Enterprise Speaker Series: “The Deep Tech Goldmine: The Road to Commercialization and Unlocking Value for Investors”
On 20th January 2026, Enterprise@APU hosted a Special Guest Lecture focusing on deep technology, its commercialisation journey, and how it creates high-impact innovation. The lecture aimed to educate students on what defines deep tech, how it differs from general technology startups, and the unique characteristics that make deep tech ventures more complex, resource-intensive, and long-term in nature.
The special guest invited was Ir Dr Bernard Lim, Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of Appscard Group AS. He shared his experience in deep tech development, highlighting how deep tech startups are built on strong scientific research, engineering innovation, and intellectual property to solve large-scale societal and industrial challenges. His session provided participants with valuable insights into the importance of research and development, high technical expertise, and strategic planning in building sustainable deep tech ventures.
The 1-hour lecture was highly informative, offering insights into what sets deep tech startups apart from conventional startups. Ir Dr Bernard Lim emphasized key characteristics such as long development timelines, high capital requirements, high entry barriers, regulatory challenges, and complex ecosystems. He also explained the key stages in the deep tech commercialisation journey, from research and discovery to prototyping, startup formation, product development, market entry, and business expansion. Throughout the lecture, he discussed common challenges faced by deep tech founders, including technical risks, funding limitations, talent gaps, and uncertain market adoption, giving participants a realistic and well-rounded perspective on deep tech innovation.
The lecture concluded successfully with an engaging Q&A session, where Ir Dr Bernard Lim addressed participants’ questions with practical and insightful advice on deep tech commercialisation and innovation challenges. Through this discussion, participants gained a clearer understanding of the realities and complexities involved in bringing deep technology to market.
To conclude the event, participants became more familiar with the deep tech ecosystem and the process of transforming scientific innovation into commercial success. Ir Dr Bernard Lim’s expertise and industry experience served as strong inspiration for students interested in technology-driven entrepreneurship and high-impact innovation.
