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Govt sets aside record S$19b for science and tech research

SINGAPORE — Think Singapore companies, large and small, readily using new products or technology developed by university researchers here. Or air-conditioners using much less energy due to sophisticated membranes adapted by researchers here.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at a press conference on Jan 8, 2016, announcing the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2020 (RIE2020) plan which has a budget of S$19 billion. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at a press conference on Jan 8, 2016, announcing the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2020 (RIE2020) plan which has a budget of S$19 billion. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY

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SINGAPORE — Think Singapore companies, large and small, readily using new products or technology developed by university researchers here. Or, Singaporeans drinking water that has been desalinated more cheaply, and using air-conditioners that consume much less energy due to sophisticated membranes adapted by researchers here. 

These are some efforts that will be given a boost in Singapore’s science and technology plan for the next five years, which will see public spending on research, innovation and enterprise increase to S$19 billion for 2016 to 2020 — 18 per cent more than the S$16.1 billion spent from 2011 to 2015.

But even as the Government sustains spending at about 1 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), it wants to see the private sector do more, by upping its spending to 1.8 times public-sector spending in the next five years, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong today (Jan 8). 

In 2013, for instance, Singapore’s research and development expenditure was S$7.6 billion, of which S$4.5 billion — about 1.2 per cent of GDP — was from the private sector, according to the National Research Foundation (NRF).

At the announcement of the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2020 (RIE2020) plan, Mr Lee stressed the importance of research and innovation in growing the economy, helping workers to thrive amidst technological changes and in making healthcare and the living environment better for Singaporeans.

Four domains have been identified in RIE2020 based on areas of competitive advantage or national needs. They are advanced manufacturing and engineering, health and biomedical sciences, services and digital economy, and urban solutions and sustainability. Each will get S$0.4 billion to S$4 billion in funds under RIE2020.

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Funds will also be used to boost academic research, sustain a strong base of science and engineering talent and grow innovative enterprises. And to capture opportunities that may not be on the radar today, “white space” funds of S$2.5 billion have been set aside, an increase from S$1.6 billion in RIE2015.

Also significant in the latest plan, is the increase in competitive funding for researchers, said Mr Lee, who is also chairman of the Research Innovation and Enterprise Council, in a press conference today. The amount of funds open to competition in the new plan is about S$4 billion, up from about S$2 billion in the previous plan. This will ensure the best ideas and the most deserving needs are funded, said Mr Lee.

In the early days, money was allocated to help new research institutes gain their footing and do good work. 

In RIE2015, the shift began and 20 per cent of available funds become open to competition, with researchers having to bid for the money. In the latest plan, 40 per cent of available funds will be open to competition. 

Mr Lee said research and innovation is important to secure Singapore’s future and will support Smart Nation, SkillsFuture and the Committee on the Future Economy. Progress made has enabled Singapore to attract leading multinational companies and eminent foreign universities to establish research centres and other higher value-added activities here. These in turn create good jobs and opportunities, and have helped local companies create new products and services. Research has also helped Singapore overcome constraints, such as through water technology.

Possible research outcomes:

In the next five years, more funds will be used to foster public-private collaborations and to get local enterprises to adopt new technologies. Research manpower will be aligned with areas of national and industry needs, and the government wants to draw more talented Singaporeans back home.

Asked how Singapore could increase private-sector spending on research, innovation and enterprise, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said more effort will made to get research in institutions out into the industry. Keppel, for instance has established a corporate lab with the National University of Singapore. Another way is to ease the movement of scientists between research and industry. Researchers could become start-up bosses to commercialise their work, then move back to academia, for instance, he said.

NRF chief executive Low Teck Seng said in a media briefing on Monday that while global economic outlook could influence how much multinationals devote to research, a lot of research spending in small, research-intensive nations like Switzerland is from their own indigenous companies. 
“I think our big local enterprises such as SMRT, SingTel and Sembcorp are all good candidates for partnerships (with universities),” he said.

Past investments have resulted in local research-intensive universities that are globally competitive, said Prof Low. Singapore is also a leader in certain field such as water technology, gastric cancer and eye research.

What needs to improve is getting local companies to work closely with academics and be “receptacles” of innovation and new products, he said. The hope is for local small and medium enterprises to be like their German counterparts, who readily receive technology from universities and other research organisations.

“Ultimately R&D is about the spirit of can-do, the attitude that there are infinite possibilities waiting to be discovered or invented. Anything is possible, provided we persevere and put our minds to it,” said Mr Lee. “And we need that spirit, not just in science and technology to drive our researchers and scientists, but in Singapore among all Singaporeans, so that we can build a better future for ourselves and our children.”

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