The fifth Shell Powering Progress Together forum in Asia saw more than 150 attendees – including leaders from academia, business and government – gather in Singapore to discuss the world’s transition to a low-carbon future.
Themed “Co-creating City+”, the forum explored how different players can come together to co-create, collaborate and re-imagine the future of cities, to build what we call ‘City+’.
Powering Progress Together
Participants from the Imagine the Future Scenarios Competition 2017/2018 share their experiences.
Three entrepreneurs were among those that pitched to judges at Make the Future Singapore. Each believes their energy innovation could make a real difference in the world. These are their stories.
Read them on Inside EnergyThe theme of this year’s Powering Progress Together (PPT) forum in Singapore was “Energy for Better Living”.
Shell’s country chairperson Goh Swee Chen kicked off the five-hour session by calling for everyone to get involved in the energy transition to a low-carbon future. “It is a big task,” she said. “We need everyone to put their heads together to find solutions.”
Society faces a dual challenge: how to manage greenhouse gas emissions while extending the economic and social benefits of energy to everyone on the planet. In Asia, where economic progress and rapid urbanisation are leading to increased energy demand, the challenge is particularly acute.
Technology’s role in the world’s energy future was the focus of discussion by a panel that included Mark Gainsborough, Shell’s Executive Vice President of its New Energies business; Dr Cheong Koon Hean, CEO of Singapore’s Housing & Development Board; Steffen Endler, a senior vice president at Siemens; Alexandre Lalumiere, 3D print business director at HP and Nathan Subramaniam, Director of the Sector and Projects Division at the Asian Development Bank.
The panelists agreed technology can be a double-edged sword. It has brought millions of people together but when used incorrectly, it can divide societies and exclude. Dr Cheong from HDB cited the example of the elderly, who may not be able to adapt as quickly to technological developments.
“However, at the same time, technology can also be used to manage their safety, in the form of monitoring systems in flats for the elderly,” she added.
Shell’s Gainsborough cited mobility and transport as areas where technology can have the most impact. “When I see cars sitting idle in driveways, I think of Singapore. It is a role model in mobility because you can rely on public transport. We have to look at better ways to use energy in built-in environments to move people around.”
The forum included presentations from three student teams on their scenarios of how people in Asia Pacific and Middle East cities will live, work and play in 2050.
The teams, from Singapore’s Yale-NUS College in Singapore; Egypt’s American University of Cairo; and Thailand’s Chiangmai University were the country winners in Shell’s Imagine the Future Scenarios Competition. Yale-NUS College was the regional winner.
Mallika Ishwaran, Shell’s senior economist and energy policy advisor, said: “It is very interesting to see how young minds envision the future and how they can play a part in addressing its energy challenges.” She also spoke about the work of Shell’s Scenarios team in stretching one’s thinking to understand future opportunities and uncertainties.
The audience also heard from the five finalists of Shell Singapore’s #IdeaRefinery, a new accelerator programme for promising energy start-ups.
This year’s PPT takes place one again as part of Make the Future Singapore, a festival of ideas and innovation. The four-day public event at the Changi Exhibition Centre features bright energy ideas and solutions that address the global energy challenge – how to meet the energy demands of the future, while producing fewer CO2 emissions.
Powering Progress Together Asia 2018
Duration: 3 minutes 37 seconds
Description:
Highlights of the Powering Progress Together Asia 2018 event, as part of Make the Future Singapore 2018 festival.
[Background music plays]
Dramatic Shell music
[Video footage]
Timelapse and quick cuts of Singapore
[Video footage]
Shots of race track and main stage tent
[Dialogue: Host]
Welcome now to Make the Future Singapore 2018.
[Video footage]
Shell VIPs flagging off cars at race track
[Video footage]
Shell VIPs flagging off cars at race track
Shell Eco-marathon cars driving on race track
Mark Gainsborough interview
Various general shots of Asian countries
[Title]
MARK GAINSBOROUGH
EXECUTIVE VP, NEW ENERGIES
SHELL
[Dialogue: Mark Gainsborough]
Asia is an absolutely key part of the world when it comes to meeting the demand for more and cleaner energy, because it's the fastest growing region in terms of demand.
[Text on screen]
POWERING
PROGRESS
TOGETHER
[Text on screen]
SINGAPORE 2018
[Background music ends]
[Background music plays]
Light, creative music
[Video footage]
Goh Swee Chen interview with Anita Kapoor
[Title]
GOH SWEE CHEN
CHAIRMAN
SHELL COMPANIES IN SINGAPORE
[Video footage]
Accelerator roundtable
Energy perspectives panel discussion
HP roundtable
IdeaRefinery start-up booths
Scenario breakout sessions
[Dialogue: Goh Swee Chen]
Well we've been organising Powering Progress Together since 2012. We do feel that Shell has a role to play to bring some thought, leadership, collaboration, engagements on this topic of how do we power progress together.
[Background music ends]
[Background music plays]
Cheerful music
[Video footage]
IdeaRefinery start-up booths
[Text on screen]
INDUSTRY LEADERS
POLICY MAKERS
ACADEMICS
START-UPS
MILLENNIALS
[Text on screen]
EXPLORE PATHS
TO DRIVE
MORE & CLEANER
ENERGY
FOR BETTER LIVING
IN ASIA
[Background music ends]
[Background music plays]
Introspective music
[Video footage]
Students at Make the Future 2018 exhibition area
[Video footage]
Dr Cheong Koon Hean interview
[Title]
DR CHEONG KOON HEAN
CEO
HOUSING & DEVELOPMENT BOARD, SINGAPORE
[Dialogue: Cheong Koon Hean]
The key thing about energy for better living, better living is really about sustainable living. Nobody can do it alone.
[Video footage]
IdeaRefinery start-up booths
[Text on screen]
SUSTAINABILITY
[Video footage]
Industry professionals interacting with one another
[Text on screen]
COLLABORATION
[Dialogue: Mark Gainsborough]
Collaboration is absolutely key. Meeting the demand for more energy...
[Video footage]
Mark Gainsborough interview
HP roundtable
[Dialogue: Mark Gainsborough]
...in a cleaner more sustainable way, is absolutely fundamental to the purpose of Shell. But we need to work with a lot of other parties to make that a reality.
[Background music ends]
[Background music plays]
Inspirational music
[Text on screen]
INDUSTRY LEADERS DISCUSS
POWERING CHANGE
[Dialogue: James Pomeroy]
There does need to be a fundamental...
[Video footage]
Energy perspectives panel discussion
[Title]
PROF JAMES POMEROY
ARCHITECT & FOUNDING PRINCIPAL
POMEROY STUDIO
[Dialogue: James Pomeroy]
...breakdown between the silos of different industries, different disciplines, to be able to work collaboratively together.
[Video footage]
Audience listening to panel
[Video footage]
Energy perspectives panel discussion
[Text on screen]
ENERGY
Perspectives
[Dialogue: Mallika Ishwaran]
I think it's crucial for companies to consider sustainability as part of their business plans. A “one size...
[Video footage]
Dr Mallika Ishwaran interview
[Title]
DR MALLIKA ISHWARAN
SENIOR ECONOMIST & ENERGY POLICY ADVISOR
SCENARIOS TEAM, SHELL
[Dialogue: Mallika Ishwaran]
...fits all” approach is not going to work in the future.
[Video footage]
Energy perspectives panel discussion
[Dialogue: James Pomeroy]
Tell us a bit about how 3D printing is enabling a better living environment.
[Video footage]
Audience listening to panel
Energy perspectives panel discussion (Alexandre Lalumiere medium shot)
[Title]
ALEXANDRE LALUMIERE
DIRECTOR, CLIENT SALES OF 3D PRINTING
HP ASIA PACIFIC & JAPAN
[Dialogue: Alexandre Lalumiere]
At HP we come up with disruptive technology through 3D printing, that will have a huge impact on the entire supply chain.
[Video footage]
Audience listening to panel
Energy perspectives panel discussion
Alexandre Lalumiere interview
[Dialogue: Alexandre Lalumiere]
As we go into the future, we'll see more and more breakthroughs in innovation that will benefit society overall.
[Video footage]
Energy perspectives panel discussion (Nathan Subramaniam medium shot)
[Title]
NATHAN SUBRAMANIAM
DIRECTOR, SECTOR AND PROJECTS DIVISION
INDEPENDENT EVALUATION, ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK
[Dialogue: Nathan Subramaniam]
Over the last 10 years, ADB has spent close to 2.5 billion dollars.
[Video footage]
Audience listening to panel
Energy perspectives panel discussion (Nathan Subramaniam medium shot)
[Dialogue: Nathan Subramaniam]
We have helped to create the energy master plan in many countries.
[Video footage]
Energy perspectives panel discussion (Dr Cheong Koon Hean medium shot)
Energy perspectives panel discussion wide shot
Audience listening to panel
[Dialogue: Cheong Koon Hean]
So what I'm building now is to build smart and abled homes, so we're looking to technology, but within the context of the sustainability framework, to try to monitor a lot of these services and even do predictive maintenance.
[Background music ends]
[Background music plays]
Powerful Shell music
[Text on screen]
IMAGINE THE FUTURE
[Video footage]
Student scenario session presentation
[Text on screen]
Student Scenarios
Competition Winners
[Dialogue: Student #1]
Today we'll walk you through the process of how we develop these visions of the future.
[Video footage]
Audience member asking question during presentation
[Text on screen]
ENERGY
Possibilities
[Dialogue: Audience member]
What is the future of work?
[Video footage]
Student scenario session presentation
[Text on screen]
ENERGY
Possibilities
[Dialogue: Student #2]
A large part of our scenario investigation actually looked...
[Video footage]
Goh Swee Chen & panelists listening to presentation
Graphic on energy in Singapore
[Dialogue: Student #2]
...at what kind of forces could push back against overarching effects of MNCs.
[Video footage]
Various student scenario session presentations
Dr Cheong Koon Hean interview
[Dialogue: Cheong Koon Hean]
What I really love is that a lot of the young people have great ideas about the future. I think we've just decided that in future scenario planning, we really need to involve the young people as well.
[Text on screen]
SHELL
#IdeaRefinery
[Video footage]
Various technologies from IdeaRefinery start-ups
[Text on screen]
Shell Mentors 5 Start-ups on the
Cutting Edge of Clean Energy Technology
[Dialogue: Yoav Elgirichi]
I want to see the Shell IdeaRefinery become a brand name for...
[Video footage]
Yoav Elgirichi interview
[Title]
YOAV ELGIRICHI
CO-FOUNDER
IMPACTECH
[Dialogue: Yoav Elgirichi]
...accelerating start-ups in the energy field.
[Video footage]
IdeaRefinery start-ups giving pitches
Graphic of IdeaRefinery startups
[Dialogue: Ken Wee]
Tripledot Tech is about enabling awareness through smart metering.
[Video footage]
Graphic of IdeaRefinery startups
IdeaRefinery start-ups giving pitches
[Dialogue: Terence Ong]
Our company's vision is to improve your life and my life through renewable energy adoption.
[Video footage]
IdeaRefinery start-ups giving pitches
Geert Van de Wouw interview
[Title]
GEERT VAN DE WOUW
MANAGING DIRECTOR
SHELL TECHNOLOGY VENTURES
[Dialogue: Geert Van de Wouw]
Very promising. I'm impressed by the quality of the propositions.
[Background music ends]
[Background music plays]
Motivational music
[Video footage]
Timelapse of Make the Future 2018 venue
Guests participating in exhibits
Shell Eco-marathon teams cheering
[Video footage]
Energy perspectives panel discussion
Anita Kapoor interview
[Title]
ANITA KAPOOR
EMCEE
[Dialogue: Anita Kapoor]
It's been very exciting to actually emcee that, and to hear these ideas. And who knows, y'know, what that's...
[Video footage]
Various shots of people and participants who came by for Make the Future 2018
Shell Eco-marathon teams cheering with their cars
[Dialogue: Anita Kapoor]
...gonna come up with, and what Shell are gonna come up with because they're really at the forefront of changing the way that we look at energy.
[Video footage]
Shell Eco-marathon teams cheering with their country flags
Mark Gainsborough interview
[Dialogue: Mark Gainsborough]
It gives you great hope for the future when you see an inspired generation of people who want to make a difference in the world.
[Video footage]
Shell Eco-marathon teams cheering after passing tech inspection
[Video footage]
IdeaRefinery start-ups cheering together
[Text on screen]
WE ARE
[Text on screen]
POWERING
PROGRESS
TOGETHER
SINGAPORE 2018
[Background music ends]
[Shell Pecten Logo]
[Audio]
Shell jingle
[Text displays]
© Shell International Limited 2018
We are using our know-how, technology and innovation to deliver more and cleaner energy for the world's growing population.
We are helping to power lives around the world with natural gas, the cleanest-burning hydrocarbon.
