Mr Lim Hng Kiang at the National Science & Technology Awards presentation ceremony

SPEECH BY MR LIM HNG KIANG, MINISTER FOR TRADE & INDUSTRY, AT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AWARDS PRESENTATION CEREMONY ON WEDNESDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 2007, 7.45 PM, MANDARIN BALLROOM, MERITUS MANDARIN HOTEL

Chairman, A*STAR, Mr. Lim Chuan Poh

Excellencies

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

Introduction

I am delighted to be here this evening to join you in conferring the nation’s highest honour in Science & Technology to 14 distinguished research professionals.

Singapore is making Headway in R&D

Research and development (R&D) is a national priority to help transform Singapore into a knowledge-based economy. Through R&D, we can build up our capabilities to attract, anchor and create high-value industries.

We have made much progress in our R&D efforts. Based on A*STAR’s preliminary 2006 National Survey of Research & Development results, total R&D expenditure in Singapore increased from S$3 billion in 2000 to S$5 billion in 2006, an increase of 66.4%. Private sector contribution of R&D has also increased from 62% in 2000 to 65.7% in 2006. The research talent pool has also grown. Our research scientists and engineers (or RSEs) have increased to about 22,600 in 2006, a 56.5% increase from year 2000. Private sector employment accounts for 61.2% of the RSE workforce.

Our pool of PhD talent has also increased from slightly over 3,000 in 2000 to about 5,000 in 2006. The level of R&D activity has similarly intensified. In the same period, the number of patent applications has increased by more than two and a half times and the number of patents awarded has nearly quadrupled. [1]

These are encouraging indicators. They show that Singapore is gaining recognition as the place to anchor knowledge-based industries. Companies are confident that Singapore’s stable social-political environment, strong legal system and robust Intellectual Property framework are attractive propositions for them to invest here.

Biopolis - Creating a New Industry by Anchoring R&D

Our Biomedical Sciences (or BMS) initiative is further proof that our R&D strategy is yielding results. In 2000, we embarked on a multi-agency effort to grow an international BMS cluster in Singapore that would pursue excellence in R&D, manufacturing and healthcare delivery in the area of health and life sciences.

To date, the BMS manufacturing output has grown almost fourfold, from S$6.3 billion in 2000 to S$23 billion in 2006. It now accounts for 6% of Singapore’s GDP, up from about 2.5% in 2000 and hosts more than 10,500 high-value added jobs. From a zero base in 2000, there are now over 25 biotech companies that have set up research centers in Singapore. These include three corporate R&D laboratories by global pharmaceutical companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Lilly and Novartis. Bio polis has also built up a critical mass of scientific talent and research capability led by A*STAR’s research institutes.

TIME Magazine observed that Singapore has become “a regional hub for bioscience research” [2]. French publication Les Echo's noted that “[Singapore has] taken an incredible risk to achieve in ten years what has taken forty years for San Diego” [3]. The Boston Globe quoted the Governor of Massachusetts as saying that Singapore is one of the “top competitor states and foreign nations” that is challenging Boston in the field of life sciences and biotech [4].

What we have accomplished thus far is exemplified by the work of two of our award winners tonight. Associate Professor Uttam Surana, from the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, has successfully debunked common assumptions of certain cell division processes that have been endorsed previously by Nobel Prize winners.

Dr Ng Huck Hui, a young home-grown talent who currently holds two appointments at the Genome Institute of Singapore and the NUS Department of Biological Sciences, has advanced the understanding of gene regulation in stem cell biology considerably. When he started his research, there were only four known targets of DNA transcription factors in embryonic stem cells. Within a short span of two years, he has identified more than 3,000 such targets and over 10 novel regulators.

Going forward, we need to press on with our BMS efforts. A*STAR, together with its partners, EDB and MOH, will focus on Translational and Clinical Research (TCR) in Phase II of the BMS initiative to bring the fruits of basic research from “bench to bedside”. This will help to create new drugs, diagnostics and devices to tackle some of the top diseases in Singapore such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

In fact, Singapore has mounted a Flagship TCR Programme in gastric cancer, the second most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide and the fourth most common cancer in East Asian males. The programme will help improve the early detection of gastric cancer by discovering biomarkers at an early stage and developing classifications that can robustly predict disease behavior and treatment response. These efforts will help to improve the health of Singaporeans, in addition to creating new businesses, jobs and investments.

Fusionpolis - Creating Future Industries to Propel Singapore

To stay ahead of the competition, we need to think and plan beyond our BMS cluster to surge ahead and stay plugged into the global economy. We need to go beyond supporting existing industries to creating future industries that the world economy will demand in the next 10 to 20 years.

We cannot be certain what these future industries are. But it is probable that they will be highly complex and innovative; they will rest on cross disciplinary scientific expertise and integrated technological capabilities which will generate cutting-edge products, superior processes and higher value services that the global economy needs.

Already, there are some promising fields. Take medical technology, for example. It is a field that intersects engineering, medical sciences and healthcare delivery. It is likely to be a “future industry” as healthcare demands become more sophisticated. Another example is plastic electronics. It is estimated to grow from US$0.65 billion in 2005 to US$250 billion in 2025 [5], and touted to potentially impact the electronics sector in a bigger way than silicon has. Rich rewards and new economic benefits await economies that can create and anchor these future industries.

We will create these future industries at Fusionopolis by transforming our current approach to research and pushing public sector research to a wider scale through two platforms. First, the capabilities of A*STAR’s seven research institutes in the physical sciences and engineering will be collectively harnessed. Second, we will explore opportunities to integrate both our research capabilities in Bio polis and in Fusionopolis by leveraging off their close proximity within the One North site.

Fusionopolis Phase 1 will open next year with more than 500 research staff. Fusionopolis Phase 2A will be ready by 2010, with an additional 1,000 research staff.

Through integration at these two platforms, there will be a rich fusion of capabilities across diverse domains. In turn, these could catalyze new multidisciplinary technologies, drive new innovations and create new industries. This is Fusionopolis’ unique value proposition, an integrated R&D powerhouse for future industries to take off.

Intensifying Collaborations to Push Ideas to Market

Our integrated R&D capabilities must also be brought close to the industries so as to stand a higher chance of commercializing our research. I am glad to know that our research institutes have collaborated with companies in over 230 projects last year.

Some of these joint projects include collaborating with the Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences to develop new and improved catalysts for chemical processing, and working with the Institute of High Performance Computing to design and implement new ways to deliver software tools and services via GRID computing.

These collaborations have helped to seed new technology adoption and accelerate innovations. Looking ahead, our public sector research should strive to achieve higher efficiencies and responsiveness with the industry. We need to strengthen industry collaborations in an integrated manner to influence R&D efforts and outcomes in strategic areas to create value add across the economy.

I am thus pleased to announce that A*STAR will be leading a new programme called the Public-Private Sector Partnership Programme (or P3), The P3 programme aims to bring together all the key players in Government, such as A*STAR’s research institutes, EDB, IDA and SPRING Singapore, as well as the private sector comprising MNCs, SMEs and technology start-ups in one innovation framework.

P3 will identify R&D in strategic areas with the potential to transform industry clusters, capitalize on emerging market opportunities and trends, and to rapidly grow new sectors and sub-sectors. It will lift our industry collaboration into a multipoint, integrated partnership that will allow innovations to move across the industry value-chain seamlessly.

This is a powerful proposition for locally-based companies as they can undertake high-risk, high-reward R&D while capitalizing on the integrated R&D capabilities of our research institutes. A*STAR, having strategic oversight of the programme, can also identify opportunities to broker win-win partnerships among companies to hasten the pace of obtaining results from the research.

The P3 programme will be launched in six strategic areas over the next three years. The inaugural programme, to begin later this year, will be in plastic electronics, and A*STAR, EDB and SPRING Singapore will jointly call for proposals from the private sector.

A*STAR will also partner IDA to stimulate R&D projects in the application of infocomm technologies. Areas of R&D include sentient computing, remote sensory systems, embedded devices and smart algorithms for the medical technologies sector.

Talent Remains Key

Ultimately, talent is key to the success of these initiatives I have mentioned, especially in the area of R&D.

And tonight, we are able to pay tribute to some of the outstanding talent that we have. Tonight's award ceremony for the science and technology award winners is significant as their research has placed Singapore on the global scientific map. The judging panel that evaluated the entries was highly impressed by the outstanding work submitted. Tonight’s winners comprise public sector institutions, universities and corporate R&D laboratories.

Special commendation is given to the NUS Mathematics team, comprising Prof A J (Jon) Berrick and Associate Professor Wu Jie, who have done fundamental work in mathematics that will have an important impact on many fields, from biology to air traffic control.

We also applaud the good work of our private sector award recipient – Infineon Technologies. Infineon’s VDSL2 transceiver was created by an all-Singaporean team under the leadership of Mr. Jain Raj Kumar. Born in India, he worked in Infineon’s US office before deciding to relocate here. He has since taken up Singapore citizenship.

Conclusion

I would also like to congratulate the other winners at tonight’s awards ceremony. Through your work, we have a glimpse of how R&D is fast transforming our economy. I have no doubt that your individual efforts and hard work go collectively into contributing to our R&D strategy to attract more R&D investments, generate high-value jobs and sustain our economic growth. Once again, congratulations to all award winners and I wish all of you an enjoyable evening. Thank you.

[1] There are 2,036 patent applications in 2006, up from 774 in 2000. 933 patents were awarded in 2006, up from 239 in 2000.

[2] TIME Magazine, October 2006.

[3] Les Echo's, May 2007.

[4] Boston Globe, May 2007.

[5] Source: IDTechEx