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14 Aug 2023
Designing a $1,000,000 bento box: SWANZ's enterprise transformation project with NUS
“This will be the million-dollar product that give us an edge over our competitors!”
Kenneth Li, a Product Development Manager from SWANZ, made the bold prediction when sharing his excitement about his company’s upcoming product with us – an innovative bento box that promises to change the way we store, deliver, cook and eat food.
Overcoming creative plateaus with NUSWhile innovation is at the heart of the company, Kenneth admits that competing at a global level means his small team of four product designers (and himself) are tasked with conceptualising new ideas to compete with competitors with much larger workforces and resources. That’s no small ask, but it has not daunted SWANZ’s product development team.
SWANZ is aware the key to gaining a competitive advantage is cultivating an unshakeable ‘innovation mindset’ in their employees, and especially their product development team. The secret to unlocking this ability to innovate at the next level, according to Kenneth, lies in their expertise in molecular material science, as this would allow them to use new materials to create better and more useful products.
To develop their expertise in a practical manner, SWANZ recognised they needed a partner who could understand their creative challenges and help them to come up with fresh ideas for product materials, whilst updating their skills and knowledge.
Embarking on NUS’ Enterprise Transformation ProjectSWANZ found the perfect platform for taking their product development capabilities to the next tier – NUS’ Enterprise Transformation Project (ETP) initiative.
ETP is an initiative by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) for enterprises to embark on projects in strengthening capabilities through mentorship, consultancy services and work projects for business and operational transformation. Qualifying companies can also tap on an associated Mentorship Support Grant (MSG) to co-fund the costs incurred in engaging NUS to provide the related project mentorship, consultancy and training.
For their ETP, SWANZ undertook a product development programme and were mentored by Assistant Professor Sing Swee Leong from NUS’ College of Design and Engineering. Together, they discussed ideas for an enhanced bento box and came up with several ingenious concepts, including a fun 3D printed ‘origami bento box’ that diners could fold into a bowl or plate, depending on their dish – before ‘origami-ing’ it back into a box for the next meal!
The idea that truly lit a spark in the SWANZ development team’s eyes though, was a stainless-steel bento box that could be microwaved, oven baked, and cooked over a stove – doubling as a frying pan! All this is possible, thanks to a graphene coating that doubles the heating speed of the bento box, and a non-stick coating that allows users to fry food in these boxes, without leaving a mess.
With these updates, diners can enjoy their food exactly how they want to. For food companies, this increases the variety of dishes they can serve in their bento box selections, making their menus more interesting and attractive.
The choice of special material, graphene, was suggested by Professor Sing after the SWANZ team relayed their product design wish list to him. Kenneth shares, “Professor Sing has been very kind. During our training sessions, he shared his thoughts and ideas freely. He suggested improving our product with graphene, and also supplemented us with scientific papers and results to give us better insights into the material.”
Tipping his hat to Professor Sing, Kenneth tells us how the knowledge they gained from their sessions with him, also helped the team to scope the patent appropriately and strengthen it.
The ETP advantage
Kenneth shares how his team has gained a deeper appreciation for the company’s culture of innovation, and are even more motivated to brainstorm new, industry-defining products – shaped by new materials, processes and technologies.
Following this success, CEO of SWANZ’s parent company, Scube Gift, Au Huijing, is excited for other homegrown companies to embark on their own ETP journeys. She tells us, “For companies who want to stay competitive on a global scale, ETP can give you a real advantage – just as it’s helped us to gain more engineering and academic knowledge, as well as some fantastic product ideas.”
Keen to embark on your own Enterprise Transformation Project with NUS? Learn more here, or feel free to speak to us.
For companies who want to stay competitive on a global scale, ETP can give you a real advantage - just as it's helped us to gain more engineering and academic knowledge, as well as some fantastic product ideas.
Working with Assistant Professor Sing Swee Leong has really opened our eyes to seeing what is possible with different materials. We’ve also enjoyed speaking with him about the applications of materials at a technical level, and exploring how to commercialise products made with these materials.
SWANZ is a brand of porcelain, thermal and household products that is owned by parent company, Scube Gift – a local SME that employs around 30 staff and sells its products in Singapore and overseas, including markets in Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, and the US.
The brand prides itself on innovation and owns numerous product patents, highlighting their commitment to creating new, creative and useful products that bring value to people’s lives.
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