Delta Electronics INT’L (Singapore) and the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) of A*STAR today announced the official opening of the Delta-IBN Life Science and Diagnostics Lab at the Biopolis. The lab aims to develop next-generation infectious disease detection kits through collaborative research projects undertaken by Delta, IBN, and local universities. Mr. Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman of A*STAR, was the Guest-of-Honor and officiated the opening ceremony together with Mr. Ping Cheng, CEO of Delta Electronics, and Prof. Jackie Y. Ying, Executive Director of IBN.

The Delta-IBN Life Science and Diagnostics Lab brings together IBN’s strengths in medical diagnostics, microfluidic systems and biological assays, and Delta’s expertise in microelectronics, optical devices, and global operations. The lab will focus on developing enabling technologies for improved infectious disease detection and personalized medicine. Current diagnostics require a long processing time and extensive, specialized laboratory equipment, and the lab will develop portable miniaturized all-in-one systems to provide on-the-spot, real-time detection results.

Prof. Jackie Y. Ying, Executive Director of IBN, said: “Improving healthcare through technological innovations has been IBN’s mission since 2003. We are excited to work closely with Delta to bring the technologies we have developed for disease diagnostics to market. With IBN’s platform technologies and Delta’s industry expertise, we are confident that our partnership will lead to innovative healthcare products that will benefit patients, and facilitate their care and treatment.”

Mr. Ping Cheng, CEO of Delta Electronics, said: “Delta is very pleased to establish this collaboration with IBN, a world-class research institute in bioengineering and nanotechnology. IBN's biosensors and diagnostics research has led to lab-on-chip devices for infectious disease detection and nanoprobe assays for genetic testing, which we intend to further develop for the global healthcare market. Our joint lab represents a significant step towards a strong partnership that crosses industry sectors.”

“The Delta-IBN Life Science and Diagnostics Lab represents a strong commitment from Delta to establish a long-term partnership with IBN and to continually invest in R&D and advance technological innovations in Singapore,” said A*STAR Chairman Mr. Lim Chuan Poh.

Delta is a global leader in high-efficiency power and thermal management solutions. As a technology-driven company, Delta invests 6 percent of its worldwide revenues in research and development each year. The company mission, “To provide innovative, clean, and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow”, has guided Delta to further expand its efforts in human well-being, including environmental protection, natural resources preservation, and enhancing healthcare.

Due to the rapid growth in urbanization and globalization, the world is facing unprecedented challenges in providing healthcare. These challenges also bring forth strong demand for smart biomedical platforms, offering various opportunities in medical diagnostics, including in vitro diagnostics, imaging diagnostics, and vital sign monitoring. Delta believes that data generated from these smart platforms can be analyzed collectively to produce insightful information and knowledge for better healthcare.

The Singapore government’s commitment to develop the biomedical and life sciences industries corresponds with Delta’s belief in the biomedical sector’s future growth. This, coupled with Singapore’s political and economic stability, as well as its large, highly-skilled, and innovative workforce, makes Singapore an extremely favorable location for Delta to set up its R&D facilities.

The Delta-IBN Life Science and Diagnostic Lab is expected to have over 50 Delta staff, who will work on joint projects with IBN researchers. The lab has also started research programs with universities, such as Nanyang Technological University and the Singapore University of Technology and Design.

About Delta

Delta, founded in 1971, is a global leader in power and thermal management solutions. Our mission statement, “To provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow,” focuses our role in addressing key environmental issues such as global climate change. As an energy-saving solutions provider with core competencies in power electronics and in innovative research and development, Delta's businesses encompass Power Electronics, Energy Management, and Smart Green Life. Delta has sales offices worldwide with manufacturing facilities and R&D centers in Taiwan, China, USA, Europe, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, India, Mexico and Brazil.

Throughout its history, Delta has received many global awards and recognition for its business milestones, innovative technology and corporate social responsibility. Since 2011, Delta has been selected as a member of the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability™ World Index (DJSI World) for 4 consecutive years. In 2014, Delta was ranked at the highest A-level of the Climate Performance Leadership Index (CPLI) of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), and it was the only company from Greater China to be named to the CPLI from nearly 2,000 listed companies.

For more information, please link: www.deltaww.com.

About IBN

Established in 2003, the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) is the world’s first bioengineering and nanotechnology research institute. IBN’s mission is to conduct multidisciplinary research across science, engineering, and medicine for breakthroughs to improve healthcare and quality of life.

IBN’s research activities are focused in the following areas:

• Nanomedicine, where functionalized polymers, hydrogels and biologics are developed as therapeutics and carriers for the controlled release and targeted delivery of therapeutics to diseased cells and organs.

• Cell and Tissue Engineering, where biomimicking materials, stem cell technology, microfluidic systems and bioimaging tools are combined to develop novel approaches to regenerative medicine and artificial organs.

• Biodevices and Diagnostics, which involve nanotechnology and microfabricated platforms for high-throughput biomarker and drug screening, automated biologics synthesis, and rapid disease diagnosis.

• Green Chemistry and Energy, which encompass the green synthesis of chemicals and pharmaceuticals, catalytic conversion of biomass, utilization of carbon dioxide, and new nanocomposite materials for energy applications.

For more information about IBN, please visit: www.ibn.a-star.edu.sg.

About A*STAR

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore's lead public sector agency that fosters world-class scientific research and talent to drive economic growth and transform Singapore into a vibrant knowledge-based and innovation driven economy.

In line with its mission-oriented mandate, A*STAR spearheads research and development in fields that are essential to growing Singapore’s manufacturing sector and catalyzing new growth industries. A*STAR supports these economic clusters by providing intellectual, human and industrial capital to its partners in industry.

A*STAR oversees 18 biomedical sciences and physical sciences and engineering research entities, located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis, as well as their vicinity. These two R&D hubs house a bustling and diverse community of local and international research scientists and engineers from A*STAR’s research entities as well as a growing number of corporate laboratories.

For more information on A*STAR, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg.