KAMRAN ELAHIAN

Advisor to the Government of Singapore

In an advisory role to Dr. Tony Tan (former Deputy Prime Minister and current President ), I promoted and fostered entrepreneurship by injecting a greater emphasis on entrepreneurship into the Singaporean culture by encouraging creativity, risk-taking and a spirit of lifelong learning.

THE PHOENIX AWARD
One of the biggest barriers to hi-tech entrepreneurship and innovation is the fear of failure. As an advisor, I incepted the concept of the Phoenix Award, celebrating entrepreneurial casualties as heroes and which was presented to entrepreneurs who had risen from corporate failures. This award was presented by Lee Kuan Yew and myself at the Gala Asian Innovation Awards Dinner in Singapore. In a society which traditionally does not like to talk about failures, it was an incredible achievement to convince Singaporeans of the importance of the Phoenix Award.

RACE ADVISORY PANEL
Member of the Research and Commercialization Endeavors Panel (RACE), an initiative directed at accelerating the process of research to commercialization, with the ultimate aim to create new industries from the discoveries and inventions of Singapore’s research community.

BIOPOLIS
I consulted on the development of the biomedical hub Biopolis, and provided strategic inputs to establish strategic partnerships and open opportunities with emerging economies.