Apical Group, a global palm oil processor and a member of the RGE group of resource-based companies has been named one of the agri-commodity corporate partners of the recently launched Singapore Agri-Food Innovation Lab (SAIL) by Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) in partnership with Enterprise Singapore (ESG).
Officially launched on 24 November 2021 by Mr. Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Trade and Industry, and NTU Singapore President Professor Subra Suresh, SAIL will serve as a platform that engages and seeds partnerships across the food value chain. It will work with corporate partners to curate industry-wide challenges and drive collaboration between demand drivers and solution providers.
Apical is among the first batch of over 20 agri-food corporates collaborating with SAIL. Speaking at a panel discussion on the “Innovations in the Agri-Food Industry” at the launch, Bremen Yong, Apical Director of Sustainability emphasised the importance of being open to innovation and approaching sustainability as a shared responsibility if the agri-food industry is to progress and prosper.
“Being sustainable should be viewed as a strategic decision beyond the mandate. To grow and thrive in the long run, companies should view sustainability as key to differentiating themselves,” he added.
As a corporate partner of SAIL, Apical hopes to leverage NTU Singapore’s strong research capacities and the platform’s extensive and interdisciplinary network of partners to bring research outcomes to the market and address landscape-level concerns across the full supply chain, from plantation to storefront.
With smallholders representing approximately 40% of the world’s palm oil production, Apical hopes to leverage technology to promote greater inclusion while improving their resilience and livelihoods.