NUS, A*STAR Launch $22M SG Bio-SPRINT for Plant Polymers

NUS and A*STAR have won a S$22 million grant under Singapore’s RIE 2025 masterplan to run SG Bio-SPRINT, a five-year research programme focused on greener polymers. The initiative—Singapore Platform for Bio-derived Specialty Polymers Research, INnovation and Translation—will be led by NUS’s Department of Chemistry, working with A*STAR’s Institute of Materials Research and Engineering and NUS’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. The project aims to build an integrated R&D platform using lignocellulosic biomass, derived from agricultural and forestry residues, as an alternative to petrochemical inputs. Researchers will develop “drop-in” monomers for specialty polymers used in adhesives, coatings and electronics, supporting Singapore’s shift to a circular bioeconomy.