Organised by SMU’s Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE), the Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) Global Business Plan Competition was won by the SpectraPlasmonics team from Queen’s University, which beat five other finalists to clinch the top prize of $100,000. The winning project involves the use of a metal-coated silicon chip to aid ultra-sensitive chemical detection such as detecting even trace amounts of the contaminants melamine in milk powder. The six finalists from the United States, Canada, Italy, China, Sweden and the United Kingdom were selected from 36 shortlisted teams.

Themed 'Smart City', the competition called for innovative proposals from university, college and polytechnic students around the world that address the opportunities and challenges a smart city faces in the areas of health, living and services. The competition, which is supported by Wilmar International Limited, with the Smart Nation Programme Office as its Knowledge Partner, drew 550 submissions from more than 300 universities in 68 countries, including Singapore.

At the award presentation ceremony held on 14 September, SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer shared about a new interdisciplinary major – Smart City Management & Technology programme – launched recently to foster innovative solutions to the challenges faced by the cities of tomorrow.