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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ntu.edu.sg\/images\/librariesprovider121\/news-events\/2026-news---event\/nti-ntu-opening-ceremony-2026.png?sfvrsn=55b90262_1\" "\\"NTI-NTU")
Inside the NTI\u2013NTU Corporate Laboratory<\/strong><\/p>\nJointly established by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Nanofilm Technologies International (NTI Nanofilm), the S$66 million NTI\u2013NTU Corporate Laboratory facility brings together NTU\u2019s advanced research platforms and NTI Nanofilm\u2019s industrial-scale coating systems within a single environment. The launch on 20 April 2026 was officiated by Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower and Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nThe lab is supported by the National Research Foundation, Singapore under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2025 plan, and developed in partnership with Enterprise Singapore.<\/p>\n
Designed as a translational platform, the Corporate Laboratory enables research, pilot-scale testing, and talent development to take place alongside industry \u2014 accelerating the journey from discovery to deployment including nanocoating sustainable manufacturing, as well as clean energy, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing. More than 60 researchers and PhD candidates today are advancing next-gen nanotech solutions across four research thrusts \u2014 advanced materials, coating equipment, nanofabrication, and hydrogen energy.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ntu.edu.sg\/images\/librariesprovider121\/news-events\/2026-news---event\/nti-ntu-042026-01.png?sfvrsn=e0c35805_1\" "\\"NTI-NTU") <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
\n| Ms Goh Swee Chen, NTU Board Chair; Dr Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower and Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology; Dr Shi Xu, NTI Nanofilm Founder, Executive Chairman and CEO; and Prof Lam Khin Yong, NTU Vice President (Industry) (left to right) at the official opening ceremony of the NTI\u2013NTU Corporate Laboratory, marking the launch of a new platform for industry\u2013academia collaboration.<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Where MSE Drives Impact: Advanced Materials and Hydrogen Energy<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n Within this ecosystem, NTU\u2019s School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) plays a key role across multiple projects \u2014 including in Advanced Materials and Hydrogen Energy, where Prof Ng Kee Woei, Chair of NTU MSE, and Prof Jason Xu Zhichuan are among the project leads driving these efforts.<\/p>\n Advanced Materials: Engineering Surfaces That Heal<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n One of the most immediate translational outcomes of the lab is in oral healthcare sector, where NTU, NTI Nanofilm, and the National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS) are collaborating to develop advanced coatings for dental prosthetics, with the aim of improving patient outcomes.<\/p>\n From Materials Design to Clinical Need<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n Dental implants operate in demanding environments \u2014 exposed to mechanical stress, microbial challenges and complex biological conditions. Current limitations can lead to:<\/p>\n \n- Infection risks and\/or inflammation<\/span><\/li>\n
- Weak tissue-implant integration <\/li>\n
- Longer recovery times\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
To address this, MSE-led research focuses on advanced surface coatings, including the novel bioactive Tetrahedral Amorphous Carbon (ta-C) nanocomposite coatings.<\/p>\n \n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ntu.edu.sg\/images\/librariesprovider121\/news-events\/2026-news---event\/nti-ntu-042026-02.png?sfvrsn=9e15d0e0_1\" "\\"NTI-NTU") <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \n| \n Models of tooth implants relating to the collaboration between NTU, NTI Nanofilm,\u00a0<\/em>and the National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n- Bond strongly to titanium implant surfaces, improving durability\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Incorporate bioactive elements such as phosphate and magnesium to promote healing\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Provide antimicrobial properties, reducing infection risk\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n The result is a material system designed not just to protect, but to actively support biological integration.<\/p>\n “We are engineering coatings that do more than protect \u2014 they interact with the body to improve healing and integration at the implant interface,” said Prof Ng Kee Woei<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n \u00a0<\/p>\n As highlighted in the collaboration, these coatings have the potential to:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n This work sits within a broader translational pathway over the next five years \u2014 from lab-based materials design, to biological validation, and onward into clinical testing with NDCS.<\/p>\n Hydrogen Energy: Engineering Catalysts for Real-World Performance<\/p>\n In parallel, NTU MSE contributes to hydrogen energy development through catalyst layer optimisation within a broader system led in collaboration with Sydrogen, NTI-Nanofilm\u2019s effort in building sustainable energy solutions for the hydrogen economy.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nReducing Platinum, Retaining Performance<\/span><\/p>\n\n Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) rely on platinum-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), where performance, durability, and cost are closely interlinked. At NTI\u2013NTU Corporate Laboratory, the MSE team led by Prof Jason Xu Zhichuan focuses on optimising the catalyst layer \u2014 a critical component that directly impacts efficiency and lifespan \u2014 while working closely with Sydrogen on system-level integration.<\/p>\n This includes:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n- Fine-tuning catalyst composition through alloying with cheaper transition metals like iron, cobalt and nickel, and introducing molybdenum doping to enhance stability<\/li>\n
- Engineering nanoparticle structures to improve catalytic activity<\/li>\n
- Evaluating performance under accelerated stress conditions to understand degradation behaviour<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n Working in tandem with Sydrogen\u2019s development of other components \u2014 including bipolar plates and overall fuel cell stack design \u2014 this integrated approach enables closer alignment between materials design and real-world operating conditions to support the development of more durable, cost-effective, and commercially viable hydrogen systems.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “The focus is not just on improving a single material, but ensuring it performs reliably within the full system. We are continuing to optimise these catalysts in close collaboration with industry to translate them into practical, deployable solutions,” said Prof Jason Xu Zhichuan.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ntu.edu.sg\/images\/librariesprovider121\/news-events\/2026-news---event\/nti-ntu-042026-03.png?sfvrsn=9967b76f_1\" "\\"NTI-NTU") <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | \nSydrogen\u2019s proprietary coating technologies for bipolar plates, alongside its fuel cell platforms, enabling system-level validation and scale-up of NTU MSE-optimised catalyst materials.<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n Where Materials Meet the Future of Manufacturing<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\nAcross both biomedical coatings and hydrogen catalysts, a clear pattern emerges: materials are no longer developed in isolation, but engineered with application, scalability, and manufacturing constraints in mind from the outset. Within the NTI\u2013NTU Corporate Laboratory, NTU MSE contributes to the integration of materials science, industrial capabilities, and real-world applications \u2014 supporting the translation of innovations into solutions for healthcare, energy systems, and advanced manufacturing.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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