Human Touch in Deep Tech: Soft Skills for Startup Success

In the dynamic landscape of deep tech, innovation is a given. However, one factor stands out as the true differentiator – the customer experience. In the creation of desirable, feasible and profitable solutions, a frictionless experience is not just an option but a necessity. The workshop will explore how Human-Centered Design (HCD) can serve as a compass to create products and services that genuinely connect, effectively bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and exceptional user experience.

This workshop will dive into techniques for decoding empathy across the customer journey - how would understanding the emotional and functional customer needs dovetail into business success? The workshop will also enable the discovery of success stories, provide practical insights for implementation, overcome common challenges faced by startups, and future-proof the startups.

Programme:

4:00pm - 4:30pm: Meet and Greet

4:30pm - 5:00pm: Human-Centered Design to Elevate Deep Tech Customer Experience - Trina Teo (Principal Consultant, TTCO)

5:00pm – 5:45pm: Fireside Chat with Lin Zhaoru (COO, AbAsia BioLabs) and Kostas Vavitsas (Consortium Manager, SINERGY)

5:45pm – 6:30pm: Networking

Speakers
Trina Teo, Principal Consultant, TTCO

Trina is a principal consultant at TTCO, catalysing change for the better – she creates the evolutionary pathways to Industry 5.0 by intersecting the powers of Human Centred Design, Innovation Strategy, and a clear eye on the Zeitgeist. Her mission is to elevate human consciousness and uplift technology and business strategies. Her experience includes the creation of new ventures, products, and experiences and design for business-as-whole focused on Venture Building, Digital Transformation and Change Mgmt.

Zhaoru Lin, COO, AbAsia BioLabs

Dr. Lin Zhaoru is the COO at AbAsia BioLabs where she manages operations, regulatory, sales, and R&D. With a Biology degree from University College London and a PhD in Pathology from Cambridge University, she has forged a unique path. Zhaoru's entrepreneurial spirit led her to establish Biotech Connection Singapore (previously known as Oxbridge Biotech Roundtable), addressing the gap between academia and industry. She's also excelled in pivotal roles in medical device development and lab administration. Now, with a decade of expertise, she's fulfilling her dream of leading a company. In her previous role, Zhaoru spearheaded product development at Vivo Diagnostics during a two-year secondment, gaining invaluable experience in project management and regulatory compliance. Later, as Head of Scientific and Business Administration at A*STAR's p53 Laboratory, she navigated diverse functions, from business development to comprehensive lab administration.

Kostas Vavitsas, Consortium Manager, Singapore Consortium for Synthetic Biology (SINERGY)

Dr. Kostas Vavitsas is Assistant Director at A*STAR and the Manager of the Singapore Consortium for Synthetic Biology. He received his PhD in Biotechnology from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and has held research positions at the University of Queensland, Australia, and the University of Athens, Greece. Kostas has worked as science writer and editor and was previously a freelance consultant in Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology.