Green Innovation at Singapore Youth STEM Fair 2025

At this year's Singapore Youth STEM Fair, teams of young innovators proved that groundbreaking STEM solutions can come from unexpected places—from school corridors that could generate electricity to eco-friendly soaps made from Singapore's invasive plants.

AI image recognition systems to sort out recyclable materials. Antibacterial bar soaps upcycling local invasive plants. Bioplastics made from leftover fruit peels. Piezoelectric panels to convert footsteps into electricity. Safer, more effective zinc batteries.

While these may sound like products at a green sector trade show, these innovations were in fact presented by Upper Primary and Lower Secondary students at the Singapore Youth STEM Fair (SYSF).

On Wednesday 30 July 2025, 60 project teams shortlisted from among 160 submissions gathered in the Marquee at Science Centre Singapore to present their work to guests and peers.

As students explained everything from upcycling eggshells in dental implants to utilising blue light to optimise kangkong yield, visitors were wowed by the passion, critical thinking, and ingenuity of these budding scientists and engineers.

SYSF is a biennial STEM project-based competition co-organised by Science Centre Singapore (SCS) and the Science Teachers Association of Singapore (STAS) and sponsored by Abbott Laboratories. The theme for this year’s fair was ‘Transforming Communities Through STEM.’

Ms. Yik Yin Fun, Site Director at Abbott Manufacturing Singapore, said the theme of SYSF 2025 “reflects the power of science, not just to innovate, but to uplift lives and create lasting, sustainable impact, values that align closely with Singapore's Green Plan 2030.”

Ms Yik Yin Fun, Site Director at Abbott Manufacturing Singapore, speaking at the SYSF 2025 award showcase.

Evolving from previous iterations such as the Singapore Shell Youth Science Fair (SSYSF) established in 1978, and the Singapore Youth Science Fair founded in 2014, the fair was rebranded to highlight the increasing importance of interdisciplinary research.

To highlight this interdisciplinary approach, the categories for this year’s STEM Fair spanned Engineering Sciences, Life Sciences, Information Technology, Environment, and New Endeavours.

Ms Liew Wei Li, Director-General of Education at the Ministry of Education, described the storied history of the competition in her speech at the award showcase, stating, “for nearly five decades, this platform has inspired over 120,000 students across Singapore, igniting curiosity, creativity and the love for learning science.”

Ms Liew emphasised the need to “[expand] to all things STEM because this is the way forward … whether it's cleaner energy, smarter cities, better healthcare, greener living, STEM has the power to solve the challenges of today and tomorrow.”

Ms Liew Wei Li, Director-General of Education at the Ministry of Education, speaking at the SYSF 2025 award showcase.

Mr Tham Hanrong, advisor for the SYSF and a member of the 2025 organising committee, said, “the power of science, technology, engineering and mathematics lies not only in solving technical problems, but in building stronger and more connected communities.”

Mr Tham Hanrong, advisor for the SYSF and a member of the 2025 organising committee, speaking at the SYSF 2025 award showcase.

This spirit of community empowerment was palpable in several of the student projects, which explored accessible eco-friendly methods for green energy and waste reduction. Explore some of the project highlights below!

Every Step Counts: Piezoelectric Energy at Ang Mo Kio Primary School

Ang Mo Kio Primary School booth “Project Kronos: Investigating the feasibility of harvesting clean energy from footsteps using piezo transducers to light up our cities”.

Ang Mo Kio Primary School won the Best Display and Exhibit Award along with the Best Written Report Award in the Primary School category for their project examining how to generate clean energy from footsteps.

Team members Zhong Shuya Sophia, Tiffany Lim Xinru, Daarshan Gopi, Hong Jiyoo, and Tanguturi Abhiram Kumar found that even light footsteps from children could generate useable energy.

At their booth boasting an impressive contraption of batteries, Arduino circuit boards, wires, relay switches, multimeters, and barbell weights, the Ang Mo Kio Primary School students demonstrated to onlookers how adding weight to a piezoelectric disc beneath a floor panel could feasibly generate enough voltage to power small devices.

A close-up of the piezoelectric system tested by the Project Kronos team from Ang Mo Kio Primary School.

Daarshan Gopi explained: "Piezoelectric systems could be integrated into walkways or school corridors to power low voltage devices like LED lights or sensors. Benefits include easy installation, safety and energy saving in high traffic areas. This aligns well with Singapore's sustainability goals and Smart Nation initiatives."

Smart Sorting: AI-Powered Recycling at Blangah Rise Primary School

Other teams examined how to harness emerging technologies like AI for environmental solutions. A team from Blangah Rise Primary School working on a project titled “Automated recyclable classification through A.I.-powered object recognition” clinched the Most Innovative Project Award in the Primary School category for their novel approach to improve recycling.

Ms Liew Wei Li with the Blangah Rise Primary School team behind the project “Automated recyclable classification through A.I.-powered object recognition”.

Screening a live feed from a camera at their booth, team members Charles Saranya Dave Nick, Marvell Nathaniel Tjong, Muthurasu Thanushraj, Nurul Batrisyia Binti Mohd Firdaus, and Teo Kai Xiang held up empty milk jugs and tin cans to the camera to demonstrate how they trained an AI programme to identify common recyclable waste like metal, plastic, and paper.

A demonstration from the Blangah Rise Primary School team showing real-time AI classification of metal cans, plastic bottles, and cardboard boxes.

Marvell Nathaniel Tjong explained that the project idea originated from a training session on AI recognition. The team was motivated to address a general lack of awareness among the public on proper recycling practices. Marvell said he enjoyed learning how to program the camera to classify the items, despite inevitable bugs and glitches, as this was his first time working with AI.

Teo Kai Xiang said the project gave him a deeper appreciation of the AI systems in our daily lives. As the team wrote on their research poster, “AI, using deep learning and computer vision, is essential to efficiently sort and recycle escalating global waste (projected to reach 1.4 billion tonnes by 2050), promoting sustainability.”

From Peels to Plastic: Bioplastic Production at Nanyang Girls’ High School

Nanyang Girls’ High School booth “To investigate the use of food waste to make bioplastics”.

While some teams experimented with new tools, other teams sought to repurpose conventional materials. Nanyang Girls’ High School won Best Display and Exhibit in the Secondary School category for their project investigating the use of food waste to make bioplastics.

Using just a high-speed blender and natural materials, team members Gao Yexuan, Khloe Ng Rui Xuan, and Lin Nike explored simplifying bioplastic production so individuals could one day make bioplastics at home without heavy machinery.

The team created their bioplastics by extracting key ingredients from food waste: potato peels provided starch, milk and near-expiry protein powder contributed protein, and citrus peels yielded fibre and pectin. They completed the mixture with store-bought glycerol.

The Nanyang Girls’ High School students then tested different bioplastic “recipes” for tensile strength, torsion strength, and water resistance against the performance of conventional plastic bags.

A close-up of the Nanyang Girls' High School team's bioplastic samples featuring different ratios of starch, protein, fibre, and glycerol.

Lin Nike said the team was surprised when one of their best bioplastic samples outperformed commercial plastic bags.

“We had to always go down to the physics lab to get more weights, and this even surprised our teacher and also the lab officers at that point!”, she said.

Natural Cleansing: Singapore Chinese Girls’ School’s Invasive Lantana Plant Soap

Singapore Chinese Girls’ School booth “Utilising Invasive Lantana Plant to Make Bar Soap”.

Another team from Singapore Chinese Girls’ School won Best Written Report in the Secondary School category for their project experimenting with alternatives for palm oil in bar soap.

Team members Amanda Lim Yew Ern, Anna Lim Yu Qi, Heidi Chen, Kesshna Nair Vijayan Nair, Qaisarah Bte Mursed decided to use invasive Lantana camara plants sourced around the school as a palm oil substitute, as the plant is readily available and wildly cultivated through Singapore.

“We wanted to use invasive species inside the soap, since invasive species are harmful to the environment,” Anna Lim Yu Qi said.

The team sought to turn this highly-invasive weed into an environmental win by taking advantage of the plant’s lesser-known beneficial features, such as its antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Their booth displayed samples of Lantana camara flowers, leaves, and fruits in petri dishes that the team had crushed and cut to extract oil, along with bear-shaped silicone moulds, and their finished shiny lantana extract-infused bar soaps.

Pure soap base (in white) compared to lantana-infused soap samples (in black) prepared by the Singapore Chinese Girls’ School team.

Anna explained, "To test the soap's capabilities, we had a few different tests, such as solubility, lathering capability and antibacterial properties. We also tested the pH to see whether it was safe for use."

"[From the results] we can infer that our soap is safe to use and it is possibly even more effective than just normal soap. As from the E. Coli test, you can see that our Lantana soap has killed more E. Coli than normal soap,” Anna concluded.

Charging Forward: Better Zinc Batteries at NUS High School of Math & Science

NUS High School of Math & Science booth, “Reducing the formation of zinc dendrites in zinc-based batteries to increase sustainability”.

Similar to how the Nanyang Girls’ High School and Singapore Chinese Girls’ School teams examined eco-friendly substitutes for plastic bags and palm oil in bar soaps, the team from NUS High School of Math & Science also strived to find better replacements for unsustainable everyday items.

After learning about the environmental drawbacks of lithium-ion batteries commonly used in households, team members Alston Wu Shangyu, Koh Yi Qiao, and Saanvi Sharma investigated ways to make zinc batteries more eco-friendly and energyefficient.

The NUS High School of Math & Science team’s project “Reducing the formation of zinc dendrites in zinc-based batteries to increase sustainability” won the Most Innovative Project Award in the Secondary School category.

Saanvi Sharma said: “We chose to work on zinc-based batteries which are a more sustainable choice than lithium-ion batteries. When there is a short-circuit, overcharging or physical damage, lithium-ion batteries can overheat, which may lead to fire or explosion and release hazardous gases. Zinc-based batteries, on the other hand, are safer to use and have a lower environmental impact, as zinc can be recycled."

“We decided to investigate on the different aspects of zinc batteries, and this can help and increase the lifespan overall of the battery, so it leads to less waste being generated. We found the whole experimental process quite interesting as we learned how to carry out electrolysis. This experiment didn’t just teach us about chemistry; it helps us to appreciate the battery technology that powers so much of our world.”

The team compared various methods of decreasing the growth of zinc dendrites, needle-like structures that weaken the efficacy of zinc batteries. As they noted on their research poster, “anyone would benefit [from dendrite-free zinc batteries] as renewable and affordable batteries are needed everywhere.”

The entire STEM fair was buzzing with the energy and excitement of the 256 students there. Nearly 400 people attended the event.

"We believe science isn't just a subject. It is the engine behind the next breakthrough that will help people live fuller, healthier lives,” Ms. Yik Yin Fun reflected.

Similarly, Ms. Liew Wei Li reminded attendees of the bigger picture behind the competition: "The Singapore Youth STEM Fair is not just an event. It's a movement of curiosity, creativity, and purpose. "

Check out the event highlights reel below to celebrate the achievements of all the students involved in this year's SYSF!

The results for this year’s SYSF can be found here. 

Transforming STEM Education at Science Centre Singapore

Are you a teacher, parent, or community educator? Discover the various hands-on STEM experiences run by Science Centre Singapore to supplement the school science curriculum at https://www.science.edu.sg/for-schools.

Not a student or involved in schools, but inspired to try some fun STEM experiments and crafts? Check out Void Deck e-magazine’s DIY column for minimal equipment STEM activities you can do at home created by KidsSTOP™ educators at https://voiddeck.science.edu.sg/diy-speaker/.

Written by Jamie Uy

Published on 27 August 2025