In partnership with NUSX, the innovation and enterprise division of the National University of Singapore, Europa Now recently filmed a series of in-depth conversations at the A5X conference. The resulting interview collection brings together voices from the global innovation landscape to examine the obstacles that define DeepTech ecosystems today, the emerging connections between European and Asian innovation hubs, and the insights each region stands to gain from the other's experience.
The series spans six separate discussions touching on themes from university-driven venture creation and defence sector innovation to artificial intelligence applications in healthcare and national AI policy frameworks. Together, these conversations offer a window into how the world's most dynamic innovation environments are currently operating and what trajectories they are pursuing.
The Interviews
Dr. Tan Sian Wee – Senior Vice President (Innovation & Enterprise), NUS
Discussion centres on the NUS Enterprise initiative, the strategic vision behind A5X, the ambition to position Singapore as a worldwide entry point for DeepTech ventures, and the introduction of Nova, a comprehensive AI-driven platform developed by NUSX for identifying market opportunities.
Dr. Orna Berry – Technical Director, Google Cloud
Drawing on her background as former Chief Scientist of Israel's Ministry of Industry and Trade, Berry examines the structural elements that enable innovation ecosystems to flourish, identifies the genuine constraints limiting the current AI expansion—specifically compute capacity, infrastructure systems, data availability and skilled personnel—and outlines strategic approaches Europe might adopt to differentiate itself.
Dr Babak Parviz – CEO & Founder, NewDays.ai
Parviz, the creator of Google Glass, discusses the application of artificial intelligence to dementia treatment and cognitive support, the challenge of establishing credibility for AI systems in medical settings, and the competitive advantages that smaller enterprises possess when operating within the healthcare technology space compared to established technology corporations.
Prof Helmut Schönenberger – Co-Founder & CEO, UnternehmerTUM; VP Entrepreneurship, TUM
Schönenberger explores reciprocal learning opportunities between the European and Singapore innovation communities regarding university-based entrepreneurship, narrowing the distance between academic research and commercial scaling, and attracting world-class DeepTech entrepreneurs in an increasingly competitive talent marketplace.
Prof Benjamin Tee – VP (Ecosystem Building), NUS Enterprise
Tee examines the mechanisms that move discoveries from laboratory settings into commercial ventures, the decision-making process for determining when research should transition into a company structure, and the strategies for developing DeepTech companies originating in Singapore that can achieve competitive success on the international stage.
Gary Ang – Professor of Practice, Defence Innovation & Applications, NUS Enterprise
Ang addresses the responsible implementation of dual-use innovation, the progression of defence technology from foundational research through practical deployment, and the nascent collaborative framework emerging between Europe and Singapore in the defence technology sector.
Recurring Themes
Throughout the six conversations, several consistent observations emerged: the scarcity of qualified talent represents the primary constraint on DeepTech advancement, universities are increasingly functioning as the primary generators of DeepTech company creation, and the relationship between Europe and Asia has moved beyond theoretical discussion into concrete, ongoing partnership development.
Source: EU-Startups
