CRecTech CEO Lim Kang Hui Named Young Innovator at Inaugural IP for Growth Awards 2026

Recognition highlights CRecTech's strategic use of intellectual property, trade secrets, and engineering know-how to translate deep-tech innovation into commercial impact.

CRecTech is proud to share that its co-founder and CEO, Dr. Lim Kang Hui, has been recognised as a Young Innovator at the inaugural IP for Growth Awards (IPGA) 2026, organised by the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) and IPOS International. The awards ceremony was held on 25 August 2026, ahead of Singapore IP Week 2026.

The IP for Growth Awards recognise enterprises and innovators across Asia that strategically use intangible assets and intellectual property to create value, strengthen competitiveness, and drive growth. The Young Innovator category recognises individuals aged 35 and below who harness intellectual property to transform innovative ideas into ventures or real-world solutions with meaningful economic, environmental, or social impact.

For CRecTech, the recognition reflects a journey that extends beyond individual achievement.

“This recognition belongs to the team as much as it does to me,” said Dr. Lim.

CRecTech is developing proprietary catalytic technology and modular systems to convert methane- and carbon-dioxide-rich waste biogas into renewable methanol.

Moving such technology from laboratory research towards commercial deployment requires more than protecting a single invention. It requires an integrated intellectual property strategy covering the catalyst itself, its manufacturing, process design, operating conditions, and the engineering know-how required to achieve reliable performance at scale.

Building Competitive Advantage Beyond Patents

CRecTech has adopted a deliberate combination of patents, trade secrets, and proprietary process know-how to protect its technology platform.

While selected catalyst innovations are protected through patents, critical aspects of how the catalysts are manufactured, integrated, and operated are retained as confidential know-how and trade secrets. This approach protects not only the underlying technology, but also the practical knowledge required to translate the innovation into an economically competitive industrial process.

This strategy was also highlighted by The Straits Times in its coverage of the IP for Growth Awards, which featured CRecTech's approach to safeguarding key elements of its catalytic technology as the company moves towards commercial deployment.

For a deep-tech company, intellectual property is therefore more than a defensive mechanism. It forms part of the commercial foundation for building partnerships, entering new markets, and creating a sustainable technology advantage.

From Research to Real-World Deployment

The recognition comes as CRecTech continues advancing its technology from research and pilot validation towards larger-scale deployment.

CRecTech's technology is designed to enable the conversion of underutilised waste resources, particularly distributed biogas streams, into renewable methanol. By combining proprietary catalysts with process intensification and modular plant design, the company aims to make renewable methanol production economically viable closer to where waste resources are generated.

Following the IP for Growth Awards ceremony, Dr. Lim also participated in the “What Sets Winners Apart” panel at Singapore IP Week 2026, sharing CRecTech's experience in building a commercial business case around proprietary catalyst innovation and discussing the evolving role of intellectual property as deep-tech companies scale.

The award is an important milestone, but also a recognition of the collective effort behind CRecTech's progress, from years of research and experimentation to engineering, scale-up, and commercialisation.

As CRecTech continues bringing its technology towards industrial deployment, intellectual property will remain central to how the company protects its innovations, works with strategic partners, and builds a globally competitive clean-technology business.