Inside CapitaLand’s Innovation Challenge for a Sustainable Urban Environment

On 28 October, CapitaLand unveiled the fourth edition of its CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge (CSXC), a global platform to advance innovation and collaboration in sustainability within the urban environment.  

As environmental concerns reshape the real estate industry, CapitaLand has made a concerted effort to fostering sustainability through innovation. Launched in 2020, CSXC’s goal is to source for emerging solutions/technologies globally to solve sustainability challenges impacting the urban environment. It also aims to accelerate our progress to transition towards a sustainable and low carbon-built environment, as mentioned in CapitaLand Investment’s (CLI) 2030 Sustainability Master Plan (SMP), as well as CapitaLand Development’s (CLD) sustainability framework 

Since its launch, CSXC has received over 1,300 entries from 79 countries, showcasing cutting-edge solutions for sustainable urban development from startups and innovators.  Over the last three editions, CapitaLand has committed more than S$2 million in funding. 30 innovations have been given the opportunity to be piloted, or are being planned, at 46 sites within CapitaLand properties across seven countries – Singapore, China, India, Thailand, Australia, the Philippines, and the USA. 

CSXC 4th Edition – with the overarching theme “Reimagining sustainability through urban rejuvenation” - comprises seven challenge statements housed under two categories. In the Build category, the challenges are Low Carbon Transition, Water Conservation & Resilience, Waste Management & Circular Economy, and Construction Decarbonisation. In the Enable category, the challenges are Health, Safety & Wellness in Buildings, Tenants and Supply Chain. 

The challenge is now inviting ideas from around the world, and will close on 13 January 2025, giving innovators over two months to develop their ideas and plan their submissions. Judging and shortlisting will be from January to April 2025, with the selection of ten finalists by May 2025. In July 2025, the finalists will be invited for Demo Day, where they will have the opportunity to pitch their solutions to an international judging panel, comprising CapitaLand leaders and industry experts. 

CapitaLand has set aside over S$1 million to cover the cost of piloting all innovations for this edition. 

In a conversation packed with interesting insights and anecdotes, Ted Howland, Vice President, Group Sustainability at real asset manager CapitaLand Investment (CLI), and Adrian Ting, Head of Safety at developer CapitaLand Development (CLD), with a dual role of overseeing sustainability innovation, offered the insiders’ perspective on the unique value of CSXC. 

What the CSXC is – and what it isn’t

CSXC is CapitaLand’s commitment to sustainable innovation, transforming promising ideas into impactful solutions for the built environment. By fostering an ecosystem of collaboration and practical implementation, CapitaLand is helping to shape a future where cities are cleaner, greener, and smarter.

CSXC isn’t just another startup competition – it’s a carefully curated platform aimed at solving real-world environmental challenges within the urban environment.

CapitaLand’s comprehensive approach involves more than just selecting a winner; it's about nurturing ideas and adapting them to solve real-world challenges. For the innovators, this means far more than a one-time opportunity; it’s the ability to see their technologies come to life in CapitaLand properties.

“What innovators can expect is a long-term partnership. There’s real potential for them to grow their business and scale up with us,” said Adrian.

Cultivating Practical Solutions for Sustainability

CSXC has one overarching target: to find and implement scalable solutions that will directly contribute to CapitaLand's sustainability targets. "We have outlined our 2050 Net Zero goals, so we know where we need to be by then, where we can go with existing technology, and the gap that exists in between," said Ted.

"CSXC helps close that gap by bringing in innovations that we don’t know about, and which could take us closer to a sustainable and low carbon-built environment – especially with the introduction of the Construction Decarbonisation challenge statement in the fourth edition," said Adrian.

When choosing from the hundreds of submissions, the panel of judges considers three key criteria: innovation, impact and scalability.

“This means carefully evaluating each application to find the ideas that truly solve our pain points. We look for ideas that can be piloted in our assets around the world. We also want to invest our time and effort in ideas that bring real results,” added Ted.

Adrian acknowledged the complexity, primarily due to the similarities between solutions that are submitted. “We have to be very careful in selecting only the innovations that will truly help us reach our sustainability goals. We are clear about the challenges, and we invite innovations to address the problem statements that we have laid out,” he said.

CSXC’s Mentorship Programme Sets the Challenge Apart

With over 1,300 applications submitted to date, the selection process for CSXC is meticulous and challenging, but also innovative. “Our challenge goes far beyond Demo Day, because we work very closely with the innovators and provide them with the opportunity to trial their innovations in real buildings.”

Once selected, the top innovations are integrated into a mentorship programme, a defining feature of CSXC. "We’re not venture capitalists looking to invest just to make a quick return, nor are we here to restrict or claim their IP," Ted clarified. "Our focus is on what these innovations can do for us, and towards our sustainability targets."

By pairing finalists with CapitaLand mentors and external subject matter experts, the challenge enables innovators to refine their solutions, while ensuring alignment with practical realities – from regulatory approvals to technical troubleshooting.

Adrian highlighted the practical impact of mentorship: “Innovators don’t just present their ideas; they see them come to life in our properties. It’s a credibility boost because they’re moving from theoretical to practical implementation. These technologies aren’t just concepts – they’re robust solutions tested in real environments."

Empowering Innovators with Real-World Testing

At the heart of CSXC lies the opportunity for innovators to test and scale their solutions under real-world conditions. Unlike other competitions that focus on rapid returns, CSXC emphasises sustainable scaling and real-world impact.

"We set our timelines collaboratively with the innovators," Ted noted. "We’re flexible because we know that each technology or pilot is different, and each testing location is different. We’re not driven by immediate results. It’s about piloting these innovations in our properties, ensuring proper set-up and data collection, troubleshooting, observing local regulations and protocols, and iterating as necessary."

Adrian sees the opportunity to pilot innovations in live assets as more important than mere funding. “There are many funding channels, but very few opportunities to work with a real estate company like CapitaLand. Innovators are able to validate and measure the performance of their solutions, know the gaps and how to bridge them, and seek domain expertise. That kind of real-world experience is so much more valuable than just receiving funding. Of course, startups need funding, so if innovators can prove that their solutions will work in our properties, the funding will follow.”

Words of Advice for Aspiring Innovators

For those considering submitting their ideas to CSXC, Ted and Adrian offer valuable advice. They know that no technology is going to hit all the targets, so their advice to innovators is to avoid throwing a smoke bomb at the judging panel. “We’ve got a pretty good smoke detector. If we detect smoke, your idea is headed straight for the reject pile,” said Adrian.

The two men cautioned against trying to hit all the challenges or trying to come up with the perfect solution. “There is no one silver bullet that will take care of everything. There will be lots of small steps, and we’re happy to take those steps – as long as each one brings us towards our sustainability goals,” said Ted.

"Be clear about what your proposal is, so don’t overpromise and under-deliver. We’re not just running a challenge; we’re building a legacy of sustainable innovation. We want you to dream big but also stay realistic. Be specific and have a vision. Collaboration is key. Innovators, CapitaLand, the industry – we’re all in this together," added Ted.

Strategic Partnerships Break Down Industry Barriers

CapitaLand’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond its own portfolio. CSXC is strategically aligned with partners like Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG). This collaboration fosters industry-wide innovation, with CSXC acting as a gateway for sustainable technologies to gain exposure and validation within Singapore and beyond.

Ted explained the value of these partnerships: “BCA has the opportunity to review and understand new innovations that they may otherwise not get, while EnterpriseSG can support companies to develop and testbed innovative sustainability solutions at our properties and build global track records. Our challenge statements are open-ended, so we continue to encourage applications that we might not have otherwise considered.”

Looking Forward: A Vision for the Urban Environment

With CSXC introducing challenge statements that reflect pressing needs in the urban industry, what does the future look like with innovations focused on the various types of buildings that we depend on daily?

Adrian expressed his interest in the automation and electrification of construction machinery, with the goal of improving health and safety as well as reducing emissions and noise. He noted that while solutions to reduce excessive emissions during construction may exist, they are likely still in their early stages and remain costly. Nevertheless, he is quietly confident that with economies of scale and the price of technology decreasing, there will be greater adoption of environmentally friendly and safer construction solutions.

Both men spoke of their desire to see a marketplace for used building materials, so that circularity can be improved; and AI-assisted platforms or tools to aid in building design, and to protect natural resources by using less raw materials during construction.

A self-professed sci-fi nerd, Ted envisions cities like the kind shown in Star Trek: Next Generation or Battle Star Galactica – pre-Cylon attack, of course. “There are beautiful structures, lots of greenery, happy people, quiet transportation, and crisp clean air!”