Leave a Nest Singapore in 2018!
Since the previous entry on Founding Leave a Nest, we have been busily working on our upcoming GARAGE magazine publication, due to be published in March 2018. This year the magazine will have more content than previous years due to the expanding subsidiaries and focus of Leave a Nest.
This process gave me the opportunity to meet and interview previous TECH PLANTER members and researchers which was really inspiring. Despite their busy schedules, they graciously accepted my request to meet either in person or over skype, and shared with me both the ups and downs of their journeys in translating research from a lab to a commercially viable company. In certain cases the start-ups did not take off, but I learnt how they changed business strategies to survive, and they explained how it can be particularly difficult if one is not familiar with the regulations of the industry.
The past TECH PLANTER members found TECH PLANTER to be a good platform for them to showcase their technology and network with Japanese Corporate members. For example Majid from Whirlcell shared with me,
“It enabled us to broadcast our voice and exposed us to the needs of the industry so that we could further develop our technology”.
In the case of Phaos Technology Pte Ltd, Jet (CEO) highlighted the benefits of Leave a Nest’s connections with superfactories in Japan,
“Unlike other networking sessions, here the list of super factories was very good in specifically solving the problem with the lens.”
During the process of writing up GARAGE, I also got the chance to get to know the project leader Michael-san better. Despite the tight deadlines, his conviction in the project and clear guidance has been leading the team forward toward production of this magazine.
Michael-san has always been passionate about using media to convey concepts related to science and technology. He has a Bachelor Degree in Zoology and went on to pursue his Masters in Human Anthropology. Upon graduation, he worked with NHK to produce nature documentaries.
In 2013, he joined Leave a Nest as a full time staff after meeting Maru-san and sharing his vision of employing multiple forms of media to share scientific concepts. He sees Japan as being rich in technology but due to limitations in being able to communicate them effectively, these technologies are unable to reach other parts of the world. Michael-san was born in America, grew up in Italy and went on to UK to pursue his tertiary studies. He believes his diverse background gives him an advantage of looking at issues from multiple perspectives, which can then be conveyed through his work.
Michael-san first joined Leave a Nest as a member of the Information Strategy Development Division where he had the opportunity to work with Reuters to increase the usage of Web of Science in Japan, through making a video containing humour and inferences which locals could identify with. He is now part of the Global Platform Development Division and is involved in a variety of projects including the 1st TECH PLANTER to be held in UK.
Through working on GARAGE and the upcoming TECH SMOOTHIE with Michael-san, I’ve learnt a lot from him on the importance of media exposure, and how to utilize it effectively to convey certain messages to the intended audience, including the vision of Leave a Nest Singapore. TECH SMOOTHIE, which is to be held on 10th Feb 2018 would serve as a platform for various stakeholders in Singapore and Japan to gather in building bridges to strengthen our ecosystem for science, technology and innovation. In doing so, Leave a Nest Singapore would be taking a step forward to developing its own identity. I asked Michael-san on his thoughts and he too agreed saying,
“I see Leave a Nest Singapore not just as a subsidiary of Leave a Nest Japan, but the hub for South East Asia. It is likely where all the technological and monetary exchange will occur. It is a good place to be.”