Singapore organisations featured in a big way in this year's Asian Innovation Awards, taking three of the 12 spots in the final shortlist. To top it all, Veredus Laboratories Pte Ltd's innovative range of diagnostic tests for avian flu clinched gold.

Singapore organisations captured three of the 12 spots in the final shortlist this year

Also among the 12 finalists were an anti-landmine shoe developed by the Nanyang Technological University's Franz Konstantin Fuss and Ming Adin Tang, and the Infocomm Development Authority's Web Services exchange for sharing of data among government agencies.

The Awards, presented by The Wall Street Journal Asia in association with the Global Entrepolis @ Singapore (GES) networking event, are Asia's most prestigious honours for individuals and companies based in Asia that create new ideas, methods or technologies, or apply knowledge in unique ways to improve quality of life or productivity.

The Wall Street Journal Asia received a record-breaking 224 entries from applicants in 14 countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region for the Asian Innovation Awards 2006. This year's responses represent an increase of almost 75% over last year's 130 entries. The past winners of the award include Motorola Asia Pacific Limited and Agilent Technologies Inc.

Veredus' state-of-the-art avian flu test can diagnose the disease as early as day two from the onset of infection with an accuracy and specificity of 99%. This is crucial, as anti-viral drug like Tamiflu needs to be administrated within 48 hours once the symptoms appear, to be effective.

Speaking at the GES Gala Dinner for the Awards, Chairman of the National Research Foundation Board Dr Tony Tan said: "Singapore has embarked on creating an environment conducive for locally based companies to keep pace with the accelerating development of disruptive technologies and breakthroughs that can make existing products or services obsolete."

Inviting overseas corporations to develop and innovate products, services and processes here, the former Deputy Prime Minister added that innovation and entrepreneurship would be key ingredients for Singapore's economic success going forward.

Congratulating the finalists at the Awards, which honour the region's most innovative individuals and enterprises, Dr Tan said: "For Singapore, it is yet another valuable opportunity to celebrate ideas that make up a range of truly Asian innovations with global impact."