Singapore aims to become Asia's biomedical hub

28 September 2007 22:17  [Source: ICIS news]

By Feliza Mirasol

NEW YORK (ICIS news)--Singapore has embarked on an ambitious strategy to become the leading Asian hub for life sciences and biomedical sciences (BMS) industry, sources from the city-state said on Friday.

“The industry is set to enjoy strong growth as major leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical-device companies continue to establish operations or expand their scope of activities in Singapore,” said Abhijit Ghosh, pharmaceutical and healthcare leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Singapore.

“Today, BMS is one of the key pillars of our economy, together with electronics, chemicals and engineering. We want to give our economy as many legs as possible so that it will have great resilience,” said Keat-Chuan Yeoh, executive director, Biomedical Sciences Group, at the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).

Singapore has been developing its BMS industry for the better part of the past decade. The first phase, between 2000 and 2005, put in place key building blocks by establishing core capabilities in biomedical research and introducing important human and industrial capital development initiatives.

Singapore is developing some major campuses to facilitate progress of its BMS industry. It has invested roughly $44m (€31m) and $53m, respectively, into building Tuas Biomedical Parks (TBP) 1 and 2.

The two industrial parks cover a 371ha (916 acre) area and house several pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. To date, nearly 90% of TBP 1 is occupied or reserved.

“Close to 40 plants belonging to both pharmaceutical and medical-devices companies are already in operation," Yeoh said.

"Several others, including pharmaceutical, medical-devices and biologics plants, are currently being built. Most of the pharmaceutical and biologics plants are in the Tuas Biomedical Park or close to it," he said. "The medical-devices plants can be found in various parts of Singapore.”

Singapore has also invested in a project known as Biopolis, which will house top-notch research institutes, private-research organisations and renowned biomedical universities. The Biopolis is a purpose-built biomedical research hub situated in southwestern Singapore.

JTC developed the site and spent around $330m to develop phase 1 of Biopolis. Phase I includes a seven-building complex, linked by sky bridges, and with a built-up area of 185,000m² (2m ft²).

Currently, 95% of phase I of Biopolis is occupied. It houses roughly 2,000 scientists, researchers, technicians and administrators.

The second phase of Biopolis houses two new research buildings, totalling an additional 37,000m2 of built-up area.

Biopolis is part of an overall plan to build a much larger 200ha development known as One-North.

For further analysis on Singapore's sciences and biomedical sciences industry, look for the 1 October issue of ICIS Chemical Business.

By: Feliza Mirasol
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