Digital transformation is bringing a lot of positive change to just about every sector of society. The latest to benefit is China’s traditional power industry. By incorporating digital technology with power electronics technology, the domestic power industry is taking a major leap forward in the years to come.
As a whole, experts call it the digital energy industry. Already, they’re predicting rapid growth in the next decade with the timely union of the old-school power electronics industry and digital technology. To date, key players of the traditional industry are pivoting towards faster digitalisation. The best part is this is benefiting the planet too.
The essence of carbon neutrality is to promote the transformation of the energy structure towards low-carbon, electrification and digitalisation. The proportion of new energy power generation is expected to increase significantly, and energy digitalisation will progressively lower the dependence on fossil fuels by driving technological innovation.
– Digital Energy Industry Executive from China
With the acceleration of digital transformation, digital technologies represented by 5G, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are speeding up their integration with traditional industries. The results are nothing short of phenomenal. These ICT technologies are playing an increasingly important role in saving energy, reducing carbon emissions and helping achieve the nation’s carbon peak and neutrality goals. That brings into play the field of power electronics, which uses the principles of electronics－usually employed to transmit signals in low-power devices at a much higher power level.
In light of the great promise of digital energy, China’s biggest power companies are making forays into the digital energy field by setting up independent departments or subsidiaries. The emphasis is on leveraging innovative technologies to accelerate the digital transformation of energy.
Another example is one of China’s biggest telecom equipment makers that has accelerated its business expansion into the lucrative segment. It recently established a digital energy department in December.
Moreover, many of these industry stalwarts today have the planet in mind when thinking about digital transformation. They know that the dependence on traditional fossil energy has become a major bottleneck hindering the development of the energy industry. These companies look up to digital to help them deal with the woes of the planet’s fossil-fuel dependence.
For instance, the telecom equipment maker will integrate its products and capacities in power, energy storage, data centres and energy management to promote the digitalisation of the energy industry, the company said.
Its zero-carbon energy network enables seamless energy management and scheduling, from power generation to the power consumption of the entire energy power supply chain. Lithium-ion batteries, solar energy, power distribution and transformation, and thermal control technologies have been applied in the energy network to improve energy efficiency and enhance power supply reliability.
Indeed, digital tech has allowed China to transform faster than anticipated. It has brought a lot of progress in just all sectors of its society. For instance, deliveries for online orders are now done without human drivers. Driverless vehicles and drones are making things a lot easier for everyone. It’s a step forward no doubt.
The country is strategic about its digital expansion. Looking for equitable development across the nation, Beijing is applying an East-to-West digital expansion stratgey. It’s a plan that achieves mulitple targets. Not only does it make the most of the vast space the Western provinces offer, but also it ensures greater digital adoption for everyone in-country. Still, it has huge challenges ahead. For one, a sizeable part of its population needs to be educated in science and technology, as reported on OpenGov Asia.
The state-run telecommunications group Viettel recently announced a plan to build the largest data centre in Vietnam with a total investment of VND 6,000 billion (approximately US$ 261 million). The project will be invested in the Hoc Mon and Cu Chi districts of Ho Chi Minh City. Under the project, Viettel will work alongside the two districts to promote the digital transformation of infrastructure, governance, the economy and the overall society.
By 2025, the telecoms group aims to have invested in 4G and 5G infrastructure that covers broadband services for the entire population and fibre optic infrastructure for every household. Regarding a digital government, Viettel will create and deploy smart-control centre services and a shared data centre system for administration operations.
According to a press release by the Ministry of Information and Communications, Viettel will help 100% of businesses use digital management platforms, electronic contracts, and digital signatures. In terms of a digital society, the group will enable all residents of the Hoc Mon and Cu Chi districts to use smartphones and electronic payment accounts. The project was unveiled at a recent conference on investment promotions in the two districts, presided over by State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
Cities and districts across the country have been developing and implementing digital solutions for services and their delivery, following the national digital transformation programme launched by the Prime Minister in 2020. For example, in its overall plan for digital transformation from 2022-2025, the Quang Ninh province aims to have all the newly-issued administrative procedures available at Level 4. This is the highest level for online public services as it allows users to fill and submit forms and pay fees online. Further, the plan states that all national agencies should provide open data and be equipped with sufficient and quality infrastructure for digital transformation. It targets that at least 50% of businesses in local industrial parks will digitise their operations, and 100% of the local residents will benefit from electronic identification, with each family having a digital address.
Meanwhile, in the central city of Da Nang, traders at wet markets are now using the e-wallet mobile application Viettel Money, under a 4.0 wet market model. The model aims to accelerate digital transformation, boost the non-cash payment methods at the city’s wet markets, and provide more opportunities for residents to experience modern payment services. Owners of over 1,000 stalls at Da Nang’s three major wet markets have been provided with a QR code that enables users to make online payments through access to 37 banks and Viettel Money. The model will be scaled up at other wet markets citywide as a way to promote cashless payments and prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Most recently, a 5G network and an intelligent operations centre (IOC) were unveiled in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang. It will help governance and task performance be more transparent, effective, and quicker, thus contributing to local smart city building and digital transformation.
The Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has launched the Centre for Biomedical Informatics that will leverage data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to build biologically-informed models and develop “super algorithms” that predict and personalise treatment. These models could enable the early and accurate detection and prevention of chronic diseases and acute medical emergencies.
The research centre will use its expertise and state-of-the-art equipment to identify trends, patterns, and anomalies in data to derive insights that will help researchers and clinicians make better-informed decisions. It could also possibly give rise to new discoveries and the development of powerful diagnostic and treatment methods for diseases. The work at the centre is in line with the National AI Strategy under Singapore’s Smart Nation initiatives to deepen the use of AI to transform Singapore’s economy. One of the key areas outlined in the strategy is healthcare, where chronic disease prediction and management could help with the faster detection and treatment of diseases.
According to an official from NTU, the centre will support LKC Medicine’s five flagship research programmes: population health, respiratory medicine and infectious disease, skin diseases and wound repair, neuroscience and mental health, and nutrition, metabolism, and health. Among the centre’s projects is an ongoing collaboration with the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) to better understand and predict disease progression of mental health conditions in youths using data analytics and AI techniques. The centre is also working with IMH to develop algorithms that predict whether patients are at risk of developing psychosis and other mental disorders based on their speech patterns.
Apart from mental health, the centre has also undertaken projects in the area of cancer treatment. For instance, using statistical, meta-analysis, and machine learning (ML) techniques, researchers have devised a way to develop cancer biomarkers – biological molecules that are a sign of disease. They have used this method to produce a breast cancer biomarker associated with prognosis. Based on this biomarker, the researchers are now developing novel therapeutic strategies to help them discover drugs capable of ‘reversing’ the biomarker expression patterns in hopes of improving patient outcomes.
In addition to developing super algorithms and ML models, the centre will carry out biomedical data analytics for the scientific community at NTU to advance biomedical research. It will organise workshops and courses to build biomedical informatics capabilities among medical science researchers in Singapore and the region. The centre will draw upon the expertise of 15 researchers specialising in bio-data science, computer engineering, and AI/ML.
Earlier this month, OpenGov Asia reported that NTU researchers developed motion capture technology to aid doctors and physiotherapists in their consultations and diagnoses of patients in need of rehabilitation after an injury or recovering from an illness. Compared to conventional motion capture (mocap) labs that involve a lengthy setup process with technicians and a physiotherapist, the NTU-developed tech would allow patients to start consultations within minutes.
As it streamlines the analysis of subjects’ movements by removing the need for marker placement and data post-processing, consultations would also take an hour less on average. Through capturing and analysing the movements of over 150 subjects with machine learning, the technology has also been shown to be more accurate than marker-less motion capture systems available in the market.
The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), Enterprise Singapore (Enterprise SG) and JTC jointly launched FoodPlant, Singapore’s first shared facility for small-batch food production that is licensed by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA). Located in JTC Food Hub @ Senoko, the facility’s opening was officiated by the Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies.
A key FoodInnovate initiative, FoodPlant provides affordable access to a wide range of pilot-scale equipment, research and development (R&D) consultancy services, and upskilling courses, aimed at equipping local companies with enhanced capabilities to develop new, innovative food products in response to consumers’ evolving preferences.
FoodPlant is expected to benefit at least 200 food manufacturers and support the development of at least 400 new food products by 2026. The 1,107 square metre facility boasts 12 rooms with specialised food production equipment, including:
The equipment aid companies to expand their product portfolios and penetrate new consumer segments. For example, companies may use the Twin-Screw Extruder to produce plant-based meat analogues. Additionally, companies looking to expand abroad can make use of the Retort or the Spray Dryer machines to extend product shelf life or change product formats to meet various requirements.
Food products manufactured in the facility can be sold commercially as they are produced in an SFA licenced facility. Companies will be able to trial new products in small batches and sell them to consumers to conduct market testing. This will allow them to take in feedback at an early stage to sharpen their product development process.
FoodPlant will also provide skills training for food technologists to strengthen the industry’s adoption of advanced food processing technologies. The industry can look forward to specialised upskilling courses such as ‘High Moisture Extrusion Technology (HMET) for Meat Analogues’, ‘Food and Feed Extrusion Technology’ and ‘Retort Processing’. The courses are led by local and foreign experts and courses can also be tailored to companies’ specific needs.
To boost collaborations among local food companies as well as cross-border partnerships, FoodPlant and SIT signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Foodbowl New Zealand (a government-supported, pilot-scale food processing facility located close to the airport in South Auckland) on 20 April 2022. The parties will work with each other to develop capabilities in food innovation and manufacturing across shared facilities through knowledge sharing and extension of industry networks.
The SIT President stated that FoodPlant is a key component in SIT’s sustainable food innovation programme which aims to help local companies grow and innovate through food technology. It is an enabling platform for companies to perform small-batch testing and production of innovative food products developed through R&D collaborations with SIT, other food R&D players or among themselves. The affordable pay-per-use model lowers the barriers to market entry such as high upfront costs in setting up a manufacturing plant or being charged for minimum order quantities when accessing commercial food processing equipment. Through FoodPlant, SIT hopes to contribute to Singapore’s transformation as a food innovation hub.
The Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer, Enterprise SG stated that FoodPlant provides companies that are developing new products like plant-based meat alternatives or cell-cultured proteins to meet growing consumer demand as well as access to advanced food processing equipment, technologies and expertise, which in turn enables faster innovation and time to market.
The Industry Cluster Group, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, JTC stated that the opening of FoodPlant is a significant milestone in strengthening Singapore’s food manufacturing ecosystem. FoodPlant will not only plug the gaps that food innovators face today but also provide a platform for partnerships and capability development.
As of 20 April, over one million Vietnamese people had received a COVID-19 electronic passport. This is six days after the Ministry of Health (MoH) started to issue the certification through the ‘So suc khoe dien tu’ mobile application and the PC-COVID application. According to the Vice Director of the Medical Data Centre, which is run under the MoH’s Department of Information Technology, the electronic vaccine passports are valid within 12 months from the issuance date. When it expires, a new QR code will be automatically generated.
The passports, which meet the standards of the World Health Organisation and the European Union, are being used in 62 countries and more will be added to the list in the time to come. As information about vaccinated people is in the national vaccination system, citizens are not required to take any further procedures to receive the e-passport. As per a press release, the MoH has asked its agencies and medical service suppliers of ministries and sectors to review and verify information of vaccinated people and make necessary adjustments before 30 April, ensuring the accuracy of the COVID-19 vaccination data.
Meanwhile, localities are requested to complete this work before 5 May. Leaders of vaccination units will bear the responsibility for any wrong COVID-19 vaccination information of the people, affecting the issuance of vaccine passports serving their international travelling and trading activities, the release added.
By providing a secure and easy-to-use digital mechanism to verify vaccination statuses, governments can accelerate the re-opening of the economy and build a secure and trusted foundation for further digital healthcare initiatives in the future. Last year, the United States announced it would enhance the security of digital passports. This was particularly important after the lack of security and privacy associated with contact tracing apps led to much lower adoption than governments had wanted.
The key risks jurisdictions face with digital passports include the spoofing of records and leaking of private information. Frictionless adoption by citizens and venues, therefore, requires adhering to security and privacy best practices. The government said it would encrypt all data stored on the backend server as well as data in transit to and from the mobile clients.
Several other countries have recently expressed interest in launching e-passports. Earlier this month, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs (MoS) announced the government would issue e-passports to its citizens. The e-passport will be a combined paper and electronic passport, with an embedded Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip and antenna inserted as an inlay in the back cover. The passport’s critical information will be printed on its data page as well as stored in the chip. The characteristics of the document and the chip are specified in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)’s document 9303, as per reports. A pilot version of the e-passports is currently being tested, and manufacturing and issuance will start after the technical ecosystem and infrastructure has been secured.
An international research team co-led by the City University of Hong Kong (CityU) is accelerating the commercialisation of perovskite photovoltaic technology with a new approach that boosts the efficiency of inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to a record high of 25%.
The team’s innovative approach involves applying a ferrocene-based organometallic compound called ferrocenyl-bis-thiophene-2-carboxylate (FcTc2) as the interfacial material to improve the efficiency and stability of inverted PSCs. The findings were published in the journal Science under the title “Organometallic-functionalised interfaces for highly efficient inverted perovskite solar cells”.
Dr Zhu Zonglong, Assistant Professor from the Department of Chemistry (CHEM) stated that they are the first team to boost the efficiency of inverted PSCs to 25% and pass the stability test set by the International Electrotechnical Commission.
PSCs are made of layers of materials and the perovskite layer is for light harvesting. The ferrocene molecules accelerate the electron transfer from the perovskite active layer to the electron transporting layer, which further increases efficiency.
PSCs are a promising alternative to traditional silicon solar cells because of their low-cost, low-manufacturing temperature, and lightweight and flexible properties. They can be printed on plastic films as flexible solar cells or coated on window glass to absorb sunlight. However, the operational lifetime of a device can be hampered by the chemically reactive components in perovskite materials that can become volatile and degrade under high temperatures and humidity.
The unique properties of ferrocenes help to manage the problems faced by PSCs, according to Professor Nicholas J. Long from Imperial College London, an expert in organometallic compounds whose team developed the compound. Dr Zhu added that ferrocenes can reduce the surface energy of the perovskite surface, enhancing both efficiency and stability.
There is another merit to these organic groups. Dr Zhu stated that the ferrocene-based organometallic compound firmly anchors the ion on the perovskite surface via a chemical bond, reducing the PSCs’ sensitivity to the external environment, and delaying the degradation process of a device.
In the experiment, the CityU team showed that these newly invented solar cells could run under continuous light illumination for more than 1,500 hours and still maintain over 98% of their initial efficiency. The devices also met international standards for mature photovoltaics, exhibiting superior stability in a hot and humid environment (85 degrees Celsius and 85% humidity). The team found it most challenging to fabricate highly efficient PSCs along with promising stability. The reliable results mean that the commercialisation of PSCs is on its way.
The collaboration team has already patented the technology and they hope to further scale up the production of PSCs with this novel molecule and simple method, contributing to the global ‘zero-carbon’ sustainability goal.
Dr Zhu and Professor Long are the corresponding authors of the paper. The first authors are PhD students Li Zhen and Wu Xin, and postdoctoral research fellow Dr Li Bo, all from CHEM. The other CityU team members are Dr Zhang Shoufeng, a postdoctoral research fellow, and Gao Danpeng, a PhD student, also from CHEM.
The study was supported by CityU, the Innovation and Technology Fund, grants from the Early Career Scheme and the General Research Fund from the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, and the Natural Science Foundation, Guangdong Province.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) organised a brainstorming session to discuss the research and development needs of electric vehicles (EVs) in the country and deliberate on an EV roadmap. The session also explored ways to meet the government’s target of having electric mobility be 30% of the vehicle population by 2030.
Around 200 leading experts and stakeholders from ministries, research labs, academia, and the industry attended the day-long session. They discussed the need to acquire capability in major EV subsystems like batteries, motors, and power electronics. DST Senior Advisor, Akhilesh Gupta, stated that India aims to be carbon neutral by 2070. This means several sectors in the economy need to be de-carbonised. Transportation is one of them, and the transition to EVs and green hydrogen will be crucial, he noted.
According to a government press release, the country requires a comprehensive technology programme that includes developing appropriate battery systems like solid-state batteries, which can withstand high ambient temperatures in tropical regions. Further, given the large scope of activities to be conducted and the need for flexibility in programme management, there is a need to organise research programmes as special purpose vehicles that can coordinate with industries and academic institutions.
At the event, an expert analysed the subsystems involved in an EV battery as well as the assembly and manufacturing processes involved in ensuring battery systems are safe and pose no fire hazards. He also outlined the immediate actions required to produce high-quality, reliable battery packs.
A professor from the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras (IIT-Madras) presented a roadmap for technology development in India for EV components, starting from basic research to applied research, application, engineering, and industrialisation. The professor explained that the diversity of EV platforms and models in India provides an opportunity to work at all levels and gain tremendous technology capabilities.
DST, over the past few years, has been promoting electric mobility in the country through subsidies, initiatives, and accessible infrastructure. A representative from DST noted that the department helped to develop a set of Indian standards required for EV charging infrastructure. Recently, it formulated the draft standards for the Battery-as-a-Service model (also known as battery swapping) for light EVs like scooters and autorickshaws.
In 2019, the government launched the FAME-II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and EV) scheme. The ongoing project targets boosting the adoption of EVs, particularly in public and shared transportation. The aim is to support nearly 7,000 e-buses, 500,000 electric three-wheelers, 55,000 electric four-wheeler passenger cars, and one million electric two-wheelers through subsidies. With the considerable expansion in the public EV charging infrastructure, through both public and private involvement, EVs have started penetrating the Indian market.
In January, the country’s think tank, the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) prepared a draft policy for the Indian Railways to set up EV charging infrastructure at stations across the country. As OpenGov Asia reported, the draft policy outlined using renewable energy in the charging facilities in line with Indian Railways’ aim to go carbon-neutral over the next eight years. Railway stations are landmark locations and play a unique role in the transport sector, making them strategic locations to provide public charging solutions.
The India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), an agency under the Department of Posts (DoP), has launched an initiative to create and innovate solutions for financial inclusion by collaborating with the country’s fintech start-up community. The initiative is called Fincluvation.
According to a press release by the Ministry of Communications, the country has made rapid strides in the financial technology space with hi-tech innovations like the Unified Interface Payment (UPI) and the biometric identification card, Aadhaar. An official said that Fincluvation is an “industry-first” initiative that will serve as a powerful platform to mobilise the start-up community to build meaningful products that will broaden the reach of digital finance. With a combination of IPPB’s technology stack, DoP’s doorstep service network, and the techno-functional acumen of start-ups, the products of the initiative can deliver unmatched value to the citizens of the country. Successful pilots from the initiative can then mature into long-term partnerships.
Fincluvation will be a permanent IPPB platform, facilitating solutions with participating start-ups. IPPB and DoP collectively serve close to 430 million customers through neighbourhood post offices and at their doorsteps via more than 400,000 employees, making it one of the largest and most trusted postal networks in the world, the press release wrote. The event is an open call for start-ups to participate, ideate, and develop market-intuitive and specific products and services. The release noted that start-ups are encouraged to develop solutions for creditisation or digitisation. Participants can work to bring convenience by integrating traditional services with digital payment technologies like making the traditional money order service an interoperable banking service.
The government is also inviting any market-led solutions that can help solve any other problem relevant to IPPB and/or DoP that will serve target customers. The intersection of technology with financial services, coupled with traditional distribution networks, is opening up a new set of business opportunities. Conventional models of technology procurement-led product creation by banks often lack value in user experience leaving a huge gap between customer expectations and service delivery, the release said.
Traditional technology firms fail to meet these expectations with a deficit of ownership in product creation. Indian citizens have varied and complex needs that need careful thought, empathetic product design, and rapid prototyping among users, it added. With Fincluvation, the government wants to crowd in the best minds to develop technology-led financial solutions for the country, the Department of Posts Secretary stated.
Data from a recent report showed that the global fintech market size was $110.57 billion in 2020 and is estimated to grow to $698.48 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 20.3% from 2021 to 2030. Fintech increases the speed, transparency, and security of transactions, which is why governments and organisations around the world are looking to support, foster, and fund fintech solutions. For example, earlier this week, the Vietnamese government launched the student fintech start-up contest Finnovation 2022.
As OpenGov Asia reported, participants can introduce their ideas and business models to leading experts in the fintech field to receive companionship and legal support, as well as approach investors, seek capital for start-ups, and commercialise products and services. It aims to raise society’s awareness of innovation and intellectual property in the field of financial technology and digital transformation.
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