L'Oreal's Advanced Research Center in Singapore Opens in Biopolis
2. IMB’s expertise in skin biology research, together with the ethnically diverse population in Singapore, complements L’Oréal’s interest in understanding human skin diversity. This sparked off IMB’s first partnership with L’Oréal in 2010, which aimed to reconstruct Asian skin from cultured cells. After encouraging results from this project, L’Oréal Research & Innovation (R&I) decided to open an Advanced Research Centre in Biopolis, which currently houses eight scientists. They are now expanding their collaborations with IMB, BMRC’s Skin Biology Cluster Platform and beyond to the biomedical research community in Biopolis and Singapore.
3. “We are more than happy with the results we are getting with IMB and thanks to the local scientific and technological expertise in Singapore, we have extended our range and network of collaborations and widened the new center’s field of research to “Skin biology”, said Stéphane Ortiz, head of L’Oréal’s Asia R&I. “There are talented young scientists in Singapore, professors from around the world and a variety of laboratories, research institutions, start-ups, universities of all sizes and disciplines. These are ideal situations for converting scientific concepts into prototypes for products or evaluation methods. Without doubt, Singapore offers an outstanding environment for piloting science-driven innovation.”
4. Prof Birgitte Lane, Executive Director of IMB, said: “We are very excited about the L’Oréal research center in IMB as L’Oréal is a global brand that is committed to advancing skin science for the benefit of skin care. This will allow us to tap on each other’s strengths, to better understand Asian skin, which will bring many applications, from personal care to healthcare solutions. We welcome L’Oréal into the lively scientific community at Biopolis. They join a growing number of companies bringing their research into Biopolis, and will strengthen the healthy cluster of public-private open research partnerships that is developing here.”
AGENCY FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH (A*STAR) and L'OREAL
For media queries and clarifications, please contact:
Ong Siok Ming (Ms)
Senior Officer, Corporate Communications
Agency for Science, Technology and Research
Tel: (+65) 6826 6254
Mobile : (+65) 9733 7434
Email: ong_siok_ming@a-star.edu.sg
Tracy Khoo (Ms)
L’Oréal Singapore
Tel: (+65) 6233 0836
Email: TKHOO@sg.loreal.com
Kelvyn Foo (Mr)
L’Oréal Singapore
Tel: (+65) 6339 2883
Mobile: (+65) 9004 6982
Email: kelvyn.foo@huntington.com.sg
Patricia Pineau (Ms)
L’Oréal R&I
Tel: (+33) 1 4756 4404
Email: ppineau@rd.loreal.com
About the Institute of Medical Biology (IMB)
IMB is one of the Biomedical Sciences Institutes of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). It was formed in 2007, the 7th and youngest of the BMRC Research Institutes, with a mission to study mechanisms of human disease in order to discover new and effective therapeutic strategies for improved quality of life. From 2011, IMB also hosts the inter-research institute Skin Biology Cluster platform.
IMB has 20 research teams of international excellence in stem cells, genetic diseases, cancer and skin and epithelial biology, and works closely with clinical collaborators to target the challenging interface between basic science and clinical medicine. Its growing portfolio of strategic research topics is targeted at translational research on the mechanisms of human diseases, with a cell-to-tissue emphasis that can help identify new therapeutic strategies for disease amelioration, cure and eradication.
For more information about IMB, please visit www.imb.a-star.edu.sg.
About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore's lead public sector agency that fosters world-class scientific research and talent to drive economic growth and transform Singapore into a vibrant knowledge-based and innovation driven economy.
In line with its mission-oriented mandate, A*STAR spearheads research and development in fields that are essential to growing Singapore’s manufacturing sector and catalysing new growth industries. A*STAR supports these economic clusters by providing intellectual, human and industrial capital to its partners in industry.
A*STAR oversees 20 biomedical sciences and physical sciences and engineering research entities, located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis as well as their vicinity. These two R&D hubs house a bustling and diverse community of local and international research scientists and engineers from A*STAR’s research entities as well as a growing number of corporate laboratories.
For more information about A*STAR, please visit www.a-star.edu.sg.
About L'Oréal
L’Oreal, the world’s leading cosmetics company, has catered to all forms of beauty in the world for over 100 years and has built an unrivalled portfolio of 27 international, diverse and complementary brands. With sales amounting to 20.3 billion euros in 2011, L’Oréal is present in 130 countries and employs 68,900 people. Regarding sustainable development, Corporate Knights, a Global Responsible Investment Network, has selected L'Oréal for its 2012 ranking of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World. L'Oréal has received this distinction for the 5th consecutive year.
www.loreal.com