UKSAEI Hackathon: Fostering Knowledge-Sharing and Strengthening Ties with the United Kingdom

In December 2022, three SUSS students, Brian Joseph Ng (SUSS Business Analytics student), Hum Wai Chen (SUSS Human Resource Management student) and Guo Chengying (SUSS General Studies student) joined the UK-Singapore Universities Alliance for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (UKSAEI) Hackathon. This was conducted with the British High Commission Singapore Science and Innovation Network to share knowledge and facilitate collaboration on entrepreneurship and innovation.

Hum Wai Chen’s team worked with Yakult to produce a product to improve health, and they clinched second place in the competition with their winning idea of using the popular probiotic drink to make a yoghurt bar.

Additionally, the quick on-the-go snack is also suitable for people who are health conscious and wants to maintain or improve their mental well-being. The healthy bacteria used within Yakult drinks can easily be maintained when changing to the yoghurt bar format and facilitates easier production.

Hum Wai Chen described her experience as eye-opening and enriching. She shared that her thoughts, knowledge and skills about entrepreneurship and cross-cultural competence have deepened and widened. Wai Chen also appreciates the friends she has made throughout the Hackathon and is proud to say she is still in contact with them.

Another participant, Brian Joseph Ng, and SUSS Venture Builder programme participant, described how the event was perfectly set up as participants could walk in the shoes of a start-up founder. The participants get to network with industry leaders and experts, brainstorm ideas to solve problems, and pitch to an audience.

^{Brian Joseph Ng Jun Heng (left), together with participants of the UKSAEI Hackathon.}

His most significant takeaway from the Hackathon was the ability to reap multiple perspectives and advice from experts and industry leaders. He also supports the idea that founders must be able to extract what is essential to their business and leverage this information to their advantage. He wishes to implement what he has learnt in his company, Scribe, where there is constant interaction with customers, mentors, and investors.

Brian’s advice for those interested in joining Hackathons, “Just do it. You don’t always need a game-changing idea or a team to get started. Most likely, you would change ideas or develop new ones and meet people to work with. Every University provides a safe space for its founders to grow, and SUSS is no exception. If you are interested in creating your start-up, join the programme and worry about the problems later.”