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IN THIS EXPLAINER, FIND OUT…
Why was Biopolis created?
How has Biopolis contributed to the growth of Singapore’s biomedical sciences industry?
What is Biopolis doing to stay ahead of the curve?
Introduction
Singapore is home to some of the world’s most prominent pharmaceutical corporations, such as Pfizer, Novartis, Abbot, GlaxoSmithKline (GsK) and Lonza, who have either research or manufacturing centres located here. The biomedical industry is of tremendous importance to Singapore and has value-added close to S$19 billion, equivalent to four per cent of Singapore’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Much of this progress can be credited to Singapore’s Biopolis. The brainchild of the nation’s master plan to build a global biomedical hub, Biopolis has been heralded as a global leader in the biomedical industry. Since its inception in 2003, the complex has become a one-service platform for biomedicine, providing space for research and development (R&D) activities while promoting collaborative public and private sector projects.
But why was Biopolis created and how did it develop into its current form? In this Policy Explainer, we survey the history and present state of the complex, offering perspectives on the future of Biopolis. In doing so, we evaluate how Biopolis has contributed to Singapore’s wider biomedical sciences industry.
The Beginnings of Biopolis
The Asian Financial Crisis of the 1990s was a watershed moment for Singapore’s economy. Singapore’s heavy reliance on manufacturing was problematic as this made its economy vulnerable to external shocks. As other countries plunged into recession, they began importing less, causing Singapore’s export volume to dip and slowing down our economic growth. This showed how regional economic downturns could impact Singapore’s growth in the absence of diversified industries and services. In turn, the crisis prompted Singapore to reduce its reliance on manufacturing for economic growth, and to look towards newer areas of innovation instead.
Recognising the importance of high value-add, knowledge-intensive industries as drivers of Singapore’s next economic leap, then-Prime Minister (PM) Lee Kuan Yew began envisioning the development of a home-grown biomedical sector. This concept came when local biomedical firms were scattered across Singapore. These industrial estates, however, were detached from academic research institutes and clinical activities, greatly limiting the exchange of knowledge and collaboration needed for scientific innovation.
At a meeting with Nobel Laureate Sydney Brenner, the suggestion to start a biomedical sciences hub was raised to then-PM Lee. This hub would soon become a world centre for innovation and scientific excellence. The goal of Biopolis was three-fold: (i) to foster collaboration with multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies; (ii) to share knowledge and best practices; (iii) and to create a vibrant ecosystem for biomedical research on home turf.
Biopolis and Singapore's Biomedical Sciences Industry
Today, Biopolis works with academic institutions like the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and the National University Hospitals. By strengthening ties between academia and industry, Biopolis serves as an ecosystem promoting increased scientific exchange. Furthermore, Biopolis boasts world-class infrastructure, which allows for more advanced research and promotes Singapore’s attractiveness as a biomedical hub for top researchers and industry leaders.
Such robustness, however, was not achieved overnight. Instead, Biopolis has undergone six phases of development, which we now explore.
Phase 1: The Original Seven
When it was first completed in 2003, Biopolis was a S$500 million project with seven buildings: Genome, Centros, Matrix, Nanos, Proteos, Chromos and Helios. Of these seven original buildings, five were home to research institutes under the purview of the then-National Science and Technology Board, which has now been converted into the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). The remaining two were leased to private biomedical research companies.
In its earliest phase, Biopolis stood out as a complex offering state-of-the-art technology, bringing together 2,000 scientists and professionals to work within it. As noted by the then-Assistant Chief Executive Officer of the Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) Philip Su, Biopolis revitalised Singapore’s biomedical sciences industry by re-positioning it as a “Gateway to Asia”. Particularly, it allowed foreign multinational corporations to access the Asian market by tailoring their research and sales specifically to the region, and enabling Singapore to be a base for biomedical development.
Phase 2: Neuros and Immunos
Neuros and Immunos were two new buildings erected during the second phase of the Biopolis expansion. Expanding on Biopolis’ broad research interests, Phase 2 added greater capabilities in immunology and neuroscience research.
Such “rapid progress”, as then-Second Minister for Trade and Industry Dr Vivian Balakrishnan recognised in 2006, elevated Biopolis to “a beacon for talent and companies in the scientific and biomedical industry”. Indeed, the biomedical sciences complex had become a distinct home to a rapidly expanding community of research scientists and engineers.
Phase 3: Synapse and Amnios
Developments under Phase 3 were special because it would be the first time a private developer – Crescendas Bionix – clinched a major development project involving Biopolis. This project would culminate in two new buildings: Synapse and Amnios. Such developments also signalled a new phase of growth for Biopolis as the public and private sectors began to work more closely for Biopolis’ growth.
Phase 4: Procter and Gamble (P&G)
In 2010, P&G inked a deal with A*STAR to strengthen its R&D presence in Singapore. This deal formed the foundation of a big leap forward — P&G would soon go on to start its Singapore Innovation Centre (SgIC) within Biopolis. Only the second of such centres in Asia, the SgIC housed 500 researchers and renewed Singapore’s commitment towards advanced research in more than 30 disciplines, including biotechnology, molecular biology, chemistry and high-performance computing.
At this juncture, Biopolis had contributed to Singapore’s biomedical sciences industry in at least two significant ways. First, it greatly strengthened public-private partnerships as a key growth strategy. By then, it was operating with a team of 2,500 public and private sector researchers. Second, Biopolis had become a tangible expression of Singapore’s hub status — a hub not only for an expansive range of scientific pursuits but also a home to many world-class biomedical businesses.
Phase 5: Nucleos
Nucleos – a 46,000 square metre expansion – was added under the Phase 5 expansion. This facility was established to conduct pre-clinical trials.
Phase 6: Spaces for Start-Ups
The most recent phase of expansion emphasises nurturing an ecosystem of home-grown biomedical companies. This is most clearly seen by the commitment to add 2,000 square metres of fitted-out laboratory spaces. In turn, such facilities will reduce costs for start-ups to access wet labs after they graduate from incubator or accelerator spaces. The hope is that start-ups can enjoy lower upfront expenditure costs and reduce time-to-market. Additionally, NSG BioLabs has also provided mentorship networks and incubators to aid start-ups in their expansion.
Biopolis as a Node for Collaboration
What makes Biopolis stand out throughout its many phases of development is its continued emphasis on collaborations within the biomedicine field. Such collaborations have often been cross-cutting, breaking the barriers between:
Biomedical specialists with different research interests;
Industry and academia and between public and private entities; and
Researchers and biomedical providers from different parts of the globe.
First, collaboration between biomedical companies with different research interests has grown exponentially. Following its Phase 4 expansion, Biopolis has become home to experts spanning a wide range of disciplines. Given the broad scope of the biomedical sciences field, bringing together such diverse interests will be crucial to secure Biopolis’ future relevance.
How is such collaboration secured? Today, Biopolis provides shared scientific equipment and resources, specialised research facilities and services, and a shared biomedical library. These working spaces are complemented with interconnected buildings, recreational and childcare facilities, as well as food and beverage outlets These offerings foster “community interaction and synergy” beyond mere “cold hard lab space”, as then-Deputy Prime Minister Dr Tony Tan observed. In turn, these spaces can create more opportunities to work on newer projects, fostering an ecosystem of collaboration and research.
Second, Biopolis has facilitated collaboration between industry and academia and between public and private entities. Biopolis maintains strong ties with academic institutes like the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and the National University Hospitals. This has allowed for a closer working relationship between businesses and research institutes based on both sites. Moreover, as Singapore strives to build a stronger biomedical sciences start-up ecosystem, it is not just the Government that is investing in Biopolis. Strong support from private businesses like NSG BioLabs is deeply crucial for providing advisory services and physical spaces for start-ups to grow.
Third, Biopolis has become a hub for international scientific collaboration. The complex continues to attract biomedical service providers and multinational corporations from various parts of the globe. In turn, this facilitates close collaboration amongst companies and individuals who would otherwise be geographically separated.
Looking Forward: Challenges and Opportunities
While Biopolis has done well, new challenges continue to redefine the biomedical sciences industries. Hence, adaptation and fresh growth strategies are needed to ensure Biopolis’ relevance.
Emerging Challenges in the Biomedical Sciences Industry
1. Accelerating Speed to Market
Digitalisation and the advent of new technologies like generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) have increased pressure on the biomedical sciences industry to speed up market access for life-saving treatments. This is due to better data management, the incorporation of AI for drug design and collaboration across pharma, biotech and research institutions, which has sped up the R&D process.
2. Changing Spending Patterns in the Pharmaceuticals Industry
With rising global demand for pharmaceuticals, Singapore stands to benefit from a growing biomedical sciences industry. However, the growing interest in expensive speciality medicine has also led to concerns over affordability issues. The challenge for today’s biomedical sciences professionals is not only to design effective drugs, but also to manufacture affordable drugs. Failure to reduce the cost of production risks making the drug unattractive.
3. The Intensifying Global Talent Hunt
When Biopolis was first established, it was a biomedical hub with few competitors. This made it easier to market the uniqueness of Biopolis and attract top talents in the field. However, this is no longer the case.
Other countries are rapidly catching up. For instance, the Zhangjiang National Innovation Demonstration Zone patents over 1,000 biopharmaceutical innovations monthly. This is possible with the Chinese government’s close industry support, which includes establishing partnerships with countries like Israel, Finland, Germany and Singapore, as well as providing equity and credit financing for companies to jumpstart innovation. Without a more targeted approach to manpower development and recruitment, talents will be lost.
Future Outlook
Given the above challenges, much effort has been and is still being invested into Biopolis to ensure it stays ahead of the curve. Given the policies implemented today, one can readily observe Biopolis’ effort to bolster three distinct types of infrastructure:
Physical infrastructure;
Human infrastructure; and
Collaborative infrastructure.
1. Strengthening Physical Infrastructure
Firstly, state-of-the-art physical infrastructure has always been one of Biopolis’ key selling points. Developments on this front should continue to maintain Biopolis’ competitive edge in the biomedical industry. Particularly, future development should focus on infusing AI and other new technologies to refresh Biopolis, enabling companies to better contribute to the growing field of biomedicine. AI will be integral not only in increasing the speed of analysis and innovation but also in lowering the cost of biomedical products.
This is also a key capability that Biopolis has been developing. For example, Biopolis’ Advanced Medicine Imaging (AMI) Centre opened in 2018 as a collaboration between Philips and the Singapore Institute of Advanced Medicine Holdings. It incorporates AI tools into medical analysis and other data applications and aims to be a hub for cutting-edge medical treatment, R&D and medical training.
Apart from the AMI Centre, the Stronghold Diagnostics Lab, which was used for COVID-19 testing has also been repurposed for research. It has switched to researching other infectious diseases, highlighting the importance of repurposing and reimagining Biopolis’ physical infrastructure to keep the hub future-proof.
2. Empowering Human Infrastructure
Human infrastructure – in the form of scientific talents – has always been a key driving force of Biopolis’ success. However, as foreign competition mounts, Singapore will face greater challenges in retaining talent. Indeed, such fears have only mounted since star scientists Jackie Ying and Birgitte Lane – key leaders at A*STAR’s research institutes – stepped down in 2017.
In this light, the importance of supplementary programmes that enable talent to be retained in Biopolis has increased. For example, the A*STAR scholarship sponsors rigorous training for recipients in the field of biomedicine up to the postdoctoral level. At the same time, Singapore hosts many world-class institutes that aim to attract foreign academics to contribute to the biomedical scene in Singapore. These include the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, and the Experimental Drug Development Centre which opened in 2019. These institutes encourage the influx of foreign expertise by positioning Singapore as a hub for exchanging information and inter-organisational partnerships.
3. Building Collaborative Infrastructure
Biopolis’ uniqueness lies in its ability to facilitate bold forms of collaboration. This has been done through shared spaces and strong partnerships. Moving ahead, such collaborations will not only be important for Biopolis but also the global biomedical sciences industry. This is because funding is tightening and partnership will be the key to unlocking access to resources, expertise and new markets for companies.
In this regard, Biopolis has been building up its collaborative infrastructure as a unique value proposition for its next stage of growth. For example, the Target Translation Consortium was launched in 2019 to coordinate early-stage drug discovery efforts across academia, healthcare institutions and government agencies.
Altogether, these three strategies ensure Singapore remains a leader in the increasingly competitive biomedical industry. They also capitalise on the unique strengths of Biopolis as a shared hub for research and innovation.
Conclusion
At the groundbreaking ceremony of the Biopolis, then-Minister for Trade and Industry Mr George Yeo envisioned Biopolis to become a place “designed and organised for human interaction”. The concept was to “work, live, play and learn”. Even as the biomedical sciences industry advances, this fundamental ideal has not changed. Driven by a strong synergy between industry, people and technology, Biopolis continues to evolve as a hub for the coming together of excellence, expertise and passion. In its next leap forward, much can be expected as Biopolis plays an active role in Singapore’s biomedical sciences industry strategy.
This Policy Explainer was written by members of MAJU. MAJU is an independent, youth-led organisation that focuses on engaging Singaporean youths in a long-term research process to guide them in jointly formulating policy ideas of their own.
By sharing our unique youth perspectives, MAJU hopes to contribute to the policymaking discourse and future of Singapore.
The citations to our Policy Explainers can be found in the PDF appended to this webpage.
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