Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, announced in February 2023 they were investing up to £5 million in innovation projects in partnership with Enterprise Singapore. The partnership aimed to fund business led collaborative research and development (CR&D) projects focused on industrial research. The funds are expected to result in innovative new products, industrial processes or services with a high market potential.
konfer, the NCUB's digital innovation brokerage platform, supports all aspects of UK innovation and promoted the funding call on behalf of Innovate UK.
Headquartered in Singapore, Raitan Singapore Pte Ltd has a team of experienced engineers who are passionate about developing innovative energy storage solutions to help reduce carbon emissions. The company's products are used by a variety of customers, including businesses and the defence industry. In their pursuit to address global climate change and endorse sustainable development, Raitan has been actively exploring the creation of electric vehicle (EV) charging robots. Their aim is to develop and deploy pioneering EV charging robots that can not only streamline the charging process but also navigate autonomously within intricate environments, such as multi-storey car parks, event venues, and private parking areas.
Raitan’s ambitions to support sustainable development aligns with the UK government strategy for decarbonising all sectors of the UK economy to meet tough net zero targets.
The UK - Singapore Collaborative R&D fund presented a perfect opportunity to harness the UK's leading research in robotics and Raitan's existing LFP battery infrastructure to create charging solutions. The fund called for proposals involving at least one partner from both the UK and Singapore. However, without existing relationships in the UK, Raitan was unsure how to find potential UK collaborators.
Raitan posted a collaboration call on konfer for UK robotics companies interested in joining them in applying for the fund.
Vince Sey, Chief of Business Development at Raitan Singapore Pte Ltd, expressed his optimism about the collaboration, saying: 'We believe this partnership could significantly contribute to the global shift towards electric mobility. We are confident that, together, we can create innovative and sustainable EV charging solutions that will leave a substantial mark on the industry.
‘We connected with several potential UK partners through the konfer platform, including leading robotics companies and research institutions. After considering the synergies and capabilities of these potential partners, we decided to collaborate with Hal Robotics and Inotec Ltd who demonstrated a strong background in robotics research and a clear understanding of the EV charging market.
‘Once our EV charging robots have been successfully developed and tested, we will explore commercialisation and deployment opportunities in both the UK and Singapore. This will involve identifying potential markets, establishing partnerships with EV manufacturers and charging infrastructure providers, and raising public awareness.
‘Our call on konfer successfully garnered substantial interest, and we are extremely pleased with the outcome. We have now submitted our application to Innovate UK and are eagerly awaiting the results. We will undoubtedly utilise Konfer's services again in the future.
‘Working with our chosen UK partner, we formed a joint team to work on the Innovate UK/Enterprise Singapore submission. The team was composed of our engineers and product developers, their robotics experts, and a few external consultants who provided valuable insights into the UK market and Innovate UK's expectations. This collaborative effort ensured that our submission was strong, innovative, and aligned with the goals of the funding program.’
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