The Liveability Challenge 2020 - The Need For Innovation

A new, global call for game-changing solutions to grow food, package products, and reduce carbon emissions in cities located in the world’s tropical belt was launched in Singapore today. The best proposals stand a chance of securing the grand prize of up to S$1 million in funding, as well as other resources and opportunities to further develop their solutions.

The launch marks the start of The Liveability Challenge, presented by Temasek Foundation, organised by Eco-Business, and convened by Closed Loop Partners, in partnership with Ecosperity Week 2020.

The third edition of the Challenge is inviting project proposals in the areas of Urban Food Production,

Circular Packaging and Decarbonisation, where the critical need for innovation reflects the size of the

business opportunity available. Proposals are welcome from 14 January to 17 April 2020 and can be submitted via the official website of The Liveability Challenge (www.theliveabilitychallenge.org).

The chosen themes support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 2 (Zero Hunger), 9

(Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 13 (Climate Action).

"Global hunger is on the rise; and the past four years have been the hottest on record, with carbon dioxide concentration levels continuing to rise. We hope The Liveability Challenge 2020 will highlight the valuable opportunities present in these areas of need and catalyse impactful solutions that can accelerate the transition to a more food secure, resource-efficient and decarbonised future."

--- Lim Hock Chuan, Chief Executive, Temasek Foundation Ecosperity ---

Selected finalists will get a chance to pitch their projects to a panel of Asia’s most sought-after venture capitalists and investors during Ecosperity Week on 08 July 2020 at The Liveability Challenge Grand Finale. Winners of the Challenge could secure over S$1 million in opportunities such as funding, exclusive spots in incubator programmes, and mentorship opportunities. The grand prize winner could secure up to S$1 million in grant funding from Temasek Foundation to further development and launch a pilot project in Singapore. 

Selections from past year winners and their products...

"The Liveability Challenge has grown to become a highlight for Asia’s sustainability community, and is now fast expanding to folks in the science and technology space. As businesses and governments continue to work on societal solutions around climate change, we welcome participation from potential partners, especially from the food, packaging and energy sectors to join us in supporting this year’s challenge."

--- Junice Yeo, Deputy Managing Director of Eco-Business ---

"There is growing momentum to adopt sustainable practices and innovations to build a more liveable environment. With the support of our partners, The Liveability Challenge has attracted many applicants with high-quality proposals leveraging science to exploit potential business opportunities. As a champion of sustainability and liveability, Temasek Foundation has provided support to the winner of last year’s Challenge, Sophie’s Kitchen, to develop its plant-based protein that can be produced in a more economically viable, urban setting."

--- Lim Hock Chuan, Chief Executive, Temasek Foundation Ecosperity ---

Through The Liveability Challenge and other channels, Temasek Foundation seeks to bring together an ecosystem of innovators, funders, investors, platform providers and professionals, and excite them to source, catalyse and advance impactful solutions towards eventual successful commercialisation, as a first step to making a positive difference to the everyday lives of city dwellers in Singapore and beyond.

For more information, visit The Liveability Challenge website at www.theliveabilitychallenge.org. 

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Celebrate The Year Of The Rat With Takashimaya’s Spring Festival Bonanza

With the start of a new lunar calendar cycle comes a fresh start to a positive year ahead, especially with the Year of the Rat: The first in the Chinese zodiac cycle. In line with this auspicious occasion, Takashimaya Department Store welcomes the return of its annual Chinese New Year Fair with a lineup of 67 vendors offering an assortment of seasonal treats to suit all households and traditions.  

The thematic displays with Oriental fans to symbolise union and happiness, as well as Chinese knots to represent good luck and prosperity...

(Photo Source : Takashimaya)

Auspicious Mix features the sweetness of nature with dried/semi-dried, seedless persimmons and fruit juices imported from Korea. Chewy and slightly moist in the centre, these persimmons are jam-packed with fibre, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants to make a unique yet healthy and nutritious snack or dessert.  

(Photo Source : Takashimaya)

For more savoury selections, check out Aroma Truffle & Co’s new products - Black Summer Truffle Potato Chips (Honey Dijon, $10) and Aroma Black Truffle Hot Sauce ($20). The latter is curated from a blend of sun-ripened chilli peppers, smooth-skin tomato puree, natural spices, and the brand’s signature black Italian truffle to elevate your dishes and snacks in an instant. 

Home chefs looking to up their game this New Year can look out for On Kee's supreme abalone delicatessen, which is also available in a full readily-prepared poon choi / pen cai（盆菜）version for that added convenience, or wholesome handmade wheat flour noodles from Taiwanese brand Yi Lai Shuen with no MSG and no preservatives.

(Photo Source : Takashimaya)

Homegrown staples including sweet and savoury pastry creations from established names like Home’s Favourite, Mdm Ling, and Baker’s Brew.  Golden Moments, HarriAnns and Peony Jade are also retailing both traditional and novel products like durian ice cream,  Nonya Cookies and seasonal gift sets. 

(Photo Source : Takashimaya)

Exclusive to Takashimaya, The Lapis Place will be presenting its Pineapple Lapis, Ichiran with its limited edition aromatic tonkotsu ramen retail packs, with Hong Kong's Hang Heung and Kee Wah with their CNY-themed biscuit tins and wife cakes.

 

(Photo Source : Takashimaya)

For more premium selections, Gano Well is introducing the health benefits of Lingzhi in its low-sugar cookies ($32-42) to provide a healthier, tastier alternative choice for consumers’ CNY snack trays, in addition to its best-selling organic Lingzhi slices ($298) and related supplements.  Celebrating its 65-year-old heritage is Thye Shan Medical Hall, which has curated a series of festive hampers and gift sets ($168-688) with a mix of its popular tonics and seafood products. Traditional high-quality health and wellness products can also be found with Wing Joo Loong, Pryce Tea's contemporary tea sets and NestBloom's Golden Heritage Bloom.

(Photo Source : Takashimaya)

Takashimaya’s Spring Festival Bonanza will be held from now till 23 January 2020 at Takashimaya Square, Ngee Ann City Basement 2. Find out more at www.takashimaya.com.sg.

About Takashimaya S.C.  

The first Takashimaya store opened in Kyoto, Japan, in 1831 as a 3.6m2 outlet selling gofuku (formal kimono). Since then, the brand has evolved into one of the largest department store operators in Asia, based mainly in Japan and with a presence in China, Thailand and Vietnam as well as Singapore. Takashimaya Singapore opened its doors in 1993 at the distinctive architectural landmark that is Ngee Ann City along Orchard Road. With over 130 specialty stores spanning six levels of shopping and dining establishments, Takashimaya Shopping Centre offers the ultimate shopping experience like no other.  

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Exciting New Chinese Fusion Dishes At No Signboard Esplanade

New Signboard recently launched a revamped menu at its newly-renovated outlet at Esplanade. The new revamped menu heavily inspired by mixing Chinese with Western and Japanese culinary dishes will feature dishes like Wagyu Beef Cube in Sichuan Style, Pan Seared Foie Gras with Cherries, Japanese Uni with Oba Leaf Tempura. In addition to its new dishes on offer, the Group also seeks to improve the presentation of its signature dishes and existing menu via stylish plating upon serving. 

Beginning the meal with a light flower tea...

Signature Crispy Cereal Prawns ($5 each, minimum 6) - 

Freshly-fried prawns coated with a generous layer of oatmeal, bringing out the freshness taste of the prawns together with the delicate aroma of the oatmeal...

White Pepper Sri Lanka Crab with Korean Rice Vermicelli ($10-13.80 per 100g) - 

Definitely one of the signature favourites with its rich peppery taste. A bigger crab is recommended to enjoy the fullness of the thick sauce...

Heirloom Beetroot Foie Gras ($28) -

Tastefully-deocrated to look like a jelly dessert, the foie gras is lightly flavoured and leaves no lingering aftertaste...

A selection of unique and popular dishes were also brought over from No Signboard Kitchen restaurant in Shanghai - Glazed Australia Tomatoes Stuffed with Crispy Mushroom Salad, Heirloom Beetroot Foie Gras, Braised Cabbage with Chestnut in Saffron Sauce, Marinated Seasonal Hairy Crab in Shanghainese Style.

Espresso Kurobuta Pork Ribs with Hazelnut Crumble ($15 each, minimum 4) -

Together with the Black Pepper Crab, this is another popular favourite. Each pork rib is perfectly marinated so that the aroma of the coffee seeps into the tender-grilled rib...

Petite Abalone & Scallop with Yam Nest ($10 each, minimum 2) - 

A delicate appetizer this can be. Right beneath the crispy yam basket is the surprise find of a delicate mildly-seasoned scallop...

Almond Pudding with Strawberry ($10) -

What better way to end of a rich savoury meal than with a sweet strawberry dessert? The plainness of the pudding brings out the sweet-sour taste of the fragrant strawberry sauce...

"Our Group has always been evolving along with consumer trends, improving the taste of our dishes or improving our beloved customers’ overall dining experience. Staying true to our traditions and preserving with our core values while engaging a customer-oriented approach to pursue culinary excellence, we hope that all our existing and new customers can embrace a new experience and enjoy the delicious fusion dishes that marries the best of East and West."

--- Sam Lim, Executive Chairman and CEO, No Signboard ---

About No Signboard Holdings Ltd. 

No Signboard Holdings Ltd. which traces its origins to the late 1970s, is a leading lifestyle F&B player in Singapore. It is principally engaged in operating a chain of seafood restaurants under its No Signboard Seafood brand. The Group also has a Beer Business which promotes and distributes its Draft Denmark brand of beer, and a Ready Meal Business, which will distribute ready meals under its Powered by No Signboard endorsement.

    

Backed by a track record of over 30 years of quality cuisine and customer-focused service, the No Signboard Seafood brand of premium seafood restaurants is one of the leading seafood restaurant chains in Singapore. It is also widely known for its signature White Pepper Crab dish created by its founder Mdm Ong Kim Hoi, which is one of its bestselling dishes.

Elegant table accessories include a mini-crab chopstick holder and "expandable" wet tissues in a lava stone holder...

A testament to its strong branding, the Group has received numerous accreditations and awards over the years including the SG50 Prestige Enterprise Award 2015/2016 - Singapore’s Top F&B Brand for Seafood Category for its Restaurant Business and the Outstanding Brands - Beer 2016 for its Beer Business.

Dine with a view of the soothing Marina Reservoir...

The Group was successfully listed on the Catalist of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited on 30 November 2017.

Going along the seafood theme with a eye-catching LED coral reef TV video on the ceiling...

For more information, visit nosignboardseafood.com.

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CATS - One Special Night Of The Year

Following its triumphant season in London’s West End, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s record-breaking musical CATS comes to the Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands for a limited season from 17 December 2019.

World-renowned theatre star Joanna Ampil reprises her role as Grizabella. Joanna Ampil has performed in several West End musicals, including Miss Saigon, Jesus Christ Superstar and Avenue Q, and she played the role of Fantine in Les Misérables in London.

Joining her in the cast are Luke Fraser Yates, George Hinson, Gavin Eden, Kirsty Ingram, Elizabeth Futter, Sally Frith, Erica-Jayne Alden, Amy Whittle, Ellie Young, Holly Willock, Danielle Cato, Gabrielle Coca, Cian Hughes, Rhys Batten, Thomas Inge, Mukeni Nel, Lloyd Davies, Abigail Dever, Alexandra Wright, Elly Shaw, Liam Buckland, Lee Nicholson, and Brian O’Muiri. Resident director is Dane Quixall. Further casting to follow.

Based on T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats,the show is set amongst a larger-than-life junkyard playground and is alive with our favourite feline characters including Rum Tum Tugger, Mr. Mistoffelees, Macavity, Jennyanydots, Old Deuteronomy, Grizabella and Skimbleshanks.

The Jellicle Cats come out to play on one special night of the year - the night of the Jellicle Ball. One by one they tell their stories for the amusement of Old Deuteronomy, their wise and benevolent leader, who must choose one of the Cats to ascend to The Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a whole

new Jellicle life.

For more information, visit www.MarinaBaySands.com/ticketing.

About CATS The Musical

CATS, one of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history, received its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981 where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances. The ground-breaking production was the winner of the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical. In 1983 the Broadway production became the recipient of seven Tony awards including Best Musical, and ran for 18 years.

Since its world premiere, CATS has been presented in over 30 countries, has been translated into 15 languages and has been seen by more than 81 million people worldwide. Both the original London and Broadway cast recordings won Grammy Awards for Best Cast Album.

The magnificent musical score composed by the legendary Andrew Lloyd Webber, includes the poignant hit song ‘Memory’, which has been recorded by over 150 artists from Barbra Streisand and Johnny Mathis to Liberace and Barry Manilow.

About Base Entertainment Asia

Base Entertainment Asia is the largest presenter of live theatrical entertainment in Southeast Asia with offices in Kuala Lumpur and its regional headquarters in Singapore. It is the resident developer, producer, programmer and manager of live entertainment at Singapore’s Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands.

Till date, Base Entertainment Asia has presented The Phantom of the Opera in Malaysia and over 200 of the world’s most recognised shows of varied genres in Singapore; musicals – Disney’s Aladdin, Disney’s The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Matilda The Musical, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, CATS, Chicago, MAMMA MIA!, West Side Story, Annie, Evita, Kinky Boots, Jersey Boys, The Lee Kuan Yew Musical, THE SECRET (based on Jay Chou’s movie, Secret; stage magic – The Illusionists I and II, Cosentino: Anything Is Possible; circuses – Le Noir, Cirque Adrenaline, Cirque Eloize, Circus 1903; live concerts – James Blunt, Pentatonix, Michael Bolton, Bjorn Again, Cliff Richard, AR Rahman, Air Supply, Elvis Costello, The Village People and Bjorn Again, The Simon & Garfunkel Story, Bee Gees Gold, Kit Chan, Kenny G; classical concerts – The Music of John Williams, The Music of Hans Zimmer VS John Williams, 007 In Concert; ballets – Superstars of Ballet Gala, Teatro di San Carlo’s Gisell; dance – Kabuki (Ebizo, Takizawa); cabaret – Forever Crazy: Crazy Horse Paris; comedy – Laugh You Long  Time; children – Disney Live, Disney in Concert, Hi-5, The Wiggles; under the big top – Cirque du Soleil – Totem, Cavalia; corporate speaking engagements – Cesar Milan, Steve Backshall; corporate events/exhibitions – Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition Singapore 2019.

For more information, visit:

• Website : baseentertainment.com.sg
• Facebook : www.facebook.com/BASEentertainmentAsia
• Instagram : www.instagram.com/baseasia

About David Ian Productions

David Ian Productions is a leading entertainment company based in London’s Covent Garden. Formed in 2006, DIP specialises in presenting large-scale theatrical productions in the UK, the US and internationally, and also offers a full general management service to the industry.

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Singapore-Based Fund Launched To Protect Asia’s Oceans From Plastic

With 60% of ocean plastic originating from the region, Asia is the biggest source of plastic leakage into global oceans. A recent Ocean Conservancy Report identified a net financing gap between USD$28 and USD$40 per ton for plastic waste collection in the five top ocean polluting countries in the world – China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

A US$106 million (SGD$144 million) fund dedicated to preventing plastic from entering the Asian oceans was launched on 04 December 2019 -  The Circulate Capital Ocean Fund (CCOF) is the world’s first investment fund dedicated to address Asia’s plastic crisis. The Singapore-based fund is also one of the ten largest ASEAN-based Venture Capital Funds in the market.

(Photo Source : CCOF)

"The good news is that we are able to reduce nearly 50% of the world’s plastic leakage by investing in the waste and recycling sector in Asia, and even more if we invest in innovative materials and technologies. This is why we are here in Singapore – a strategic hub of Southeast Asia - to prove that investing in this sector is scalable for the region and can generate competitive returns, while moving closer to solving the ocean plastic crisis."

--- Rob Kaplan, CEO Circulate Capital ---

CCOF is launched by Circulate Capital, a Singapore-based and MAS licensed venture capital fund management company with founding investors and partners among the world’s leading companies; PepsiCo (the first investor), Procter & Gamble, Dow, Danone, Unilever, The Coca-Cola Company, and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC. To address the financing gap between available private capital and resources needed by Asia’s waste sector, CCOF will provide both debt and equity financing to waste management, recycling, and circular economy start-ups and SMEs in South and Southeast Asia focused on preventing plastic pollution. Circulate Capital has identified more than 200 investment potential opportunities across a range of industries in the region, with their first investments targeted in the coming weeks.

"Circulate Capital plays a critical role in solving the issue of plastic waste in our environment. Supporting companies and infrastructure that are addressing plastic waste will catalyze the development of systems designed to advance a circular economy for plastics."

--- Bambang Candra, APAC Vice President Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics ---

The fund's launch comes at a time where the Singapore government has initiated recent green investment programs. These include the Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS) recent commitment to US$2 billion of green investments directed at sustainable projects and initiatives such as the Zero Waste Masterplan and a Resource Sustainability Bill as Singapore aims to establish itself as the regional Circular Economy Centre of Excellence, driving green investment efforts around the region and the world.

(Photo Source : CCOF)

Circulate Capital’s investment model seeks to mobilize institutional investors by blending concessionary funds with investment capital. Its objective is to mitigate risk and demonstrate that investments in turning waste into value can ultimately provide attractive financial returns.  

"For the beverage sector, the more recycled content used in any type of packaging such as 100% recyclable plastics, the lower the carbon footprint. That’s why at Coca-Cola we have invested in Circulate Capital and have committed to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can we produce by 2030. Beverage packaging does not need to become waste. By investing in the waste collection and recycling sector in this critical region, it can become a valuable material used again and again - a step closer towards a circular economy."

--- Matt Echols, Vice President, Communications,
Public Affairs and Sustainability Coca-Cola Asia Pacific ---

To address a full suite of solutions from policy and corporate commitments to financial incentives and changes in consumer behaviour, Circulate Capital has also partnered with a number of nonprofit organizations, including Ocean Conservancy, Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), and The Circulate Initiative (TCI), a nonprofit organization launched in October 2019 dedicated to ending ocean plastic pollution and building thriving, inclusive economies. By combining the efforts of the Circulate Capital Ocean Fund, The Circulate Initiative and other partners, the quality and quantity of investable opportunities will increase and foster conditions which entrepreneurs in the waste ecosystem need to succeed.

(Photo Source : CCOF)

About Circulate Capital

Circulate Capital is an investment management firm dedicated to incubating and financing companies and infrastructure that prevent ocean plastic. We focus on the prevention of mismanaged plastic waste in countries located in South Asia and Southeast Asia, regions that contribute disproportionately to ocean plastic pollution primarily because they often lack investment in critical waste and recycling infrastructure to manage the problem. We were created in collaboration with Closed Loop Partners and Ocean Conservancy, and our founding investors include PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Dow, Danone, Unilever, The Coca-Cola Company and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC.

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