New Year’s Greeting from Leave a Nest Singapore 2026

As we welcome the year 2026, I would like to extend my warmest New Year’s greetings on behalf of Leave a Nest Singapore.I sincerely thank all our partners, for your continued trust and support throughout 2025.

The past year marked an important transition for Leave a Nest Singapore. At the end of 2025, I had the honor to succeed the role of Managing Director, focusing to strengthening our role as a bridge between science, technology, and society in Southeast Asia and beyond.

Reflecting on 2025: Creating new page on initiative from Singapore

In 2025, Leave a Nest Singapore focused on strengthening platforms that connect people across generations, disciplines, and sectors.

One of our key initiatives was Science Castle Singapore 2025, held on 12 April 2025 at the Science Centre Singapore. The event brought together 260 students from multiple countries, who gathered in Singapore to present and discuss their research. Through oral and poster presentations, young researchers engaged in active dialogue with peers, educators, and judges, experiencing first-hand the importance of scientific communication and critical discussion. Science Castle continues to serve as an entry point for nurturing future researchers by providing early exposure to research presentation and interdisciplinary exchange.

To realise the theme of Singapore as Global Knowledge Hub, we continued the event of  Global Knowledge Hub Forum (GKHF). In 2025, GKHF was held multiple times in Singapore, including the August 2025 forum, which welcomed more than 130 participants from startups, corporates, research institutions, and government-related organizations. Across these forums, over 30 presenters and exhibitors from six countries shared technologies, insights, and challenges, fostering discussions that connected research outcomes with business and social implementation.

In addition, we initiated the Deep Tech Internship Program (DTIP) in 2025 as a new effort to cultivate future talent for the deep-tech ecosystem. The pilot program attracted over 70 student applicants, from which selected students participated in 5–10 week internships with deep-tech startups. Through hands-on projects and close interaction with startup teams, participants gained practical technical experience and an understanding of how science and technology are applied in real-world settings, while startups benefited from motivated young talent connected through Singapore’s ecosystem.

 

Looking Ahead to 2026: Strengthening the Global Knowledge Hub

In 2026, Leave a Nest Singapore will further strengthen its role as a Global Knowledge Hub, with Singapore as the anchor point for global collaboration. We will continue to refine and expand our platforms by building on what we have developed to date, while also creating new activities too. 

By connecting youth development, deep-tech entrepreneurship, and cross-border collaboration, we aim to accelerate the creation of science- and technology-based solutions that address real societal challenges. 

This year also marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Japan. In this milestone year, Leave a Nest Singapore will place particular emphasis on strengthening connections between the two countries, fostering deeper collaboration among researchers, startups, corporates, and young talents across Singapore and Japan. Through these efforts, we hope to create new value by bridging knowledge, technology, and people between the two nations. 

I look forward to working together with all of you in the year ahead. 

Let us continue to build meaningful connections and create new value through science and technology. 

Thank you, and I wish you a healthy and inspiring New Year.

Shohei Michael Maekawa

Managing Director
Leave a Nest Singapore Pte. Ltd.

31 January 2026