Singapore ’s biomedical sciences industry contributes 4.1% of the nation’s GDP, manufacture about S$20 billion worth of medicines and medical devices, and employs more than 16,000 individuals.

Singapore ’s goal is to be a biomedical sciences hub in Asia, with SGD 25 billion in manufacturing output by 2015.

Singapore has invested heavily in infrastructure for biomedical sciences. Biopolis is an integrated biomedical research complex where the most cutting-edge research takes place. It houses private and public sector research institutions which build core capabilities in niche research areas including pharmaceuticals, genomics, cell and molecular biology, bio-processing, bio-informatics and bio-engineering. Next to Biopolis is Fusionopolis, where Singapore’s public sector research institutes specialising in physical sciences and engineering are located. The Biopolis is also located next to the National University Health System, one of the key academic medical centres in Singapore.

The integration of public sector and corporate laboratories allows for the cross-fertilisation of ideas and collaborative opportunities. Some public-private partnerships that have taken off include:

• GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals’ US$1.3 million investment in vaccine and process development with Singapore’s Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI)
• AstraZeneca’s collaboration with the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) and the National University Hospital (NUH) in pre-clinical and clinical development activities of anti-cancer compounds to build up AstraZeneca’s drug development capabilities in Asia
• Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN)’s partnership with European biotechs – Humalys SAS and Cytos Biotechnology Ltd – to develop antibodies for combating and managing viruses prevalent in Asia including hand, foot and mouth disease.
• Massachusetts-based biotech, FORMA Therapeutics’ collaboration with the Experimental Therapeutics Centre of Singapore (ETC) to co-discover novel therapeutics.

Having completed Phase I, the biomedical sciences initiative is now embarking on Phase II, which is to develop translational and clinical research in the next five years.

Read more about Singapore’s biomedical sciences industry here or click here to get the full story on Singapore’s Biomedical Sciences initiative.

Download industry factsheet.

Chemical Engineering

Fusion of engineering, physical sciences and life sciences, with mathematics and economics, to process raw materials into useful products. Possible job prospects in biomedical industry:

Lead Operations Technician
Lead, supervise and train team of Technicians to render technical support at various production stages and units, to ensure that all production, quality and operational targets of the plant are achieved

Process Engineer
Develop, manage and improve manufacturing processes in production facility

Food Technologist
Provide technical support to manufacturing operations and manage new product introductions to markets

Lab Specialist
Involvement in laboratory maintenance, activities and projects

Electrical Engineering

Creative and innovative application of mathematical and scientific principles (electricity, magnetism and light) to the creation of products, services and technology. Possible job prospects in biomedical industry:

Manufacturing Electrical Engineer
Responsible for developing, modifying and maintaining manufacturing line, and to provide overall technical support, advice and direction to production groups engaged in the manufacturing and testing

Packaging Technician
Operation, monitoring and maintenance of packing equipment and plant

Engineering Technician
Provides technical support for the areas of process control, packaging automation, recipe maintenance, validation and projects, and assists in technical training

Technical Support Engineer – Medical Equipment
Engineer required to do installation, preventive maintenance and breakdown repairs for various types of medical equipment, for example Patient Monitors, ECG machines, Stress Testing Systems and Defibrillators

Mechanical Engineering

Design, manufacturing and utilisation of mechanical devices, machines and energy conversion systems. Possible job prospects in biomedical industry:

Mechanical Technicians
Provide engineering support for production activities, operating the site utility systems and carrying out preventive and breakdown maintenance on process equipment and site facilities

Packaging Technician
Operation, monitoring and maintenance of packing equipment and plant

Engineer (Instrumentation)
Conceptualisation, development and assembly of new devices and modules

Manufacturing Technical Specialist
Monitoring, optimizing, validating and troubleshooting protein fermentation and purification processes and cleaning processes

Life Sciences

Training in biological and biomedical sciences, including related technology and business elements. Possible job prospects in biomedical industry:

Quality Associate – Bioassay
Conduct anti-viral potency testing and biochemistry testing on semi-finished drugs and stability samples, participate in bioassay method transfer, equipment qualification and laboratory study activities

Process Engineer
Develop, manage and improve manufacturing processes that produce Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and ensure that high-quality products are produced safely and efficiently through chemical synthesis

Virus & Mycoplasma Specialist
Performs laboratory testing on marketed products for lot release as well as general viral screening assays on production cell structure fluids in accordance with company’s quality standards and procedures

Microbiologist
Involved in the nutrition plant microbiology laboratory activities, including sample collection, microbiological testing, identification of test isolates, pathogenic bacterial screening media and reagent preparation, conducting microbiological testing and performing microbiological assays on products

Cardiac/Echo Technician
Performs various cardiac investigations and procedures such as electrocardiograms, treadmill stress test, tilt test, echocardiograms, angiograms and catheterisations

Pharmacy

Acquire knowledge ranging from the properties and actions of medications for the prevention and treatment of diseases, to the technology and science behind the production of health products. Possible job prospects in biomedical industry:

Process Development Engineer
Provide support in activities relevant to process development and manufacturing support, conduct process validations, lead process improvements, as well as scale up and justify projects

Pharmacy Technician
Dispensing of prescription drugs and other medical devices

Bioengineering

Integration of engineering principles, biomedical sciences and clinical practice, to improve human health. Possible job prospects in biomedical industry:

The bioengineering discipline represents a large variety of skill set to allow for any of the previously mentioned job prospects.

By Reico Wong | mypaper – Wed, 29 February 2012

Individuals with niche skills and who are looking for engineering, information-technology (IT) and sales and marketing jobs in the commerce sector this year are likely to see strong job prospects and high salary increases, even as the general job-market outlook here remains cautiously optimistic.

Continued growth in these areas is less directly affected by the global economic uncertainty, said human-resource consultancy Robert Walters.

The firm yesterday revealed the findings of its latest annual recruitment-trend and salary-level survey, which is in its 13th edition.

Miss Andrea Ross, managing director of Robert Walters, noted that commerce companies hired a large number of experienced professionals last year, in line with their growth strategies, and that the trend is likely to continue this year.

More of such talents may be hired specifically within the oil and gas, chemicals, energy, pharmaceutical and industrial sectors, she said.

Engineering job opportunities, for example, are expected to come up within the chemical, pharmaceutical and fast-moving consumer-goods industries. The reason is that projects implemented in 2010 are set for maturity or completion within this year or next.

Hiring for engineering positions could increase by about 3 to 5 per cent this year, outside of replacements, said Mr Wayne Gay, a senior consultant for Engineering, Chemicals and Process Automation at Robert Walters.

Workers with chemical, mechanical or electrical backgrounds and strong technical skill sets, particularly in the areas of design, tenders, proposals, service maintenance and project management, are expected to be in high demand.

They could see a 15 to 20 per cent pay increase if they were to switch companies, and receive an actual salary increment of between 10 and 15 per cent.

Similarly, individuals with deeper knowledge of and maturity in IT skills are likely to receive better job offers. Their pay could rise as much as 15 to 20 per cent if they were to switch companies, and increase by 15 per cent in terms of actual increment.

Hiring levels for IT jobs are forecast to remain stable this year, on the whole.

Individuals with specialised skills related to sales and marketing within the consumer segment can expect the biggest pay increments this year. While new hires within the field are expected to stem mainly from replacements, professionals can achieve a raise of between 20 and 30 per cent if they have niche in-depth knowledge.

Ms Patricia Tan, a senior consultant for Sales and Marketing at Robert Walters, noted that such jobs in the banking and finance sector this year are more likely to stem from local banks. Foreign banks had completed the bulk of their hires last year, she said.

She added: “Individuals who have the skill sets to fill analytics and portfolio-management positions are most likely to see the highest pay rise, as such talents are few.

“Those with previous experience in the retail and travel industry will be more highly demanded, as banks are increasingly targeting high net-worth consumers when they travel.”

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.

By Clarence Chen & Chua Yini | Yahoo! Newsroom – Wed, 8 February 2012

Despite residing in a first world country, many Singaporeans are worried about the declining economy, especially with regard to their job prospects.

Employers in Singapore seem to be taking it slow when it comes to hiring new workers, as shown by recent trends in career fairs at local universities.

In addition, a recent global survey by research firm Nielsen revealed that consumer confidence in Singapore is at a two year low with a score of 94.

According to the survey, scores below a baseline of 100 indicate pessimism. Singapore is ranked in tenth place out of fourteen in the Asia Pacific region, ahead of only New Zealand, Taiwan, Japan and Korea.

However, Singaporeans like Jacqueline Ang, a business administration student at the National University of Singapore (NUS), are more worried about their job prospects.

Said the 22-year-old, “I’m worried about the job market, not so much about the economy in the GDP-sense, because I trust that the government will make sure our economy keeps going, (I’m) more worried about the job opportunities in the banking and finance industry, with the euro zone crisis and all.”

Muhammad Zaki, a development officer, echoed her view. Said the 25-year-old, “I don’t think the economy is the main worry. It’s the job opportunities.”

He added that the decline in job prospects is exacerbated by the influx of immigrants, who compete with Singaporeans for jobs.

On the other hand, year three Nanyang Technological University (NTU) student Chia Wee Keat remains optimistic. Said the 24-year-old, “I think that even though the economy may be bad, we can still find opportunities in the market.”

To him, the current economic situation is ideal for investment.

“People are using bad times as an excuse not to find jobs, save money and invest,” he added.

Similarly, NUS student Lee Gin Min remains hopeful about the future.

“I haven’t started looking for a job yet, I’m not sure how bad the market is. As a student I don’t really fell how bad or good the economy is,” said the 24-year-old.

According to the Nielsen survey, which polled more than 28,000 consumers in 56 countries in the last two months of last year, 55 per cent of Singaporeans are concerned about their future job prospects.

Also, 26 per cent rated the economy as their top worry, while 23 per cent cited job security as their main concern.

Job fars at NTU and NUS showed Singaporeans may have reason to worry over jobs.

The jobs available at NTU’s annual career fair on Tuesday plunged to 3,000 from 4,500 the year before.

This was despite that a record 221 employers participated in this year’s fair.

The same trend was observed in NUS career fair this year, as the average number of jobs offered per employer declined from 29.17 in 2011 to 28.97 in 2012.

Said Mr Loh Pui Wah, director of NTU Career and Attachment Office, “In view of the economic uncertainty in 2012, employers may be more cautious and therefore conservative in their hiring numbers compared to 2011.”

Chief Operating Officer of JobsCentral, Michelle Lim, agreed that more employers are “exercising caution” when it comes to hiring due to an unstable economy.

“So while hiring of fresh graduates is still an important part of talent pipeline planning, they may hire less than before,” she said.

(Source: Straits Times Recruit, 19 March 2011)

Singapore has long since maintained its respectable position on the world map of the life sciences industry. Even though in the last decade, China’s emergence in this field proved to be a threat to Singapore’s prominence in Asia, the country has shored up its position with renewed investments in its infrastructure and the industry itself.

The biomedical industries in Singapore have become an integral part of the country’s overall economy and investment strategy. As of now, it continues to grow with both indigenous and international companies. Most of these companies are impressed by the strong government support and excellent infrastructure the country has to offer. The center of life sciences research and development is the newly built, state-of-the-art Biopolis at One-North, Buona Vista.

Over 100 global life sciences companies use Singapore to conduct research and state-of-the-art manufacturing operations. GlaxosmithKline, a global pharmaceutical giant, has invested over S$1 billion in new plants and research facilities in Singapore.

In Singapore, a lot of students see careers beyond life sciences research as viable alternatives as more and more multi-national companies such as Novartis and Pfizer are setting up plants in Singapore, requiring large number of managers, product developers, marketers and non-research-based personnel to manage their operations.

Given that these existing companies and many more seek to tap our island-state as a base in Asia to further business expansion and innovation for the region, Singapore is an excellent position to capitalize on future opportunities in the industry. Hence it is safe to be bullish on our island- state’s prospects in the life sciences.

Though the US initially ruled the industry, many other countries that have shown technological advancement and great potential for the medical technology market in the recent past have dived in thereby broadening the ecosystem of medical technology innovation. Among these countries is Singapore. It is safe to claim that Singapore has to its advantage, an ever-growing market demand, powerful financial incentives, a supportive regulatory system in place, and an encouraging investment community.

Towards the end of 2009, the government took up a promising initiative by
injecting about 36m $ into med technology research. Most of the money pumped in helped facilitate a collaboration between The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and CIMIT (Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology) in Boston, USA. This significant step marks Singapore’s drive “to enhance the to enhance the environment for growing the medical technology industry as part of the drive to transform Singapore into a knowledge-based innovation-driven economy.”

This significant alliance goes on to prove that our small island-state does not want to stop with being a global business and financial hub. It’s interest in making confident forays into the med tech sector shows that it is also vying to become the leader in creating medically relevant applications that benefit patients worldwide.  Singapore with its recent progress in biomedical and clinical research and its excellent existing strengths in engineering is ripe for more exciting opportunities in medical technology innovation and the subsequent creation of high-level and high-skill jobs in the market.

Be a part of this up-and-coming hub in the making. Be a part of the next generation of medical technology innovators in Asia.

Then you might find your calling in the pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing industry which develops and produces a variety of medicinal and other health-related products. In recent times, it has been consistently rated as one of the fastest growing industries stocked with challenges and opportunities.

The first stage in pharmaceutical manufacturing involves the development of an active ingredient or drug and the second stage oversees the conversion of the ingredients into final drugs suitable for consumers.

Many new pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals are expected to be in the pipeline what with promising advances in the field of biotechnology. Several recent developments in the manufacturing process are also positively impacting the industry’s growth. Earlier, the focus of the manufacturers used to be primarily be on new drug discovery and development but with the changing times, firms are increasingly realizing the importance of effecting quality improvements in the processes by being continually updated with the latest technologies and methods. The tools required to design effective and efficient manufacturing processes are easily available today.

More and more countries have discovered the potential for pharmaceuticals to give a boost to their economies. Singapore is definitely not far behind in this race. The country over the last few decades has remained committed in establishing world-class facilities and capabilities that entice companies to carry out the drug development and discovery processes here. Over years it has forged excellent strategic partnerships with global pharmaceutical companies like Lonza, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline and Genentech that have made significant investments in setting up major biologics facilities in our island city-state.

Singapore has propelled forward in this rapidly growing industry with a considerable amount of government support. The pharmaceutical industry is known to be the most prominent sector of the biomedical sciences industry in this country, the others being the medical device, and biotechnology sectors and the healthcare services. Pharmaceutical manufacturing and research and development now represent an important pillar of Singapore’s economic growth.

Services offered by CROs include: product development, formulation and manufacturing; clinical trial management (preclinical through phase IV); clinical, medical and safety monitoring; preclinical, toxicology, and clinical laboratory services for processing trial samples; data management , biostatistics and medical writing services for preparation of an FDA New Drug Application (NDA).

Major players in this industry include Quintiles (who will be speaking at BioBiz 2010), PPD and many more.

The CRO industry is a rapidly growing one. Industry analysers IMS Health and BCC Research estimate that the global pharmaceutical market will grow at about a 5% rate in 2009 to over $820 billion and be worth over $1 trillion by 2013 . Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the US spent approximately $59 billion on R&D in 2007, which equates to roughly 18% of their sales and is a 5% increase from the previous year.

A significant portion of R&D budgets are used for the outsourcing services offered by the CRO industry, approximately $15 billion in 2007. This figure is expected to grow at 15% over the next seven years and should increase further with the broadening of the spectrum of services outsourced to cover the entire value chain. As outsourced services in developing countries such as China and India move up the value chain to cover phase 1/2 trials, the total contracts value may go up to $20 billion by 2010.

Are you ready for an exciting career in the CRO industry? Sign up now for BioBiz 2010!

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contract_research_organization