Singapore’s biologics manufacturing set for enhancement with BioNTech joining the BioPIPS consortium, aiming at productivity and sustainability.
In a significant development for Singapore’s biologics manufacturing sector, the Biologics Pharma Innovation Programme Singapore (BioPIPS) consortium has expanded its membership by welcoming the global immunotherapy leader, BioNTech. This move marks a collaborative effort to boost productivity and sustainability in the biologics manufacturing landscape. BioNTech joins an elite group of global pharmaceutical giants like GSK and Sanofi, and prestigious Singaporean institutions such as the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), NTUitive, National University of Singapore (NUS), and Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT).
The consortium, spearheaded by A*STAR and backed by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), is dedicated to advancing Singapore’s biologics manufacturing capabilities. It focuses on producing critical biologics products like recombinant therapeutic proteins and vaccines, which were instrumental in battling the COVID-19 pandemic. Through fostering collaborations among small and medium-sized enterprises, large local enterprises, and other multinational corporations, the BioPIPS consortium aims to facilitate access to shared resources, foster the development of new capabilities in biologics production, and contribute to technological advancements. This collective effort is expected to enhance the agility and resilience of companies in responding to pandemics, ensuring broader patient access to biopharmaceutical products.
The partnership initiated in 2022 through a Memorandum of Understanding has led to exploratory discussions to pinpoint manufacturing challenges and define research agendas. These discussions, led by A*STAR and EDB, have explored topics like leveraging data analytics to refine manufacturing processes and developing sustainable manufacturing solutions.
Professor Lim Keng Hui, Assistant Chief Executive at A*STAR’s Science and Engineering Research Council, highlighted the consortium’s role in strengthening Singapore’s biopharma sector through technological innovation and its alignment with Singapore’s Manufacturing 2030 vision. Ms. Cindy Koh, Executive Vice President at EDB, emphasized the consortium’s contribution to enhancing Singapore’s global standing as a manufacturing hub for biopharmaceuticals, bolstering the local ecosystem and workforce’s capabilities and competitiveness.
Source – EDB Singapore
