SMART Empowers Tomorrow’s Scientists through the CREATE Idea Sprint 2026 at the Global Young Scientists Summit

Group photo from the CREATE Idea Sprint 2026, co-organised by SMART and TUMCREATE, featuring Team Kelp65 receiving the top award for their FoodTech proposal to develop kelp as an alternative protein source (Photo: SMART DiSTAP; photo taken by Dr Anoop Patil)

On 5 January 2026, the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) participated in the Global Young Scientists Summit (GYSS) 2026, organised by the National Research Foundation Singapore (NRF). As part of a site visit to the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) during the summit, SMART co‑organised a hackathon with TUMCREATE, titled CREATE Idea Sprint. The CREATE Idea Sprint was designed to help young scientists deepen their understanding of the medical technology (MedTech) and food technology (FoodTech) spaces, and appreciate how research can progress from discovery to practical impact.

The event was opened by Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar, Executive Director, NRF, and brought together close to 90 early‑career scientists to explore innovation pathways in MedTech and FoodTech, and understand how academic research can be translated into real‑world applications. 

The GYSS is an annual international event that brings together early-career researchers and eminent scientific leaders, including Nobel Laureates, and is designed to inspire young scientists through lectures, panel discussions, small-group discussions and visits to leading research institutions in Singapore. 

(Left to Right) SMART-DiSTAP Research Engineer Ms Amanda Ngoh, along with TUM-CREATE Post-doctoral Fellow Dr Nathaniel Hendrik and TUM-CREATE Post-doctoral Fellow Dr Vishal Khanpit, are facilitating the FoodTech track and guiding participants through idea development at the CREATE Idea Sprint 2026. (Photo: SMART DiSTAP; photo taken by Dr Anoop Patil)

The hackathon saw participants develop ideas to solve problem statements on MedTech and FoodTech, and the process was facilitated by researchers from SMART and TUMCREATE. SMART co‑developed the pitch competition framework and contributed domain expertise to the judging process, emphasising scientific innovation and translational feasibility. The MedTech track was facilitated by SMART’s Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized‑medicine (CAMP) Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs), while the FoodTech track was led by Disruptive and Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) IRG, along with TUMCREATE counterparts. AMR Senior Scientific Director Dr Megan McBee introduced SMART and the research that the various IRGs do, and later served as a judge for the hackathon. 

CAMP Research Scientist, Dr Cheryl Chan, facilitating the MedTech track, guiding participants through idea development at the CREATE Idea Sprint 2026 (Photo: SMART AMR; photo taken by Dr Peiying Ho)

As the final component of the programme, a shortlist of finalists from both tracks was invited to present their proposals to a judging panel. The teams demonstrated a strong level of scientific curiosity and practical thinking.

The top award went to Team Kelp65 for their FoodTech proposal of using kelp as an alternative source of protein. The second place went to Team DRx for their MedTech proposal of a digital polypharmacy for the elderly — a medical vending machine that dispenses medication to improve polypharmacy compliance. The third place went to Team Basha Bazaar for their MedTech proposal on a cognitive-training, language-learning app that allows the elderly to learn a new language by interacting with others via drawings and visual inputs.