Dr. Lan Weiguang is a Singaporean Chinese scientist, entrepreneur, and globally recognised expert in membrane technology and water treatment. He is the founder of Suntar International Group (Singapore), Chairman of Suntar Eco-City Limited (listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange Main Board), and founder of Suntar Membrane Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. (listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange STAR Market). Beyond his entrepreneurial achievements, Dr. Lan has shaped the future of the field through academic leadership, serving as an adjunct professor and doctoral advisor at world-class institutions including the National University of Singapore (NUS), the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Peking University (PKU), Xiamen University (XMU), and Nanchang University (NCU).
Dr. Lan was among the first high-level entrepreneurial talents recruited by Fujian Province. He founded Suntar, the first research-driven enterprise in the Xiamen Torch High-tech Industrial Development Zone and the first company in the zone founded by a returned overseas scholar. For decades, he has been deeply engaged in advancing and applying membrane technology, spearheading numerous internationally leading and domestically pioneering solutions. He also established the Centre for Applied Membrane Technology at Xiamen University, which – together with Suntar – has trained a generation of professionals. Hailed as the “Huangpu Military Academy” of China’s membrane industry, the centre has made significant contributions to both science and industry. In recognition of his impact, Dr. Lan was awarded the title “Pioneer of the Membrane Industry” by the China Membrane Industry Association (MIAC).
Under his leadership, Suntar International Group has grown into a global leader in high-tech investment and operations, with more than 50 subsidiaries across China and overseas. Building on its proprietary intellectual property, the Group has built a fully integrated membrane industry value chain that covers materials development, software design, equipment manufacturing, system integration, and practical applications. Its diverse business portfolio spans industrial process separation and wastewater treatment (B2B), large-scale environmental engineering for governments (B2G), and clean drinking water solutions for consumers (B2C) membrane technology was selected under China’s National Key R&D Programme.
The Group holds over 100 invention patents and has developed nearly 1,000 process engineering solutions, earning prestigious awards such as the China Industry-University-Research Cooperation Innovation Achievement Award, the Second Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, the Second Prize of the Fujian Provincial Science and Technology Award, the First Prize of the Xiamen Science and Technology Progress Award, the Special Prize of the Xiamen Patent Awards, and the Excellence Award at the 19th China Patent Awards. In collaboration with several institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suntar’s project on separation and purification of traditional Chinese medicine using membrane technology was selected under China’s National Key R&D Programme.
Dr. Lan is also widely recognised as a pioneering figure in membrane technology in China and is often hailed as the “Pioneer of Nanofiltration.” He coined the Chinese term ‘纳滤’ (nà lǜ) for ‘nanofiltration’ and promoted its adoption in China. His work modernised the production of antibiotics, vitamins, amino acids, and dyes by reducing resource consumption, improving product quality, increasing yields, and lowering pollutant emissions – achieving both economic and environmental benefits.
Over the years, Dr. Lan has received extensive recognition, including the Asia Outstanding Young Chinese Entrepreneur Award by Yazhou Zhoukan (YZZK), the NUS Alumni Awards, the Outstanding Entrepreneurship Award by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council (OCAO), the Golden Bridge Award of the China Technology Market Association, the Contribution Award by the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese (ACFROC), the Top Ten Financially Influential Intellectuals in China, the Special Contributor Award by MIAC, China’s Water Expert of the Year Award, the Outstanding Expert Award by Technology of Water Treatment, the Top Ten Economic Figures of Xiamen (2011–2012), the Top Ten Contributors of Xiamen’s Emerging Industries (2019), and the title of Honorary Citizen of Xiamen and Longyan, China.
Alongside these honours, Dr. Lan and his team have received numerous scientific awards such as the Excellence Award at the 19th China Patent Awards, the Second Prize from MIAC, the Second Prize of the Fujian Provincial Science and Technology Awards, the First Prize in the Xiamen Science and Technology Progress Awards, the Special Prize of the Xiamen Patent Awards, and the Technical Invention Award from the Inorganic Chemical Industry Science and Technology Awards. He has published nearly 100 papers in leading journals, including Nanoscale, ACS Applied Nano Materials, Nanoscale Advances, ACS Applied Polymer Materials, Journal of Materials Science, CIESC Journal, and Journal of Functional Materials. In the past five years alone, he has been granted almost 140 patents.
Dr. Lan currently holds the following positions:
- President, Singapore-China Association for Advancement of Science and Technology (SCAAST)
- Distinguished Visiting Scientist, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
- Chief Scientist, Water Technology and Policy Research Center, Xiamen University
- First-batch recipient, Fujian Province “Double-Hundred Talents Program”
- Director, Fujian Membrane Separation Engineering Technology Research Center
- Vice President, Asia-Pacific Water Planning Association
- President, Xiamen University Alumni Association in Singapore
- Honorary President, Fujian Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs
- Honorary President, Fujian Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment
- Co-Chair, Fujian Overseas Chinese Talents Association
- Honorary President, Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan (SHHK)
- Honorary President, Xiamen Intellectual Property Association
- Executive Vice President, Xiamen Overseas Chinese Enterprises Association (XMOCEA)