Nurturing science, Singapore-style

When some of the world's top scientists and policy-makers met in Kyoto recently, they gave Singapore high marks for creating a science-friendly environment that makes cutting-edge research possible.

TIRED and battle-weary, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi no doubt felt butterflies in his stomach as the final votes of the country's snap elections were counted out on Sept 11. Yet, poised as he was on the precipice of his career, he chose to spend those critical hours in the company of Nobel laureates, top scientists, policy-makers and opinion leaders from all over the world.

They were there for the second annual Science and Technology in Society forum at the invitation of Japan's former science and technology minister Koji Omi, a member of its House of Representatives.

Held in Kyoto, the forum has been called the scientific equivalent of Davos, the think-tank session of world leaders held annually in Switzerland.

The goal was to discuss the challenges facing mankind, and to explore the proper application of science and technology to address them. The aim - to ensure the survival of the human race.

'These issues have a global reach and cannot be solved by a single country,' Mr Koizumi told the 500-strong audience of scientists and policy-makers from over 60 countries. His words resonated with many.

Singapore a model
WHILE there was consensus on the key problems - such as the need for renewable energy sources, common international rules for bioethics, universal access to education and a global system for intellectual property rights - agreement on the best solutions was more elusive.

The concern was whether governments would be able to execute such large-scale plans. Would there be political will, scientific leadership and societal acceptance of the costs?

This was when another observation became progressively apparent: tiny Singapore was becoming a model for how science can provide solutions for problems confronting society.

Genome Institute of Singapore head Edison Liu told The Sunday Times: 'I truly believe that science and technology, if managed carefully, are the only solution to the problems of human expansion in the world.

'And Singapore is an example of how to do this, both for developing and developed countries.'
Professor Liu, an American, was director of the Division of Clinical Sciences at the US National Cancer Institute before he joined Singapore's biomedical efforts.

Take the example of infectious diseases that recognise no borders. While many countries are still grappling with how to combat the bird flu outbreaks threatening to turn into the next flu pandemic, Singapore already has detailed action plans in place, ranging from stockpiling drugs to being on standby to cull all fowl here.

It is also a regional leader in bird flu research, with companies and research institutes working to produce effective vaccines and diagnostic kits, to shore up defences against the disease.

Prof Liu was part of a Singapore contingent which included Professor John Wong, vice-president of research and life sciences at the National University of Singapore, Japanese-born cancer specialist Yoshiaki Ito of the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, and Singapore's biomedical sciences architect Philip Yeo.

No doubt, scientific efforts here are very young, and only time will tell if they will bear fruit. But the foundations - fair, transparent regulations, solid research infrastructure and an increasing pool of human talent - are being laid.

Delegates from larger nations noted the Singaporean signature of speed and efficiency with which it has addressed some of the problems being discussed. For example, the Republic was highlighted for its science-friendly stem cell regulations.

Embryonic stem cells show such promise because they can transform into any cell that an ailing body needs, and could potentially cure a host of debilitating diseases, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and cancer.

Emerging contenders
SINGAPORE and South Korea were touted as emerging contenders in such research, gaining a foothold in an area where traditional leaders such as the United States have fallen behind because of prohibitive restrictions.

Some openly marvelled at how life sciences had emerged with a flourish over the last few years.

'I believe biotechnology in Singapore is the centre of such research in Asia,' said Mr Omi, the forum's organiser. 'I have been very impressed with all that has been done.'

Mr Omi acted on his compliments: he recruited Mr Yeo to be a founding member of the forum, and was the championing force in Japan behind Singapore's most ambitious research tie-up yet - an extensive agreement between the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) and Japanese scientific giant Riken, with possible collaborations to develop anti-cancer drugs and cultivate screening methods and rapid diagnosis for infectious diseases.

Mr Yeo, A*Star's chairman, was a prominent figure at the Kyoto event. And at a plenary session he chaired, he was characteristically forthright when he declared that the most important assets were human.

'The key limiting factor to continued economic growth for all modern nations will be the availability of highly educated and trained science and technology human capital,' he said.

Finding the right human talent has been his preoccupation, and as bright young Singaporeans are being trained, the foreign stars of the scientific community here have made all the difference.

There is a reason why the same names currently representing science here are heard again and again. They have made it internationally, and they are now trying to help Singapore pull ahead.

Professor Yoshiyuki Sakaki, director of Riken's Genomic Sciences Centre, said that Singapore was brought to his attention when Prof Ito, one of Japan's top cancer researchers, moved here from the University of Kyoto with his research team three years ago. 'That was when a lot of us first recognised what was going on in Singapore,' he said.

He continued with the accolades by highlighting an ambitious initiative started 'under the great leadership' of Prof Liu last year, which has brought together hundreds of Asian scientists to paint a detailed genetic picture of Asia.

They hope that this collective effort to map out the genetic variations between races can form the basis for future studies seeking to understand why some people are more prone to diseases.
The Asian-centric nature of this initiative is novel. This project 'is going well, and it is a great model of how Asian scientists can collaborate', said Prof Sakaki.

There are also increasing signs that the Republic is gaining clout in this global scientific brotherhood. The Genome Institute of Singapore, for example, has already garnered more than $9 million in funding from international sources, including the US National Institutes of Health - well-known for its rigorous funding criteria.

Mr Yeo described one key strategy in attracting and retaining such talent: through 'the investment in physical infrastructure and establishing a total environment that is conducive to intellectual pursuits, and that is attractive and appealing'.

He has led the creation of the Biopolis, the $500 million complex in Buona Vista for biomedical research. Then there is the future Fusionpolis in Ayer Rajah, the multi-million-dollar complex that will house infocommunications and media research. Each was designed to encourage interdisciplinary and integrated research.

Indeed, he has done so much for local science and technology efforts that one scientist, on spotting him at the forum, jokingly referred to him as the 'secret leader of Singapore'.

And despite occasional controversies, the record is impressive. According to last year's National R&D Survey, there are 765 companies involved in research and development in Singapore, and more than $15 billion in revenue was reported from sales of their products or licensing of new technologies last year.

Output doubles
BIOMEDICAL manufacturing output has also doubled in just four years so that the 2005 target of $12 billion was surpassed last year, a year ahead of schedule.

Employment in biomedical manufacturing and R&D is booming, with 9,000 people employed in the industry last year, a figure which the Economic Development Board hopes to grow to 15,000 by 2015.

About two in three researchers in A*Star's public institutions are foreigners.

Since 1991, the Government has committed $12 billion to science and technology, over three five-year plans. But recognising the importance of putting more resources into shaping the economy through R&D, it will commit that figure over the next five years alone.

The Kyoto forum was a good place for Singapore to assess the plans of other nations.

Said the ever-practical Mr Yeo: 'We are the youngest member compared to other countries, and we are here to learn from the senior people.'

Having said that, it was as likely that other countries also learnt from Singapore.

Chang Ai-Lien
Think, The Sunday Times @ The Straits Times Interactive, 9 October 2005