Granite Asia

Building Blocks

Technology EN ↓ 6 episodes

Building Blocks is a podcast by Granite Asia that deconstructs how innovation transforms industries, society, and the systems we live in. Each season dives into a timely theme, bringing together industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers to discuss how technology can drive progress. The first season, Living Machines , focuses on the convergence of AI and automation—how intelligent systems are reshaping industries from healthcare to logistics, energy to manufacturing. The series goes beyond the technology itself, exploring how AI-driven automation can be harnessed to create more efficient...

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Granite Asia

Episodes

How AI Is Rebuilding the Chemistry Lab 09.12.2025 38:51

For decades, chemistry labs have looked almost exactly the same — manual, slow, and heavily dependent on human trial and error. While biology rapidly automated, chemistry quietly fell behind. In this episode of Building Blocks: Living Machines, we go inside one of the world’s first fully AI-powered chemistry labs with Sean Lin, Founder & CEO of ChemLex, a next-generation contract research orga...

Inside the Innovation Engine of the World’s Best Airport 25.11.2025 1:15:22

What makes the world’s best airport tick? Beyond the architecture, shopping, and gardens lies a hidden engine — a living system of automation, robotics, and human ingenuity working in perfect sync. In this episode of Building Blocks: Living Machines , we go inside the future of Changi Airport with Li San Poh , Senior Vice President of Terminal 5 Planning at Changi Airport Group, and Jixun Foo , Se...

Inside the World’s Most Automated Port — and those Who Keep It Human 04.11.2025 59:04

How do you automate one of the world’s busiest ports — without losing the human touch? In this episode of Building Blocks: Living Machines , host Rita Yang visits PSA International , a leading global port operator and trusted supply chain partner. She’s joined by Ong Kim Pong , Group CEO of PSA, and Jixun Foo , Senior Managing Partner at Granite Asia and PSA board member, to reveal how PSA's...

Inside the Mind Behind Singapore’s Smartest Robots 21.10.2025 47:59

Can a robot save lives — or learn from a spider? In this episode of Building Blocks – Living Machines , host Rita Yang sits down with Prof. Mohan Rajesh Elara , Provost Chair Professor at SUTD and Co-founder of LionsBot , Singapore’s home-grown robotics company. From a dragonfly robot that traps dengue-carrying mosquitoes to a spider-inspired machine that crawls, rolls, and climbs walls , Prof. M...

Living Machines: Robots Beneath the Waves 03.10.2025 47:57

Shipping keeps the world moving — but it also contributes nearly 3% of global carbon emissions. The surprising culprit? Biofouling : the buildup on ship hulls that drives fuel use up by as much as 40%. In this episode of Building Blocks: Living Machines , host Rita Yang speaks with Elizabeth Chan , CEO of Neptune Robotics , and Jixun Foo , Senior Managing Partner at Granite Asia , about how roboti...

Living Machines: Robot Built to Love 16.09.2025 30:46

Forget robots that vacuum your floor or fetch you coffee. What if the next big machine in your life was built just to love you? In our very first episode of Building Blocks: Living Machines , host Rita Yang sits down with Kaname Hayashi , the creator of LOVOT — a wide-eyed, huggable robot designed to melt hearts. Think warm body, expressive gaze, playful coos… and zero productivity. Also joining i...