Singapore – a Biomedical Hub

In recent years, Singapore has blossomed into one of the world’s biomedical hubs. A government-promoted strategy to turn the city-state into the leading biomedical science center in south east Asia has met largely with success.

The strategy is based on the integration of research and development, combined with manpower and infrastructure development. In order to sustain this leadership position, the government has decided to expand the knowledge-based industries of information technology, biotechnology and biomedicine.

Scientists have flocked to the area, attracted by these developments, as well as generous government financing and relatively permissive regulations surrounding human embryonic stem cell research.

The Singapore Association of Pharmaceutical Industries lists 33 members, 19 of which are subsidiaries of major international companies, including AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Genzyme, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis Merck Sharp & Dohme, sanofi-aventis and Schering Plough.

In addition, Singapore also aims to provide business incubator facilities and services to promising start-up biomedical companies, and to assist these companies in locating initial investors and other venture capital or conventional financing.

Infrastructure investment

Singapore’s government has invested in infrastructure development in order to attract companies to the region, including the construction of the following facilities:

Biopolis

Biopolis is a biomedical research complex located in southwestern Singapore built to house top-ranking research institutes, private research organizations and biomedical universities.

Phase I, which opened in September 2003, is a 2 million square foot, seven building complex linked by sky bridges. Two thousand scientists work at Biopolis, where the space allotted to laboratories areas is 1,240,000 square feet, with public research institutes occupying 377,000 square feet.

The complex also boasts restaurants and cafes, retail shops, a 300-seat food court serving a variety of Asian and international cuisine, and a childcare center. Phase II will house two new research buildings, with an additional 398,000 square feet of built up area. Biopolis is part of a planned much larger development called One-North.

The biomedical research institutes of the Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), which oversees scientific efforts under Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry, are based at Biopolis. Fifty nationalities are represented among A*STAR scientists. The Genome Institute of Singapore and the Bioinformatics Institute are also based here.

Tuas Biomedical Park

Singapore has invested $44 million and $53 million into Tuas Biomedical Parks (TBP) 1 and 2. The two industrial parks cover an area of 39, 900,000 square feet and are dedicated to manufacturing-related activities for pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, biologics, vaccine, medical devices and nutritionals related companies.

Nearly 90 percent of TBP 1 is occupied or reserved, by companies including Merck Sharp & Dohme, Wyeth Nutritionals, Pfizer Asia Pacific, Novartis Singapore Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore and Genentech Singapore.

Singapore fast facts

Full country name: Republic of Singapore

Area: 682 sq km

Population: 4.59 million

Capital City: Singapore

People: 77% Chinese, 14% Malay, 8% Indian, 1% Eurasian and other

Languages: Malay, Mandarin, Tamil, English

Religions: Islam, Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism

Government: parliamentary republic

Head of State: President Sellapan Ramanathan

Head of Government: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

GDP: US$161 billion

GDP per capita: US$29,474

Annual growth: Forecast to be 4.5 to 6.5% in 2008

Inflation: 6.6 % in January 2008 (25-year high)

Major Industries: Electronics, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair and biotechnology.

Major Trading Partners: US, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea

 

Pharmaceutical companies with a presence in Singapore:

Abbott Laboratories

AstraZeneca

Baxter Healthcare

Bayer Healthcare, Bayer Schering Pharma

Boehringer Ingelheim

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Eli Lilly

Genzyme

GlaxoSmithKline

Janssen-Cilag

Novartis

Novo Nordisk

Merck Serono

Merck Sharp & Dohme

Pfizer

Sanofi-Aventis

Schering-Plough

UCB

Wyeth Singapore

What to do when you’re not in the lab

Museums

The Asian Civilisations Museum

Located near the scenic Singapore River, the Asian Civilisations Museum houses 11 galleries which showcase over 1,300 artefacts from the Museum’s growing collections on the civilisations of China, Southeast Asia, South Asia and West Asia.

MINT Museum of Toys

MINT (Moment of Imagination and Nostalgia with Toys), the world's first purpose-built museum for toys, opened in Singapore in May 2006. The museum showcases an extensive collection of vintage toys, including rare and unique one-of-a-kind toys, covering a period from mid-nineteenth Century to mid-twentieth Century.

National Museum of Singapore

At 119 years old, the National Museum of Singapore is Singapore's biggest and oldest museum. Designed to be the people's museum, the Museum aims to introduced cutting edge ways of presenting history to redefine the conventional museum experience.

NUS Museums

At the Western end of Singapore lies a jewel of artworks and cultural artifacts. The NUS Museums at the National University of Singapore house a treasure trove of Asian art pieces, including a spectacular collection of ceramics, paintings, calligraphy, jade and bronzes.

Attractions

Carlsberg Sky Tower

Catch panoramic views across Singapore, Sentosa and the Southern Islands from Singapore’s highest viewing platform, revolving 430 feet above sea level.

Downtown East

A self-contained entertainment district, Downtown East offers a comprehensive mix of over 40 food and beverage, entertainment and specialty retail outlets, and the Escape Theme Park, featuring the highest water ride in Asia.

Forest Adventure

Forest Adventure is a Tree Top Course comprising ladders, bridges, swings, nets, trapezes and zip lines where participants move unaccompanied, from tree to tree, 15 feet above ground.

Shopping

In Singapore, shopping is a national pastime. The city boasts many shopping malls, coupled with nice discounts, low taxes and tariffs, as well as a huge variety of goods. Most stores in Singapore stay open seven days a week, from 10am to 9pm.

Here are some recommended things to buy and where to buy them:

• Antiques: Second floor of the Tanglin Shopping Centre, or the shops along South Bridge Road in Chinatown
• Books: Borders at Wheelock Place) and Kinokuniya at Ngee Ann City
• Cameras: Peninsula Plaza, near the City Hall MRT station
• Clothing: Takashimaya and Paragon on Orchard Road (high street fashion); Bugis Junction (hip streetwear)
• Computers and electronics: Sim Lim Square, near Little India, Funan in the IT Mall, Mustafa in Little India
• Fabrics: Arab Street and Little India

Eating (and drinking) out

Singaporeans are passionate about food and eating. In this cosmopolitan and multicultural city, you will find an endless variety of food, served hot or cold, at any hour of the day (or night), offering a mix of flavors from around the globe.

It would be impossible to list all of the available cuisines and recommended restaurants, so here are a few highlights:

Hawker centers

Hawker centers are a conglomeration of food stalls in a designated area. The selection of food is extensive (local food plus Malaysian, Indonesian, Chinese, Indian, etc.), the prices cheap and the environment authentic.

Club Street and Far East Square

Far East Square’s award-winning architectural aesthetics and restaurants, bars and cafés attract both tourists and locals. A high-end pedestrian area houses the Fuk Tak Chi Museum, various handicraft stalls and restaurants and cafes.

Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Alfresco diners can enjoy the sea breeze and the sound of the waves lapping against the sea wall at the Marina Bay waterfront, while gazing at the stunning backdrop of Singapore’s skyline.

Raffles Hotel

Singapore ’s most famous drink is the Singapore Sling, and where better to try one than in its original setting, the Raffles Hotel. The opulent, colonial-style hotel is set in a lush tropical garden. Head to the Raffles Courtyard bar at the back of the hotel, where you can sip your Singapore Sling in the tropical heat under a starry sky.