SINGAPORE (Sept 18): Enterprise Singapore and Bpifrance are calling for proposals on joint innovation projects in technological and application areas including advanced manufacturing, clean technology and medical technology.
Enterprise Singapore is a statutory board under Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry, while Bpifrance is the agency charged to help French companies develop by providing assistance and financial support.
Both agencies will be providing funding support for the jointly selected projects, provided that participants meet the requirements for funding in their respective countries.
The joint call for proposals comes in line with the Singapore-France Year of Innovation, which Singapore and France first agreed to designate 2018 as in a joint declaration on innovation during France’s then-President François Hollande’s visit to Singapore in March 2017.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was recently signed between the two agencies in July 2018 during Ministry for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing’s visit to France, with an aim to catalyse cross-border collaboration between Singapore and French companies on technology development and co-innovation, thus helping them to expand into new markets in both Europe and Asia.
In a media statement jointly issued on Tuesday, Enterprise Singapore and Bpifrance say both countries are now placing a greater focus on innovation to drive their economies, and are keen to foster stronger partnerships between their start-up ecosystems.
One such example would be Singapore’s Global Innovation Alliance (GIA), which was launched recently in July 2018 with an aim to strengthen economic linkages and facilitate closer interaction between the two countries’ start-up and innovation ecosystems.
Interested companies in Singapore may apply by submitting an application form for their project, available here, by 31 March, 2019.
To qualify, project consortiums must have at least one company from Singapore and France each. Research institutes and universities are also welcome as additional participants or subcontractors according to each country’s funding regulations.
More details on the application criteria for joint project submissions and funding can be found at this link.
