The Future of Hospitality: Advanced Materials for a Sustainable Industry

Overview

As the hospitality industry moves towards a more sustainable future, the role of innovative materials is becoming increasingly critical. From mycelium leather and algae-based bioplastics to plastic bricks and self-healing concrete, cutting-edge materials redefine how hotels, restaurants, and resorts operate sustainably. This panel brings together experts from academia, investment, government, and hospitality to explore the latest advancements in sustainable materials and their impact on design, operations, and guest experiences.

Join us for an engaging discussion on how deep tech, circular economy principles and material science are shaping the future of hospitality and what it takes to scale and invest in these groundbreaking innovations.

This panel explores how next-generation materials transform hospitality through circular economy principles and waste-to-value innovations. Industry experts will discuss:

Innovative Materials & Design – Bio-based alternatives like mycelium leather, antimicrobial cleaning solutions, and recycled plastic interiors reshaping sustainability in hospitality.
Scaling & Investment – Insights from venture capitalists and startups on what makes sustainable materials investable and the challenges of commercial adoption.
Industry Adoption & Challenges – Overcoming cost, operational hurdles, and consumer expectations with case studies from leading hotels and restaurants.
Policy & Regulations – The role of Singapore’s Green Plan 2030, government incentives, and sustainability policies in shaping material choices.
Consumer & Market Trends – Growing demand for eco-conscious travel, sustainability transparency, and AI-driven efficiency in hospitality.

Schedule

Date: 14 May 2025, Wednesday
Time: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM (GMT +8:00) Kuala Lumpur, Singapore
Location: 32 Carpenter Street, 059911

Speakers

Moderator's Profile:

Nicholas Cocks, Founder and Director, Velocity Ventures Singapore

Nick is an entrepreneur who has made his mark in various fields across the globe. He began his career with the accounting company Arthur Andersen & Co. From there, he moved on to assisting in selling his father’s business to Adelaide Brighton Cement. Soon after, he moved to Southeast Asia, where he built a concrete and cement manufacturing company that spanned Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, and Singapore. Recently, Nick’s focus has been on the family office called Read Ventures. He is also a Partner of Velocity Ventures and a Director of portfolio companies CarbonClick and Lumitics. Nick’s career is marked with diversity. He has lived, worked, and invested in numerous countries. Through all this, he has remained dedicated to helping businesses, both his own and those he chooses to invest.

Speaker's Profile:

Duncan Craig, Co-founder & Chief Design Officer, reXtore

Duncan Craig is the Co-Founder and Design Director of reXtore, an award-winning leader in sustainable product design for exhibitions, events, and temporary spaces. The exhibitions sector generates massive material waste after each event, so Duncan developed STAXX. This system can be used for everything from furniture to large-scale stands. It is created using materials from Malaysia and made in Singapore. It is 100% ocean-bound plastic, and its modular nature means it is designed for endless reuse. Through reXtore, Duncan is reshaping how brands connect with audiences—proving that powerful design can be immersive, sustainable, affordable and circular by design. reXtore’s innovation has been widely recognised, winning “Best Exhibition Design of the Year 2024” from the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS) and achieving Gold in the Singapore MICE Sustainability Certification—one of only two companies to receive this honour.

Speaker's Profile:

Dr. Jaslyn Lee, Co-founder & CTO, N&E Innovations

Dr Jaslyn Lee’s research is committed to upcycling food waste into value-added materials. She has created the patented Vikang99 technology, a natural antimicrobial from upcycled cashew nut waste. Vikang99 technology can be used to develop new antimicrobial, sustainable materials that help reduce carbon footprint. Her work has been cited >1500 times.

Speaker's Profile:

Anne Lochoff, Program Director, Singapore Agri-food Innovation Lab, managed by NTU

Anne Lochoff is one of 9 Women rated as the Top Global Influencers of Tech Innovation in Cities featured in Inc.com in 2016. Before joining SAIL, Anne was the senior advisor partnerships at the United Nations Development Programme Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development in Singapore. The centre focused on sustainable finance, sustainable agriculture, and the digitalisation of cities. Anne’s background spans government, academia, NGOs, and private-sector businesses. Anne was the Strategic Advisor to the Executive Director of Asia P3 Hub, a partnership incubator hosted by World Vision. She was also the chair and business advisor in the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s Beachheads network. As a former Executive Director at McCann Erickson Anne was part of the global team managing the MasterCard account for APMEA (Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa).