Singapore’s Next Lap: Interview With A*STAR’s Dr Benjamin Seet

Precision medicine and digital healthcare are likely to be emphasized in the upcoming R&D budget, says Dr. Benjamin Seet, executive director of the A*STAR Biomedical Research Council.

Dr. Benjamin Seet
Executive Director, Biomedical Research Council (BMRC)
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore

Policy-Perspectives

AsianScientist (Jun. 26, 2015) – The Biomedical Sciences (BMS) initiative was launched exactly 15 years ago on June 2000. A historic moment for science in Singapore, it marked the beginning of the country’s foray into the emerging pharmaceutical, biotech and healthcare industries, a sector which was expected to become the fourth pillar of Singapore’s economy alongside its traditionally strong suites of electronics, engineering and chemicals.

A decade and a half later, Singapore has undoubtedly come a long way. Today, the tiny island nation of approximately 5.4 million people punches well above its weight in the scientific sector, with a publication output that has exponentially increased between 2000 and 2015.

Singapore’s success has been supported by generous government funding across all fields of science & engineering, which has steadily increased with each five-year tranche, more than doubling from S$6 billion (~US$4.5 billion) for the 2001-2005 tranche to S$13.55 billion (~US$10 billion) for 2006-2010 and most recently, reaching S$16.1 billion (~US$12 billion) for the 2011-2015 block.

In this exclusive interview, Asian Scientist Magazine catches up with Dr. Benjamin Seet, executive director of A*STAR’s Biomedical Research Council (BMRC), as he looks back at what the BMS initiative has achieved in the last 15 years and what direction he hopes to take the Council in the years to come.

1. The A*STAR BMRC has been in existence since 2000. What would you say has been the main changes over the last 15 years?

BMRC has gone through three phases. In the formative years (2001 to 2005), the focus was to build up the biomedical sciences in Singapore where little existed. The challenge then was to convince leading scientists to come here, to create research institutes from empty buildings, and to perform globally competitive research. In the second phase (2006 to 2010), the focus shifted towards the better understanding of human diseases and translating science into the clinic. The last five years (2011 to 2015) have been about making our science more relevant to industry. This required a shift in how we thought, how we were organized, what we focused on, and how we worked with the wider research community.


2. Since you took over as executive director of BMRC in 2011, which achievements of BMRC are you most proud of?

I guess we proved the detractors wrong, and I emphasize ‘we’ because it was not something that could have been done without the full support of the research institutes and scientists. One achievement would be the transition of BMRC from an organization comprising ten independent institutes into a more integrated unit with a clear economic mission.

Secondly, we diversified our research portfolio to become relevant to four industry clusters: pharmbio, medical technology, food & nutrition and consumer care. The results speak for themselves. In the current five years, we have been able to attract more than S$350 million in industry R&D investments.


3. On hindsight, were there things that you would have done differently?

We took an organic approach in the beginning, but the focus sharpened as we engaged companies and studied industry trends. Even with hindsight, I think this was the right approach. If we had waited to put together grand plans and strategies before taking the first step, we would have wasted years and not come close to what we have achieved.


4. Some scientists have been dissatisfied with the perceived shift away from blue sky research to more translational research over the last few years. What would you say to them?

In order to reap returns on our investment, we need a good balance between what you term blue sky research and research that is more down to earth. This does not mean that we are shifting away from the basic sciences. On the contrary, it is our strengths in the basic sciences that attract the best people to Singapore, and it is the best people that attract companies to want to work with us. If we stopped performing basic science, we lose our competitive edge overnight. So it’s really about finding the right balance.


5. What do you think are the biggest challenges facing the biomedical research community in Singapore today?

The pharmaceutical industry is reinventing how it is doing R&D and how it views external partnerships. This presents great opportunities for Singapore. But biomedical clusters are cropping up across Asia and many other parts of the world, with many trying to create their own Biopolis. So our biggest challenge would be to remain differentiated. We need to be nimble and flexible to stay ahead of an increasingly competitive and crowded race.


6. Do you then think that there has been a rush to see results—mostly financial—from the BMS initiative that began in 2000?

The biomedical sciences initiative here started with an economic goal in mind, which was to ensure greater resilience of our economy by creating a high value, research-intensive industry sector that provided good jobs. It took us more than ten years. The growth has been progressive and this industry now contributes 3 to 4 percent of our GDP. So the answer is no, there has not been a rush. This was the goal right from the start.


7. What will the balance between basic and translational research be like in the new budget, and are there key areas that you will be funding?

Research and innovation is a continuous spectrum—it is not always possible to distinguish what is basic and what is translational, and this will differ for different industries, as well as over time.

As for key areas, there will be a strong focus on precision medicine, to learn how we can use biological information to better predict, prevent and manage health challenges in this part of the world—cancer, chronic and degenerative diseases, infections.

Another focus would be to leverage technology to change the very inefficient and expensive way healthcare is provided today. This encompasses the use of remote monitoring devices, mobile apps, digital technology and data to empower an individual to take responsibility for his own health, to better inform his healthcare provider, and to remodel the health system into one that is more sustainable and affordable.

Beyond health, there are many applications of biology in manufacturing, human safety, environmental sustainability. We can’t possibly do everything, so we need to make educated, strategic bets in areas that make sense for Singapore.


8. As executive director of the BMRC, what is your strategic vision for the life sciences in Singapore in the next 10-20 years?

I don’t think any field of science will remain relevant if it exists in isolation, this would be the case for the life sciences. The future will be defined by the convergence of biology, chemistry, engineering, computational and social sciences. The organizations that are best able to navigate and exploit this complexity will be the ones that will succeed. This is where A*STAR will be headed.


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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine. Photo Credit: A*STAR.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

Rebecca did her PhD at the National University of Singapore where she studied how macrophages integrate multiple signals from the toll-like receptor system. She was formerly the editor-in-chief of Asian Scientist Magazine.

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