31 January 2016
Emulating the path set by Singapore’s universities, local polytechnics have begun to commercialize their work, which includes many technological products and applications.
In recent years, polytechnics have been clinching licensing deals from companies, and started entrepreneurship programmes for students.
Several, including Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP), have piloted schemes to endow students’ projects with intellectual property rights.
All these efforts represent a push by polytechnics to go beyond classroom learning and exam results. They are designed to provide students with exposure to industry projects and the kind of work that goes into filing patents and developing products.
Singapore is gradually shifting to an innovation-driven economy, and these efforts will help students keep up with the times.