PHILADELPHIA, June 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The demand for research laboratories at Singapore’s Biopolis, a purpose-built biomedical R&D hub, has been so strong that development of Phase II is already underway less than two years after Biopolis opened. Phase I with two million square feet of space is over 90 per cent occupied. Phase II will start with two new buildings providing an additional 400,000 square feet of space to house the R&D operations of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
“The overwhelming demand for space at Biopolis leading to the accelerated Phase II development, signals the exponential growth of the biomedical sciences R&D community in Singapore. It bears testimony to Singapore’s success in building a world-class R&D environment,” said Mr Yeoh Keat Chuan, Deputy Director, Biomedical Sciences Group of the Singapore Economic Development Board.
“The nucleus of top scientific talent who work at Biopolis, supported by advanced infrastructure and services, is paving the way for world-class drug discovery, clinical development and translational research activities in Singapore,” Mr Yeoh added.
Mr Chong Lit Cheong, CEO of JTC Corporation, the developer of Biopolis, added: “The demand from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for Phase II is expected to be equally high, as companies are attracted by the ability to conduct world-class science in Singapore. We expect more blue chip companies to follow the lead set by heavyweights like GSK, Novartis and the 15 other companies that have established R&D facilities at Biopolis.”
Advanced infrastructure
Companies are eager to take advantage of the shared facilities at Biopolis, where researchers are able to access state-of-the-art scientific infrastructure and specialised services. These include DNA sequencing, proteomics, nuclear magnetic resonance, flow cytometry, x-ray crystallography, histology, confocal microscopy, microarrays and others. As a result, companies are able to cut R&D costs significantly and accelerate product development. In addition, there are conference facilities and meeting rooms as well as centralised laboratory support services including media preparation, lab supplies and glassware washing.
“The Biopolis Shared Facilities (BSF) provides economies of scale and operational efficiencies to the tenants at Biopolis. It is no surprise that we have seen a strong demand for these core scientific services,” said Professor Ren Ee Chee, Director of BSF and Deputy Director of the Genome Institute of Singapore. “70 per cent of the services at BSF are already operational and we are making plans to accelerate the development of the remaining 30 per cent which is scheduled to begin in Q3, 2005. We are also currently looking to add new services which will be needs driven”
Nucleus for top scientific talent
The Biopolis has also been pivotal in attracting and anchoring scientific talent. Scientists, researchers and post-doctoral fellows are moving to Singapore, eager to be part of a thriving international research community. More than 2,000 scientists work at the Biopolis currently. This number will grow to 4,000 when Phase II is fully completed.
Luminaries currently working at the Biopolis include: * Dr Edison Liu, Executive Director of the Genome Institute of Singapore, who was the former Director of Clinical Sciences at the US National Cancer Institute; * Dr Sir David Lane, Executive Director of the Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology and founder of Scottish biotech company, Cyclacel; * Dr Alan Colman, CEO of ES Cell International, who was formerly from UK- based PPL Therapeutics; * Dr Alex Matter, Director of the Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, who led the development of Novartis’s cancer therapeutic, Gleevec; * Dr Axel Ullrich, currently heading the Singapore Onco Genome Laboratory, is from Germany’s Max Planck Institute and founder of numerous biotech companies including Sugen and U3. Manufacturing and Tuas Biomedical Park
Apart from Biopolis, JTC has also developed the 183-ha Tuas Biomedical Park (TBP) located at the westernmost tip of Singapore. TBP is designed to cater to pharmaceuticals and biologics manufacturers. It has attracted some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, Wyeth, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novartis and Ciba Vision. To support the growth of the biomedical manufacturing sector in Singapore, JTC has embarked on masterplanning and infrastructure development of TBP II, which will provide an additional 188 ha for the industry.
About the Biomedical Sciences Group, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB BMSG)
The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) is the lead agency that plans and executes strategies to develop Singapore as a compelling global hub for business and investment. It enables multinational and Singapore-based companies to establish value-creating operations in both the manufacturing and internationally tradeable services sectors.
The EDB Biomedical Sciences Group (EDB BMSG) is responsible for the development of the Biomedical Sciences industry. The BMSG works closely with A*STAR’s Biomedical Research Council (BMRC), Bio*One Capital and other agencies to develop human, intellectual, and industrial capital in Singapore, in support of the Biomedical Sciences industry. For more information, please visit http://www.biomed-singapore.com
For more information, please contact: Sarah Chapin Ruder Finn Ph: + 1 212 593 6393 E: chapin@ruderfinn.com Daphne Teo Ruder Finn Asia Ph: +65 9437 8070 E: teod@ruderfinnasia.com
Singapore Economic Development Board
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CONTACT: For more information, please contact: Sarah Chapin of Ruder Finn,+1-212-593-6393, chapin@ruderfinn.com, or Daphne Teo of Ruder Finn Asia,+65-9437-8070, teod@ruderfinnasia.com
Web site: http://www.biomed-singapore.com/
