More than 1,600 jobs to be created

It was a vital sector that buoyed up manufacturing in a troubled 2009, and drew $1.2 billion in total fixed asset investment as well as $700 million in total business spending for Singapore in the midst of a global downturn.

Now, poised to grow between 5 and 10 per cent this year, the biomedical science sector also promises to create more than 1,600 jobs once these commitments are fully implemented.

The catch? The bulk of positions at the senior level will likely go to foreigners, as the Republic continues to grapple with the need for more experienced and qualified local talent.

According to the Economic Development Board (EDB), the sector's manufacturing output grew 2.5 per cent to some $21 billion last year in spite of the recession. This is more than triple the output in 2000.

Singapore's biomedical industry employs more than 13,000 people, and recruitment has increased over the past two years, according to analysts: Executive search firm ScienTec Consulting reported a 65-per-cent increase in senior management hires.

About half of the latter are foreigners, said ScienTec's managing director Karen Tok. "Lack of talent with both leadership and specialised biomedical sciences background such as in pharmaceutical, medical and scientific areas are the main reasons that companies look for talent from countries like Australia, Europe and the United States," she said.

While local talents may have the skills, they do not have the 20 years of experience required of some senior positions, as Singapore's biomedical sector has only grown over the last five years, Ms Tok added. Also required of senior managers these days is international exposure and commercial experience.

The problem is less severe at the junior level, where two to three years' experience is the norm and 20 per cent of hires are foreigners, Ms Tok said.

One problem that has surfaced in the past has been the shortage of PhD qualifications, needed in most research positions. Last month, a subcommittee of the Economic Strategies Committee noted that Singapore has about 1.5 PhD holders per 1,000 in the labour force, and only 35 per cent of the PhDs in local universities are citizens or permanent residents.

The job opportunities, nevertheless, are there to be had, for those with the qualifications.

Biomedical job postings on online portal JobsDB total 1,013 at the senior, middle and entry level positions, for professionals, managers, engineers, scientists and research engineers. Big advertisers include Zuellig Pharma, Astra-Zeneca and SingHealth.

Some of the big commitments made last year included Quintiles Transnational, which planned to double its presence here to more than 500; Roche, which opened a $699 million biologic manufacturing site; and Medtronic, which sank $80 million in a plant here and expects to hire more than 100 staff in two years.

To meet demand for clinical researchers, the EDB has partnered companies like Quintiles to launch training positions for Singapore residents keen on joining the sector; while the Workforce Development Agency has been developing a specialist track for clinical research professionals by the second quarter.

The industry, however, is not without head winds. In the past year, for instance, biomedical firm Rockeby announced the liquidation of its subsidiaries here, citing restructuring plans to better manage its finances.

There is also the brewing competition in the biomedical sectors of India, China and Malaysia, said DBS Group Research economist Irvin Seah. But these should not pose a big concern, he said; as the industry matures, it is natural that new players will enter while others exit.

While countries like the US have a longer history, track record and intellectual property, Singapore should remain attractive given the strong government support, vibrant business environment and infrastructure it offers biomedical companies. "At the end of the day, it is a very human capital-intensive industry - and the fact that we are able to attract global talent is a sign of the strength we have," Mr Seah said.

While the biomedical sector is likely to moderate due to over-capacity in the pharmaceutical industry, the EDB is confident it will meet its output target of $25 billion by 2015. Medical technology is seen as the likely growth segment.

More than 4,300 researchers are carrying out biomedical sciences R&D in 50 companies and 30 public-sector institutes that expend more than S$1 billion each year in R&D.

- TODAY newspaper

1,000 highly skilled jobs

MORE than 1,000 highly skilled jobs will open up when the six biologics plants being implemented are fully operational here, said Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

These jobs will appeal to both fresh graduates and mid-career professionals from related sectors such as the chemicals, electronics and processing sectors.

'Singaporeans will have the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth sector, at the frontiers of science and technology, manufacturing cutting-edge and globally trusted medicines for patients around the world,' said Mr Tharman at the opening of Roche Singapore manufacturing plant at Tuas Medical Park on Tuesday morning, its first biologics facility in Asia.

Mr Tharman said the increased efficacy of biologics-based treatments will result in a surge in demand for manufacturing capacity in the coming years, and Singapore has built up the key capabilities and resources needed to meet the needs of companies in the industry.

In the last four years, leading companies have invested about US$2 billion to set up six commercial-scale manufacturing plants here.

'This is a strong endorsement of the foundation we have laid for cutting-edge biomedical manufacturing, leveraging on the availability of skilled manpower, bioprocessing capabilities and strong base of engineering services companies,' added the minister.

- The Straits Times

900 new biomed jobs

DESPITE facing challenges from the slowing global economy, the biomedical sector will create 900 new jobs this year as companies go ahead with their expansion plans here.
These include firms such as Wyeth, Abbott, GSK Bio, Schering Plough and Perkin Elmer, Minister of Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang said in Parliament on Monday.

To date, 11 of the world's top pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have already invested in more than 25 manufacturing facilities in Singapore, with another seven new plants set to open in the next three years.

'We are confident that more will come to Singapore so that they can reach out to the Asian market more effectively,' said Mr Lim. 'Demand for effective medicines will continue to grow because people become more affluent and people age.'

Singapore should also 'prepare for the upturn' by entering new niches, such as medical technology and biologics, which are complex molecules derived from cells of mammals, bacteria and yeast.

Biologics in particular is expected to grow at 13 per cent a year, compared to just 0.9 per cent for the traditional pharmaceutical market, Mr Lim said.

- The Straits Times