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Singapore Prize 2022 Winners and Finalists

Solar-powered dryer manufacturers, soil carbon market participants and groups that help make electric car batteries cleaner or restore Andean forests have won the 2022 Singapore Prize for solving environmental challenges. Prince William of Britain’s Royal Foundation charity created the 10-year award program in 2020 and at Tuesday’s ceremony praised their innovations as proof that “hope still remains” as we grapple with climate change and deforestation issues globally.

The Singapore Prize not only honors innovation in science and technology, but also humanities research with significant social benefits. In its inaugural year (2021) five scientists for their efforts to restore biodiversity in the Philippines which had a dramatic positive effect on people’s lives were honored with its inaugural prize. This year, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loon presented three writers who have published books in different genres with the award: Jeremy Tiang for his English translation of Chinese author Zhang Yueran’s Cocoon (2022), which explores family secrets between two childhood friends; Kenfoo’s self-published Cockman (2022) is a sci-fi tale about an alien chicken trapped on Earth as human form; and Hidayah Sakya is awarded for her history book Seven Hundred Years Of Singapore (2019).

Cash prizes won by winners will be supplemented with certificates of appreciation and commissioned trophies, in addition to being invited to join public dialogue and exhibition events and continue their work within their communities. Muhammad Dinie from Institute of Technical Education College Central was recognized for coordinating a pay-it-forward initiative during Covid-19 pandemic to thank town council cleaners.

Publishing Perspectives extends its hearty congratulations to all the winners and finalists of these prizes, and looks forward to seeing more great work in the future. More on the Singapore prize can be found here.

The Singapore Prize is made possible with funding from the United States State Department’s Global Innovation through Science and Technology program, administered through a partnership between Singapore’s government and private sector led by National Research Foundation.

This year, 131 entries from 10 countries competing for the prize were received and shortlisted, including several from Asia: Indian entrepreneur Ankit Gupta founded EcoFarming India to promote sustainable agriculture and help farmers become financially independent; Pakistani engineer Fazal Ahmad developed an autonomous drone capable of detecting land mines; and Cambodian businesswoman Phum Phuong for her efforts to bring safe drinking water supply to rural villages.

Conservation International will vet winning innovations, providing expert analysis on their benefits to humanity and connecting prize winners with its network of partners focused on finding scalable solutions that benefit people and nature simultaneously. In addition, CI will support the launch of Singapore Prize’s inaugural philanthropic fund to expand impact.