On March 3, 2025, Mr. John Lim Hua Ern, CEO of the National Research Foundation (NRF) and head of the Public Sector Science and Technology Policy and Plans Office (S&TPPO), visited Shanghai Jiao Tong University Asia-Pacific Graduate Institute (SJTU-APGI). He was accompanied by Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar, Executive Director (Academic Research) of NRF.

During the visit, Professor Peng Yinghong, Dean of SJTU-APGI, provided an overview of the institute, emphasizing its achievements in education and research. His presentation highlighted key initiatives, including the Energy and Environmentally Sustainable Solutions for Megacities (E2S2) program and Carbon Negative Synthetic Biology for Biomaterial Production from CO₂ (CNSB) program, outlining their frameworks and significant progress.

Professor Tong Yen Wah, Co-Director of the E2S2 Programme and Lead PI of the CNSB Programme from NUS, provided further insights into the waste management technology developed by E2S2 and the current status of E2S2 spin-off companies. Professor Mhaisalkar praised the E2S2 team, highlighting major advancements such as the development of wastewater surveillance technology for COVID-19, the successful deployment of anaerobic digester system in test-bedding projects in both Singapore and Shanghai, and the $5.5 million industrial investment from Sembcorp into an E2S2 spin-off company for non-food organic waste conversion technology. Mr. Lim expressed his satisfaction with the achievements of the E2S2 team and shared his high expectations for the CNSB program, hoping that its newly developed technologies would also reach commercialization.

Following the presentation, the delegation toured the office and laboratory facilities supporting both the E2S2 and CNSB programme.

The meeting was attended by key personnel, including Professor Xu Min, Vice Dean of SJTU-APGI; Dr Nur Fadilah Jamaludin, Deputy Head of Academic Research in NRF; Dr Loh Zhi Yang, Assistant Head of Academic Research in NRF; SJTU Professor Xu Ping, Professor He Ya-Wen, Professor Jin Xin and Professor Shi Leilei, along with staffs and students from the CNSB program.