 340 submissions from 50 countries were received this year for the second edition of CSXC, the first global sustainability innovation challenge by a Singapore-based real estate company.

Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, and Manpower, Singapore, who was the Guest-of-Honour at the CSXC 2022 Demo Day, said: “I would like to thank CapitaLand for organising this challenge to encourage innovations in making buildings more climate-resilient and resource-efficient. It is heartening to see industry leaders such as CapitaLand taking the lead and committing to be net zero by 2050, and devoting resources towards innovation to make this a reality. Innovation is key in our net zero pursuit as we continue to push the boundaries of energy efficiency through development, testbedding and deployment of greener technologies and solutions for buildings. We are at an inflection point in the fight against climate change. No matter which sector each of us are in, let us work together to accelerate our progress in achieving net zero. Collectively, we can address the climate crisis and advance the transition to a greener, more inclusive, and climate-resilient future not just for us, but for the next generation as well.”

Mr Lee Chee Koon, Group Chief Executive Officer, CapitaLand Investment, said: “Building an innovative culture and an entrepreneurial spirit are key to driving our company forward to generate sustainable value, and make a positive, long-lasting impact on the environment. Through initiatives such as CSXC, our S$50 million CapitaLand Innovation Fund and Smart Urban Co-Innovation Lab, we are galvanising innovators from around the world and supporting startups in the development and commercialisation of their technologies to green our portfolio and shape a climate-resilient built environment. We are encouraged to see promising innovations from our inaugural CSXC last year and the overwhelming response to CSXC this year. We will continue to accelerate our adoption of technologies to achieve our 2030 Sustainability Master Plan targets and net zero carbon emissions by 2050, as we seek to build a more sustainable planet for the future."

Creating a future-ready built environment sector with CapitaLand’s S$50 million Innovation Fund
CapitaLand’s S$50 million Innovation Fund was launched at the grand finale of the inaugural CSXC in June 2021 to support the testbedding of green and proptech innovations over a five-year period. Over the last year, 28 innovation projects were supported, 16 of which are sustainability related. The projects were selected from submissions from staff across China, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and the United Kingdom, and are aimed at improving sustainability, operational excellence, digital transformation, and customer experience.

One of the projects being piloted to reduce embodied carbon is Pan United’s Carbon Capture and Utilisation concrete. The low-carbon, mineralised concrete will be used in the superstructure of a 15-storey building in 3 Science Park Drive.

Another project to be piloted soon at Citadines OMR Chennai in India will potentially reduce the use of more than 18,000 single-use plastic bottles at the serviced residence over a one-year period by generating potable water from the humidity in the air, which is collected in a dispenser.

Other sustainability innovations to be trialed under CapitaLand Innovation Fund and CSXC 2021 include the adoption of micro hydroelectric power and micro wind turbines to generate energy, a smart irrigation system to reduce water consumption, and a waste sorting innovation driven by artificial intelligence.

Read more about CSXC and CapitaLand’s sustainability initiatives at:
www.capitalandsustainabilityxchallenge.com, and www.capitaland.com/international/en/about-capitaland/sustainability.html

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