Mr S Iswaran at the Opening of X-Periment! and Launch of Science .06

SPEECH BY MR S ISWARAN, MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY AT THE OPENING OF X-PERIMENT! AND LAUNCH OF SCIENCE .06 ON 1 SEPTEMBER 2006, AT MARINA SQUARE CENTRAL ATRIUM

Sir David Lane

Executive Director, Institute of Molecular & Cell Biology, A*STAR

Dr Chew Tuan Chiong

Chief Executive, Singapore Science Centre

Ladies and gentlemen

Boys and girls

A very good morning to all of you. It gives me great pleasure to be here today with you at the opening of X-periment!, a science carnival organised in conjunction with Science.06.

Whether it is the internet, mobile phones or MP3 players, science and technology pervade the way we live, work and play. For instance, the mobile phone has become such a ubiquitous accessory that I’m sure many of you here have one with you and cannot imagine life without it!

It demonstrates the profound impact of science and technology brought about by innovative individuals and companies with a passion for science.

Talent – Nurturing a Passion for Science and Technology

As a country, Singapore has embraced science and technology. It is an integral part of our educational curriculum, and an essential pillar for our industries.

To build a knowledge and innovation-driven economy, and to stay competitive, we must continue to keep pace with developments in science and technology. In this regard, human capital is key and we have adopted a two-pronged approach to its development - we continue to develop our own Singaporean talent and we welcome foreign talent to complement and augment our domestic capabilities.

The Institute of Molecular & Cell Biology (IMCB) of A*STAR provides a good example of how we do this. IMCB is our oldest biomedical sciences research institute. Since its inception in 1987, the IMCB has grown to become an internationally renowned institute with 400 scientists today. Under the leadership of Sir David Lane, whom we welcomed to our scientific community in 2004, IMCB now has scientists from more than 25 countries, and has trained more than 130 local and foreign graduate students. The institute also provides research stints to more than 1000 students from our secondary schools and junior colleges each year, helping to inspire a new generation of biomedical scientists. This is important for the development of a base of talent who will be involved in the discovery of new biomedical knowledge and the creation of future healthcare solutions in Singapore.

Developing a strong R&D talent pool is also critical for attracting high value-added industries and activities to Singapore. For instance, Mitsui Chemicals of Japan will be establishing its first overseas petrochemical R&D centre in Singapore.It will be housed at A*STAR’s Institute of Chemical & Engineering Sciences (ICES). This partnership will help enhance the company’s overall competitiveness through innovation in chemical science technologies and, at the same time, position Singapore as a strong base for chemical science R&D.

Mitsui’s choice of Singapore is testimony to the quality of our R&D capabilities and talent in Singapore.And we must continue to build on these strengths.

But it all starts with our budding scientists.For our schools and educators to be able to arouse in our students a sense of wonder about the world around them, to pique their curiosity and to give them the wherewithal to pursue their passion for science.

Existing efforts – Role of Sciencemonth

Science.06 is part of this continuing effort to nurture in our young a passion for science. Kicking off science.06 with X-periment! is an excellent way to bring science and technology out of the laboratories and closer to the people.

Over the next three days, nine research institutes, seven tertiary institutions and several companies will be displaying their technologies. A local technology company, XID Technologies, a nominee for the World Technology Award 2004, will also be displaying its patented biometric face recognition technology called Predictive Face Synthesis.Visitors will be pleasantly surprised by the many locally-developed technologies that will be on display.

I am told that this is the 5th year of X-periment! and that its popularity has been increasing. This is evident from the growth in the number of visitors to the carnival from 12,000 in 2002 to 17,000 in 2005.

The other activities organised during sciencemonth have also attracted an avid following. The number of direct participants more than doubled from 35,000 in 2002 to 84,000 in 2005. In addition, I understand that some 700,000 viewers tuned in to the TV science quiz show, “The National Science Challenge” last year!

I am heartened by this high level of interest and participation by exhibitors, visitors and students. I urge all students to make the most of this opportunity, to interact with the scientists and researchers and learn about the latest in science & technology.

science.06 Highlights

This year, apart from X-periment!, a further 120 activities have been organised during sciencemonth. World renowned experts and performers have flown in from the US, Canada and Australia to conduct science shows and workshops for teachers and students. This is a good opportunity for teachers to share and exchange methods of creative teaching, to better motivate students to learn and appreciate science.

A highlight of science.06 is the National Junior Robotics Competition. Besides training students from upper primary and lower secondary levels to solve problems independently, the competition also imparts the value of teamwork, as participants work in teams to overcome obstacles using creative robotic gadgets.

Conclusion

To conclude, I would like to commend A*STAR and the Singapore Science Centre, as well as all sciencemonth partners, for helping to organise and make this event a success. I hope our young participants will adopt an open and inquisitive attitude and use this opportunity to interact and ask many questions.I wish everyone a fun and enriching time.

Thank you.