By Daryl Tan

Biomedical engineers, life science researchers, pharmaceutical mavens or just a school student aspiring to join these ranks, I have good news to bear; Singapore needs you.

Reports in 2011 have revealed that Singapore has enjoyed an economic boost despite the sluggish global economy and regional catastrophes that threatened to quaver our fragile market. Much of this credit owes to the country’s booming biomedical cluster; surging by 69 percent within the year and cushioning off some of the dips experienced by other industries.

Indeed, Singapore is placing more emphasis on the biomedical arena here. Recognizing that the world is now placing more concern on improving one’s quality of life than ever, our country has jumped on the bandwagon to covet to become the region’s leading medical hub. Significantly, Singapore has developed Tuas Biomedical Park and has constantly augmented the place to be of the best fit for biomedical companies to set home here. Moreover, Biopolis is poised to become the number one choice for biomedical research in the South East Asia region. With the ample support from the Government, and the expertise from notable biomedical researchers who have chosen to join Biopolis, this gallant motto of Biopolis is not far-fetched, but attainable.

In a similar vein, eminent companies such as Novartis, Abbott, GlaxoSmithKline and Lonza Group and Bio*One Captial have capitalized on Singapore’s emphasis and have decided to make Singapore their flagship research centres in the region. In doing so, Singapore’s environment is maturing into one that is optimal for quality biomedical research, an outlook that grants not just good news to the national economy, but also to everyone in the biomedical realm.

Yet, with all the optimism on what is set to Singapore’s fourth economic engine for the nation, aspiring individuals who wish to take up biomedical-related jobs, especially university undergraduates, are unconfident of giving the affirmative nod towards this standpoint. Fears of an immature research environment, low pay, little career paths and harsh working lifestyles are permeating across the hoi polloi, influencing them to turn their heads away from the local biomedical industry, which is brimming with potential.

But are these fears pure exaggerations or abysmal truths? Undeniably, Singapore’s biomedical arena is at its infancy as compared to well established industries such as manufacturing and electronics. Yet, one cannot neglect the high expectations, and the huge investments that both the local Government and trans-national pharmaceutical companies have placed on this fledgling sphere. In due course, Singapore has high hopes of emerging as a promising area of biomedical research with a large pool of research professionals at the ready.

Currently, budding biomedical graduates have job opportunities into fields such as biomechanics, biomaterials, biofluids, bioelectronics and instrumentation, pharmacy and cellular engineering. In each of these fields there are greater diversifications, offering a large myriad of choices to graduates and job seekers alike. Some of these job scopes include developing on medical technologies such as the X-ray and MRI machines, arterial stunts, dialysis machines and prosthetic limbs. If one has a liking for a biological working background, he/she can look into working on improving and implementing synthetic skin grafts, refining chemotherapy, honing on artificial neutral implants and even joining the propitious domain of stem cell engineering. Moreover, with Singapore’s aggressive take on maturing the local biomedical industry, this laundry list of career prospects will definitely be revised to incorporate many other exhilarating vocations.

So worry nay fellow biomedical companions! The outlook of Singapore’s biomedical industry is sanguine and filled with anticipation. Allay your fears of being the last of the economic rat race, or accepting a job that you absolutely detest. Go career fairs with hope of getting that dream job you always wanted, grasp the latest updates of our growing biomedical industry with optimism, and embrace the opportunity to have been involved in biomedicine with pride. The future is now and the wait is over; the good news has arrived and it is certainly pleasant on the ears.