The childhood story of Olivia Lum is quite interesting, a positive energy. She too was once a top chemist. But then, even a "smart" person can make "dumb" decisions at times.
Not all new technology can be commercial success. My bet is many of the currently hyped-up hot technology will finally show up as failures. My bet includes :
1) energy solar and wind power. All these are just clean energy hype brought up because people finally found climate to be a big enemy because of carbon emission, etc. With the best sun - as in Saudi Arabia - and the best technology, it cannot replace the huge demand the world needs on energy. The wind power is the same. Such technology will never be able to save us.
2) electric cars. No way as the technology of battery now and 100 years back are not much different except for nickel, etc. instead of salt, acid, lead - chemical energy storage is simply limited (only using relativity theory and E=mc2 may you build a cell phone battery that needs recharge once a year). So Tesla and the talk in China will fail.
3) desalination of hyflux - I doubt it can really solve our huge thirsty problem. If the people in Hyflux can provide me with the details I need to do a costing if reverse osmosis desalination can be profitable commercially, I believe I will never put money into such projects - selling nasi lemak is a much better bet. I know Lee Hsien Loong can boast SG has a running desalination plant running full time. At what real cost? LHL will never let you know. If he let the world knows his "desalinated" water cost 100 X the cost he pays, Malaysia, What will happen? He will quote you = 2.567 X what we pay Malaysia. Very expensive!!!:p
Desalination has been investigated for many decades. I think people at times believe in "positive" attitude and forgets common sense and practical constraints. This may be what Olivia Lum failed to realize. Can't make money from a high-tech innovation before its time.
Chan Rasjid.