Panel Beta: Research Commercialization
0930-1030
“Bridging the gap from Mind to Market”
In this panel, we strive to provide you with a better understanding of the research commercialization process: starting from the identification of a research with potential commercial interest to its eventual development. At the same time, we aim to showcase the opportunities and challenges faced in the current economic climate. Through this panel, we hope that you will be more informed on the career opportunities available from biomedical science to business ventures and better plan your career path.
Discussion Topics
- How to leverage on Singapore’s scientific research strategy for clinical commercialization to address the unmet medical needs in the emerging market?
- Case study: Biomedical ventures and spin-offs.
- Strategic approaches to kickstart research commercialization into product development.
- Sourcing for funds to commercialize research.
- Opportunities and challenges in translating bench discoveries into bedside application.
- Possible collaborations between academic researches with the industry players in technology transfer to heighten growth of TCR.
- Key milestones achieved in conducting translational clinical research (TCR) in Singapore.
- Will undergraduates be able to play a part in this area of workforce? To assume one role in the long chain of commercialization process? Or to spur innovation in technology transfer and biomedical start-ups?
Panel Chair
Walter Lee
Senior Vice President & Fellow
Exploit-Technologies(A*STAR)
Head, Technology Transfer Network (TTN) Secretariat
Walter Lee heads the Planning, Innovation Networks and Enterprise Division at Exploit-Technologies, the marketing and commercialization arm of A*STAR. He co-authored the book “Inventions that $ell” and is a member of the A*STAR Innovation and Enterprise Secretariat.
He is concurrently holding the appointment of Head of the Technology Transfer Network (TTN) Secretariat, an alliance of tech transfer organizations committed to accelerating the transfer of technologies to the industries. He is also Head of the Angels Investment Management (AIM) program and is a Board member of the Business Angels Network South East Asia. He is on the Exco of the HP Alumni and the NTU Alumni Club.
Walter holds adjunct and consulting roles at NTU, NUS and SMU and has more than 20 years of experience in management of technology in the high-tech industries.
He was on the IDC worldwide Consulting Management Board as the Vice President and Head of the Asia/Pacific Consulting/Custom Research. He was also heading the SMB and Channels, Alliances, Partnership Research units at IDC. He has been an engaged as a consultant to various government agencies in Asia/Pacific and global MNCs.
At Singapore Airlines, Walter was the Vice President and Head of the E-Commerce Center that is responsible for all the e-initiatives.
Speakers
Dr Muhammad Tani bin Tabiin
Vice President, Biomedical Sciences Division
Exploit Technologies Pte Ltd (A*STAR, Technology Transfer Unit)
Dr Muhammad Tani Tabiin is the Vice President of the Biomedical Sciences Division, Exploit Technologies Pte Ltd. Exploit is the strategic marketing and technology commercialisation arm of the Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR). He leads a team of 16 Commercialisation Officers who are responsible for the commercialization of A*STAR’s Biomedical technologies generated by the 14 A*STAR research institutes. The Biomedical Sciences Division in collaboration with other ETPL Divisions also provides technology management services such as intellectual property filing and management, technology and commercial intelligence, managing incubation and spin-off companies, and providing legal advice to A*STAR research institutes.
Prior to joining ETPL, Dr Tabiin had a balanced career spanning 17 years in academia as well as in the industry. He held research positions at Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He also held product development positions at Genelabs Diagnostics and Merck.
Dr Michael Entzeroth
Senior Vice President
Experimental Therapeutic Center (A*STAR)
Dr Michael Entzeroth is currently the Senior Vice President of ETC (A*STAR). He brings to ETC industry experience in drug development. Prior to joining ETC, he was Chief Scientific Officer of S*BIO Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based biotech company focused on oncology drug discovery and development. Before that, he was Vice President of CEREP SA in France where he was a member of the Executive Management Committee and was responsible for the company’s pharmacology service and discovery activities. From 1985 to 1999, he was with Boehringer Ingelheim Germany , where he was responsible for a variety of drug discovery programmes, and Head of High Throughput Screening.. Over the years he has succeeded in bringing a number of drugs into clinical development and to the market. Michael Entzeroth is also the founder of Pharma Resources Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore, a specialised consulting company for the pharmaceutical industry.
Mr Theodore Tan
Managing Director
Dyamed Biotech Pte Ltd
Mr Theodore Tan is a Managing Director of Dyamed Biotech Pte Ltd, which was established in 1998. He manages this medical and diagnostic equipment distribution company with offices in Singapore and Malaysia. He graduated with a degree in commerce and in his early career he worked for 15 years in the banking industry. Mr Theodore Tan also has two years of experience as a Vice President, Business Development for a Global Banking Software House.
He headed Dyamed Biotech since 2004 and successfully launched novel Biochemical markers, among others. In a collaboration with SG Meditech, he has developed and patented a novel medical device; Intraperitoneal Hyperthermia for the treatment of Peritoneal Carcinoma. SG Meditech has recently completed the licensing of the Umbilical Cord Blood Collection (UCBC) device from NUS Enterprise. The UCBC is a new medical device which greatly enhances the collection of cord blood from the Placenta. Through SG Molecular Diagnostics, he recently completed the licensing of the Microkit Platform from IBN/Astar. The Microkit Platform automates laboratory processing in the field of Molecular Diagnostics.