S'pore reviewing R&D efforts to ensure continued success

Singapore

SINGAPORE is reviewing its research and development (R&D) programmes and policies ahead of the next five-year tranche of science funding.

"This meeting was really about policies that we need to look at to ensure we enjoy continued success going forward, and to ensure that science and technology serves us well as a major thrust in our economic growth," National Research Foundation (NRF) chief Low Teck Seng said at a press briefing on Monday. This follows the 8th Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council (RIEC) meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, last Friday.

The budget for the next five-year tranche is expected to be sustained at up to one per cent of GDP per year, which could potentially translate to some S$4 billion per year for five years. Details will be announced at the end of 2015.

Under the existing five-year tranche spanning 2011-2015, the government had committed a total of S$16.1 billion.

In a Facebook post last week, PM Lee wrote: "Managing R&D is a bit like nurturing a garden. We have been planting steadily over the last decade. Now the plants are growing well. Some are blossoming, and we should plant more like them. Others need to be pruned, so that they grow in the right direction. We should also think what new seeds to plant."

For instance, the disk drive industry has changed, and data storage will need to be examined with respect to its relevance to today's economy, Prof Low pointed out. But beyond economic growth, Singapore will also need to leverage on science and technology to develop solutions to tackle national challenges, such as the ageing population or alternative energy. During the press conference, Prof Low also highlighted the progress that is being made in developing Singapore's research, innovation and enterprises.

Among them are investments being channelled towards promising technological areas, such as advanced 2D materials and 3D printing, with the NRF contributing some S$92 million towards two new centres over 10 years.

For instance, the new, S$113 million Singapore Centre for 3D Printing (SC3DP) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will receive S$42 million in funding from NRF and the rest from NTU and three local companies.

Helming the SC3DP centre is Prof Chua Chee Kai, who said that the centre will focus on three main industries - aerospace and defence, building and construction as well as marine and offshore - working together with industry partners.

In addition, the Centre for Advanced 2D Materials at the National University of Singapore (NUS) will receive S$50 million from NRF.

The NRF is also giving seven candidates its NRF Investigatorship, which aims to support established faculty working on research here in Singapore, and another seven candidates were selected for the NRF Fellowship Award, which is for junior faculty. Four of the seven picked for the Fellowship are Singaporeans who were previously based overseas.

Meanwhile, in line with its Returning Singaporean Scientists Scheme, which was launched last year, two Singaporean scientists are expected to return here in 2015. The scheme aims to attract talented overseas-based Singaporeans back home to carry out research crucial to Singapore's growth. NRF has approached about 20 of them so far.

Aside from boosting R&D in the public sector, new research partnerships have also been formed with the private sector via the Corporate Laboratory @ University scheme which supports universities carrying out industry-relevant research with companies, such as Rolls-Royce. Four corporate labs and one corporate-autonomous university research programme have been established so far.

And to enhance the commercialisation of intellectual property (IP) by public sector institutions, the Innovation Cluster Framework Agreement was formalised in September, in a bid to speed up the roll-out of IP to the industry.