2009 News

January 2009

[25 January 2009]

• Giving teen entrepreneurs an early start
  Professor Desai Narasimhalu, Director of the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at SMU commented that youths are becoming more entrepreneurial because rapid changes in technologies have created opportunities for innovation.
  The Straits Times

[23 January 2009]

• $900 million boost for local business start-ups
  SMU Assistant Professor Kenneth Huang felt that the government has introduced a comprehensive package that not only nurtured scientific research capabilities and talent through the universities and polytechnics, but also encouraged business innovation, enabling entrepreneurs to introduce new products.
  Lianhe Zaobao

February 2009

[February 2009]

• SMU launches new business mentorship programme
  SMU has launched a new Business Mentorship Programme where established entrepreneurs and business leaders will be invited to play the role of mentors and invest capital in young start-ups who wish to be housed in SMU's business incubator.
  Orient

March 2009

[25 March 2009]

• Time to start a small business?
  For business ideas that involve innovation and have potential for success in the international markets, SEEDS (Startup Enterprise Development Scheme) is an equity funding possibility from Spring Singapore. The government will match up to $300,000 from private investors. Incubation support can be obtained from tertiary institutions such as the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at SMU.
  The Business Times

[13 March 2009]

• 27 year-old pledges $100K to help students
  Final-year Business Management student Lawrence Kim has four weeks to go before he graduates from SMU but he has already pledged more than S$100,000 to help students.
  The Straits Times
  Channel NewsAsia
  Channel 8

• Undergraduate pledges $100K to help students
  Final-year Business Management undergraduate Lawrence Kim pledged more than $100,000 to aid student entrepreneurs.
  Lianhe Wanbao

• Undergraduate pledges $100K to help students
  Final-year SMU undergraduate Lawrence Kim has already pledged more than S$100,000 to help student entrepreneurs.
  xin.sg

• Student and benefactor
  SMU undergraduate Lawrence Kim donated $17,500 to fund a new Kim's Entrepreneur Scholarship and book prize for SMU students – making this the single largest contribution to SMU by an undergraduate.
  TODAY

• Undergraduate pledges to help student entrepreneurs
  27-year-old SMU undergraduate Lawrence Kim, who is due to graduate in four weeks, has pledged more than $100,000 to help student entrepreneurs.
  Lianhe Zaobao

[10 March 2009]

• Awards and their biz significance
  Professor Desai Narasimhalu, Director of the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at SMU, commented that competing allows companies to benchmark themselves and to do so without having to hire consultants.
  The Business Times

[3 March 2009]

• Road map to success
  SMU's Director of the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Professor Desai Narasimhalu, together with top executives, share what is needed for a good business plan.
  The Business Times

April 2009

[14 April 2009]

• 4 tips for budding businessmen
  If you do not love money, don't start a business, said entrepreneur and author Mr Subruto Bagchi at the launch of Singapore Management University's distinguished speaker series on innovation and entrepreneurship.
  my paper

[13 April 2009]

• Love of money key to starting a business
  Subruto Bagchi, co-founder of Indian IT solutions company MindTree and author of the book, The High Performance Entrepreneur, spoke at the launch of SMU's distinguished speaker series on innovation and entrepreneurship.
  The Business Times

[7 April 2009]

• More graduates turn to entrepreneurship as job market sours
  In such economic times, SMU business management student Wang Wei Xiang is considering a partnership to start a consulting firm
  Channel NewsAsia

May 2009

[29 May 2009]

• Click Chic
  Launched in March by SMU business graduate Daniel Lim and NUS real-estate graduate Benjamin Han, the website Reebonz offers new sales hawking anything from Marc Jacobs to Miu Miu.
  The Straits Times

[20 May 2009]

• Entrepreneurship at uni gets $22m boost
  Entrepreneurship efforts at local universities have received a $22 million boost from the National Research Foundation. The NUS will receive $9 million, while SMU and NTU will each get $6.5 million.
  The Business Times
  
• Turning our varsities into entrepreneurial hotbeds
  Practice Professor Desai Arcot Narasimhalu, director of SMU's Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, said the money from the University Innovation Fund will be used, among other things, to create an Entrepreneur Corner.
  TODAY

[19 May 2009]

• 3 universities receive S$22m innovation grant to boost entrepreneurship
  Prof Howard Hunter says one of the most important things is that the University Innovation Fund will help provide more opportunities for students to have direct experience overseas and other places with active entrepreneurs and innovators. SMU graduates Keith Ng and Damon Widjaja who founded Swoozh, a start-up at the SMU Business Innovations Generator, share their thoughts on the funding.
  Channel NewsAsia
  Channel 8

• National Research Foundation sets up $50 million University Innovation Fund
  President Professor Howard Hunter said that the university hopes to set up new entrepreneurship programmes and attract enterprising students who can benefit from the strong innovation and entrepreneurial spirit at SMU.
  Lianhe Zaobao

June 2009

[18 June 2009]

• More entrepreneurs and entrepreneur-to-be during downturn
  SMU alumnus Ken Koh has observed an increase in number of people signing up for entrepreneurship courses while SMU undergraduate Sam Yong Zhi is raising funds to set up a new age cafe.
  Lianhe Wanbao

[10 June 2009]

• Social media marketing gaining ground
  The local chapter of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) will be set up to promote investment in interactive advertising here and in the region. However, some say the industry still has a fair way to go in Singapore. But some local entrepreneurs are undeterred. [SMU Information Systems Management graduate] Damon Widjaja, co-founder of Swoozh, which developed the Facebook game Famous Market Exchange (FAME), reckons that most of the game's 2,000 players are Singaporeans. He says opportunities for advertisers are immense, especially when aimed at the Internet generation.
  The Business Times

July 2009

[31 July 2009]

• Innovation: the strategic differentiator
  Benchmarking and innovation are “two sides of a coin” says [SMU Chairman] Ho Kwon Ping, executive chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings. .
  The Business Times

[28 July 2009]

• No shortage of young start-ups
  Practice Professor of Information Systems Arcot Desai Narasimhalu, who is also director of the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at SMU, said that 'learning to avoid taking the wrong twists and turns can save [young entrepreneurs] lots of pain and the investors' their money'. [SMU alumni] Ken Koh, founder of Talentpreneur Hub, notes that a young entrepreneur could learn from a mentor with more years of experience.
  The Business Times

[25 July 2009]

• Seize the day
  Singapore Management University Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship director Desai Narashimhalu talks about seizing opportunities during a depressed economy.
  The Straits Times

[12 July 2009]

• Book launch of The 3rd Little Pig
  Produced by a group of SMU students, local startup incubator Talentpreneur Hub and supported by Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE), The 3rd Little Pig showcases the success stories of young entrepreneurs in emerging industries such as online marketing, social gaming and conventional industries like entertainment, fashion, art and finance.
  Singapore Entrepreneurs

September 2009

[4 September 2009]

• New SMU institute to drive innovation and entrepreneurship
  SMU president Howard Hunter said that the new Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE) at SMU is open not only to those within the university community but anyone with a compelling innovation.
  The Business Times

• A shot in the arm for innovation
  Would-be student entrepreneurs at the Singapore Management University got a giant helping hand yesterday when the university launched its latest venture – the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE).
  TODAY

• SMU IIE to help translate ideas into products
  Through the newly launched SMU Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, budding entrepreneurs can translate their innovative ideas into commercial products and services and expand their network. It is open not only to SMU students but to anyone with a compelling innovation .
  Lianhe Zaobao

[3 September 2009]

• SMU launches Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  The aspirations of young entrepreneurs have been given a boost with the launch of a new Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The institute under SMU aims to link up budding businesses with venture capitalists and industry players .
  Channel NewsAsia

• Singapore launches new institute to foster entrepreneurship
  In a bid to create a conducive environment for start-ups, Singapore on Thursday opened the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE). Singapore 's Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Manpower Lee Yi Shyan, in declaring the institute open at the Singapore Management University , said Singapore 's next phase of economic development will have to be driven by knowledge and innovation.
  Xinhua News Agency