BioBiz 2009 Press Release
Monday, 30 March 2009 - Biobiz 2009 brings the biomedical industry to more than 500 attendees.
Giam Zhen Wei
zhenwei@biobiz.sg
More than 500 students and members of the public attended the annual biomedical conference onSaturday (28 March 2009), and had the chance to interact with the representatives from distinguished companies like Abbott Manufacturing Singapore, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Lonza, Schering-Plough, Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), Pfizer and Novartis.
The highlight of the event was the lunch networking session, where the attendees interacted with industry professionals. The companies also had the opportunity to showcase some of their profiles during the exhibition.
“The biomedical sciences industry continues to grow apace and is expected to contribute 900 positions this year. Besides core manufacturing functions, companies are looking to fill other positions in materials management, supply chain management, water treatment and plant maintenance,” said Ms Anna Chan, Assistant Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board. “Through the PREP-UP scheme, the EDB is working closely with companies to retain and enhance their manpower base.”
Despite the economic recession, career prospects in the biomedical industry remain positive. PMETs from various career and academic backgrounds were present, and many learnt more about the various segments in the biomedical industry through the panel discussions.
A research fellow in Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Dr Andrew Loh, said that the conference was an eye opener to lesser known aspects of the biomedical industry, such as its regulation by the government and the protection of intellectual property via patents.
Among the crowd were many mid-career professionals who were exploring the possibilities for a mid career switch. “There are similar aspects in the semiconductor industry and biomedical industry where I can put my engineering and technical skills to use,” said Mr Christopher Macatancy, 33, Engineering Assistant, Semiconductors Singapore.
The companies shared their expertise, offering attendees a holistic view of both the global andlocal biomedical scene. “The pharmaceutical industry is not so much affected by the recession itself, but the shape of the industry is changing and healthcare providers do want more value for their spending on medicines,” said Mr Chris Dobson, Vice President and Site Director, GlaxoSmithKline. He also added that the pharmaceutical market is still growing, thus providing an opportunity for further expansion.
With expansions in the research and development area, as well as the opening of several manufacturing plants, there is potential growth for the sector. Professor Chan Eng Soon, Dean of Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS) said, “Currently, we have several initiatives to groom engineers in the biomedical area. These include our BioEngineering programme, as well as specialisations in several other departments directed at biomedical needs.‘Engineering in Medicine’ is also one of our current thrusts in education and research.”
NUS is also revamping its Engineering curriculum to better meet the changing needs of the biomedical industry. “The Faculty of Engineering recently launched the Design-Centric Curriculum as an alternative learning pathway. A key feature is its problem-based approach organised around several design-centric themes, of which ‘Engineering in Medicine’ is again one of them. Students would learn in an environment that requires them to think outside the box as well as to apply systems thinking to tackle large-scale design and integration problems. They will work in teams to formulate creative solutions. Through interaction with industry, students will also pick up entrepreneurial skills that will stand them in good stead as leaders.” Prof Chan added.
Graduating students took the opportunity to understand and explore the possible career paths inthe biomedical industry.
Graduating student, Mr Thng Zhi Xiong, 25, Chemical Engineering, NUS, was drawn to the conference as he was curious about the biomedical field. “The biomedical industry appears to bevery small, but it is not. There are many global companies, and for the individual, there is great potential for growth as well as long term career prospects.”
The companies were divided into four distinct panels, namely the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, research commercialization sector, medical-technology manufacturing sector, and the intellectual property (IP) & regulatory affairs sector.
About BioBiz
BioBiz was started in 2006 by undergraduates from NUS and members of the Harvard Business School alumni with an objective in mind – to support the efforts of the biomedical industry by bridging biomedical companies and Singapore’s talented pool of tertiary graduates. This conference is organized by students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and supported by the Biopharmaceutical Manufacturers Advisory Council (BMAC) and the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).
