The Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition, organised by the SMU Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE), concluded on 19 Mar with a virtual Awards Presentation Ceremony. The biennial competition attracted around 850 entries from 650 universities across 60 countries, with projects relating to building smart, sustainable and resilient cities. Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat told a virtual audience at the finals event, "We may be facing the worst pandemic in a century, but we are also living in an age of unprecedented innovation. Our ability to adapt and innovate will be critical to enabling us to overcome this virus, and emerge stronger in the post-Covid era." SMU President Professor Lily Kong said that the University is strengthening its industry engagement through formal collaboration and joint projects, while also expanding its international connections. Hau Koh Foo, Director of the SMU IIE said, "In a nascent ecosystem like Singapore, competition is a great way to incentivise action. If you look at start-ups, 90 per cent of them will fail because it is a very tough journey... they need all kinds of support to become successful. This platform consolidates resources and all this can be available to the start-ups that participate."