SUTD Launches Singapore’s First Innovation Pathway to a PhD

• Singapore’s first innovation pathway to a PhD is designed for candidates who want to use research to build solutions to real-world problems.
• Open across disciplines, the pathway recognises innovation in different forms, from new technologies and systems to new processes, methods and mechanisms.
• Candidates must demonstrate an original doctoral contribution and show that what they have built has been validated in the real world.

The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) has introduced Singapore’s first innovation pathway to a PhD for doctoral researchers who want to use research to build solutions to real-world problems.

The pathway responds to Singapore’s need for people who can translate advanced research into practical solutions for industry and society. There is a growing need for researchers who can not only create new knowledge, but also apply that knowledge to build something that addresses a genuine need and demonstrate that it works in practice.

The PhD by Innovation is based on the view that innovation can take many forms. In engineering, a candidate might build a new technology or system that is validated in an industry setting. In science, it could be a new method, process or application. In the humanities and social sciences, it could be a new economic mechanism, policy intervention or other approach that is adopted and validated in practice.

The pathway is therefore open across SUTD’s pillars, programmes and clusters. What candidates build will differ across disciplines, but the requirement is the same: the work must make an original contribution at doctoral level and lead to an innovation that can be validated in the real world.

SUTD’s Provost and Chief Academic & Innovation Officer, Professor Chee Yeow Meng, said: “Singapore has built strong capabilities in research. We also need people who can take that research and build solutions to important problems.”

The PhD by Innovation maintains the depth, originality and academic rigour expected of a doctorate. Real-world validation does not replace the research requirement.

Candidates receive the same Doctor of Philosophy title, academic transcript and degree certificate as SUTD’s existing PhD graduates. SUTD’s conventional PhD pathway will continue to be offered alongside the new pathway.

The PhD by Innovation is intended for candidates who want to pursue doctoral research around a problem with the potential for real-world application. Candidates can propose their own innovation mission based on a genuine problem within their research domain, or choose from a curated set of innovation missions.

Throughout the programme, candidates work with both academic and industry experts. Academic supervisors ensure the depth and rigour of the research, while experienced industry practitioners provide perspectives on the relevance of the problem, the development of the innovation and its value in practice.

Assessment reflects the purpose of the pathway. Candidates must demonstrate an original doctoral contribution and provide credible evidence that the resulting innovation has been validated in the real world. The form of validation will depend on the discipline and the nature of the innovation. It could include testing or use of a technology by an industry partner, adoption of a system or process by an organisation, implementation of a new mechanism or intervention, or evidence of market validation.

Candidates document the research underpinning their innovation in a thesis and provide evidence of what they built, how it was developed and how it was validated. Their work is assessed by academic examiners and experienced industry practitioners.

Professor Chee added: “Research asks us to understand the world more deeply. Innovation asks us to use that understanding to build something that makes a difference. The PhD by Innovation brings the two together.”

The pathway is open to graduates from all Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), regardless of degree discipline or major, subject to SUTD’s admissions requirements. The minimum candidature is three years.

SUTD plans to welcome its first pilot cohort of PhD by Innovation candidates from Academic Year 2027. Interested applicants can find out more by writing to phd@sutd.edu.sg.