Biopharma showcase held to attract more S'poreans to sector

Close to 1,800 students and job seekers got a closer look at the fast-growing biopharmaceutical industry yesterday, as part of efforts to attract more Singaporeans to the sector.

Through a virtual exhibition, participants took part in tours of manufacturing facilities where they engaged with industry leaders.

The likes of multinational giants GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer Asia Manufacturing and Novartis Singapore Pharmaceutical Manufacturing were among the firms from the Biopharmaceutical Manufacturers' Advisory Council (BMAC) that, along with industrial landlord JTC Corporation, organised the virtual Biopharma Industry Day.

The biomedical sector is key to Singapore's Manufacturing 2030 plan, which seeks to grow manufacturing by 50 per cent this decade. Some 25,000 workers are employed in the sector, which contributed almost 18 per cent of the Republic's manufacturing gross domestic product last year.

The sector has a pipeline of good job opportunities, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said in a speech yesterday, noting that almost 800 openings were offered by more than 60 biomedical firms in the past 12 months.

These are for roles such as biotechnologists, automation engineers and microbiologists to meet higher demand for new treatments such as cell therapy.

Among locals in the industry is Mr Chia Renjie, associate shift manager in downstream processing at Novartis, who works with his colleagues in purifying materials to produce the final drug substance.

Since joining the industry in 2015, the 33-year-old has seen how the industry has grown.

He cites attach-and-train opportunities for university graduates and mid-career job seekers as well as increased work experience opportunities as examples of how it has become easier to enter the sector.

Lonza Singapore quality assurance specialist in cell and gene therapy Emily Tan, 28, said her job involves hands-on work such as planning product releases and reviewing manufacturing batch records.

"Knowing that my work has a direct impact on the lives of millions of patients gives me a good sense of accomplishment," she added.

Mr Chan said Singapore has made good progress in developing capabilities and skills in the biopharma sector, and it now has over 60 manufacturing facilities across a wide range of products, including drug products and bulk active pharmaceutical ingredients.

The 280ha Tuas Biomedical Park has about 7,000 employees across 13 global biopharma companies, with other large players such as Sanofi expected to enter.

The industrial park is being enhanced this year, to make it more conducive for workers and firms.

JTC has partnered the National Parks Board and BMAC companies on a tree-planting initiative to enhance the estate greenery and environmental sustainability. The first phase of tree planting, which started in March, will be completed by July. Over $100,000 in donations from companies in the estate have been committed to the initiative so far.

Number of workers employed in Singapore's biomedical sector.

What the sector contributed to manufacturing GDP last year.

Mr Chan noted that besides the large global players, Singapore also has an ecosystem of local enterprises that are pioneering developments in the biomedical space.

As an example, he cited biotech firm Hummingbird Bioscience, which is in the process of developing an antibody therapy to contribute to the medical options to combat Covid-19.

Efforts are ongoing to support local talent to capture opportunities in the growing biopharma manufacturing industry, the minister added, such as through professional conversion programmes.