Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) is one of Asia’s leading research universities, internationally recognised for its strengths in engineering, materials science, environmental research, biotechnology, and sustainability. Through sustained investment in interdisciplinary research, NTU has established itself as a key innovation hub connecting academia, industry, and government in Southeast Asia.
Within the bioeconomy landscape, NTU stands out through its Centre for Cross Economy (CCE), a university research institute dedicated to advancing the concept of the Cross Economy. The Cross Economy is a system that transforms waste and underutilised resources into high-value materials, products, and services, multiplying wealth and impact through technology. Where the linear economy follows a “take-make-waste” model and the circular economy a “reduce-reuse-recycle” model, the Cross Economy follows a “transform-create-multiply” model. Waste and underutilised materials are transformed into entirely new, high-value resources, creating innovative products and industries and multiplying economic and environmental benefits. By integrating materials science, sustainable processing, and AI technologies across value chains, the Cross Economy is positioned as a new sustainability framework for the digital economy.
World Rank: 84
Shanghai Ranking
Rank: 12
QS World University Ranking
Rank: 31
THE World University Ranking
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Nam-Joon Cho
Bioeconomy
NTU’s bioeconomy activities put this concept into practice. Researchers at CCE turn abundant, overlooked biological resources such as plant pollen into functional materials. This work includes a coral-safe, cooling sunscreen, as well as projects on water scarcity, cooling, and the protection of marine ecosystems. The approach is deliberately cross-sectoral, so that the by-product of one value chain becomes the high-value feedstock of another. It draws on NTU’s expertise across biotechnology, materials science, environmental engineering, and urban sustainability.
Another distinguishing feature is NTU’s location within Singapore’s highly innovation-driven economy. The university operates at the intersection of research excellence and practical deployment, working closely with industry and government to address challenges in urban sustainability, food security, and resource efficiency. This positioning allows NTU to test and scale bioeconomy solutions in a real-world urban environment.
For the Global Bioeconomy Alliance, NTU brings expertise in developing bioeconomy solutions for densely populated and resource-constrained environments. The Cross Economy extends the bioeconomy conversation beyond reducing and recycling waste towards creating new value, new products, and new industries from limited biological resources. Cities and regions around the world are seeking growth pathways that are both sustainable and economically attractive, so these lessons are increasingly relevant.
The collaboration also expands the Alliance’s presence in Southeast Asia and beyond. Through CCE, NTU is linked to the ASEAN-Korea Integrated Green Technology Platform (AKIGTP), launched in collaboration with the ASEAN Secretariat, and to Project Mabadiliko, which applies the Cross Economy to transformation in Africa. NTU contributes cutting-edge research capabilities, a strong track record of industrial collaboration, and practical experience in turning waste and unused resources into value, supporting the transition toward a sustainable, cross-sector bioeconomy.