National Health Innovation Centre turns 10, eyes broader projects

Over past decade, it has funded more than 100 projects and formed 25 start-ups

- Zhaki Abdullah

Using conventional methods, diagnosing eye diseases such as glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration can take up to an hour.

But a home-grown artificial intelligence (AI) deep learning system, the Singapore Eye Lesion Analyser+ (Selena+), is able to process images on the inside rear surface of the eye, detect eye diseases, and analyse and produce results for an eye scan within minutes.

Developed by local health start-up EyRIS, Selena+ is now used in all diabetic eye screenings conducted by polyclinics here, as well as in national screening programmes in countries ranging from Brunei to Oman.

It is one of more than 100 projects funded by the National Health Innovation Centre (NHIC) since it was founded in 2014.

Over the past decade, NHIC, which supports the commercialisation of medical innovations by Singapore's public healthcare sector, has formed 25 start-ups, with a cumulative valuation of $273 million, and launched 16 products in 34 markets.

Almost $90 million of investments from private capital was raised in developing these innovations, generating $4.38 million in licensing revenue.

On Nov 14, NHIC celebrated its 10th anniversary, marking the event with a dinner at the Fairmont Singapore hotel.