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Adding 6 members, Emerging Stronger Taskforce looks to growth in medical technology, Southeast Asia tie-ups

SINGAPORE — Singapore is looking into two more growth areas to generate new jobs, as the task force formed to navigate the country’s post-pandemic future adds medical technology (medtech) and Southeast Asian partnerships to the seven industry-led coalitions previously announced.

The expanded Emerging Stronger Taskforce aims to explore opportunities in medical technology as one way to generate new jobs in a post-pandemic Singapore.

The expanded Emerging Stronger Taskforce aims to explore opportunities in medical technology as one way to generate new jobs in a post-pandemic Singapore.

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  • The six new members of the Emerging Stronger Taskforce include experts in the medtech and sustainability fields
  • New members were added to pursue the task force’s objectives, said co-chair Desmond Lee
  • The task force also gave updates for the other seven industry-led coalitions it previously announced

 

SINGAPORE — Singapore is looking into two more growth areas to generate new jobs, as the task force formed to navigate the country’s post-pandemic future adds medical technology (medtech) and Southeast Asian partnerships to the seven industry-led coalitions previously announced.

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat gave this update on the Emerging Stronger Taskforce’s progress on Thursday (Nov 19), where he also announced that six new members have been added to the task force.

This comes after several representatives from not-for-profit organisations, social enterprises and art groups, and some former Nominated Members of Parliament earlier this year called for more diversity within the group.

Among other things, they said that the then 17-member group did not include enough women, minorities or representatives from the social sector.

Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, who also co-chairs the task force, was asked during a press conference on the announcements whether the updates to the composition of the task force were a response to these criticisms.

In his reply, Mr Lee said that while the task force acknowledges the calls for greater diversity within the group, it has grown its membership “to pursue the objectives that (it) set out to achieve”.

“For example, we brought in new members who will be able to help us on medtech, to be able to push our (coalition) on sustainability,” he said.

He added that the task force, through its various outreach efforts, has also engaged other individuals and stakeholders — such as businesses, startups and social enterprises — for their views.

CREATION OF NEW COALITIONS

In a press release on Thursday, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said the new coalition on medtech will explore opportunities related to in vitro diagnostics — tests carried out using human samples — for disease preparedness, containment and control.

Raffles Medical Group executive chairman Loo Choon Yong, a member of the task force leading the new medtech coalition, said during the press conference that the coalition hopes to create about 4,000 new jobs through greater medtech collaborations, of which half will be for professionals, managers, executives and technicians.

Adding to this, Dr Fidah Alsagoff, joint head of enterprise development and life sciences at Singapore investment firm Temasek, said the medtech capabilities Singapore has developed over the course of the pandemic can be deployed in other areas beyond infectious diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Therefore, this field has the potential of becoming a “lucrative engine for growth” beyond Covid-19, said Dr Fidah, who is among the six new members added to the task force.

As for the potential alliance on Southeast Asian partnerships, Mr Tan Chong Meng, co-chair of the task force and group chief executive officer of port operator PSA International, said the task force has started to consolidate the possibilities of forming partnerships with the top two or three markets in the region and more plans will be announced in the future.

UPDATES ON GROWTH AREAS

During the press conference, Mr Lee and Mr Tan gave updates on the seven other growth areas that the task force has been working on.

1. Built environment sector

  • The coronavirus outbreak, which brought the construction industry to a standstill for a period, has spurred industry stakeholders to adopt more digitalisation practices and more advanced building technologies

  • The alliance has helped “catalyse the efforts of digitisation on the ground” by creating a common digital platform for the sector, said Mr Lee

  • This will enhance productivity by integrating work processes and connecting different industry stakeholders throughout the whole building life cycle, he added

2. Focus on sustainability

  • The alliance for sustainability recognises that Singapore can be a hub for sustainability, said Mr Lee

  • It has zeroed in on the area of carbon-related services, focusing on three concepts: A carbon verification system for high quality nature-based solutions, a carbon credit marketplace and exchange, and developing a green standard to push for a more carbon-conscious society

3. Safe and innovative visitor experiences

  • This alliance has worked with industry stakeholders to pilot ideas in the meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions (Mice) sector

  • For example, it developed a prototype for large-scale safe tradeshows and exhibitions involving local and foreign participants, said Mr Tan

  • This includes piloting the use of new methods of Covid-19 testing and contact tracing, with hopes that this could pave the way for scaling up Mice events

4. Supply chain digitalisation

  • The alliance has brought together more than 50 public and private stakeholders to identify the “pain points” that plagued the sector before Covid-19 and after the outbreak hit, said Mr Tan

  • This resulted in the establishment of a common data infrastructure which addresses the following: Improve trade financing integrity and the productivity of logistics-dependent players; enhance regional market access through improved e-marketplace integration; and facilitate foreign exchanges and financing small- and medium-enterprises and traders

5. Smart commerce

  • Efforts are underway to establish online-offline, or O2O, partnerships to create more opportunities, remake the retail environment and enable retailers here to market their products more strongly by “bringing the best of online and offline retail”, said Mr Tan

  • The alliance has also looked into how to export Singapore brands abroad through an incubation programme

6. Robotics

  • This alliance has identified opportunities for Singapore companies to become global leaders in robotics solutions

  • It is leading pilots to develop and to test the commercialisation and scaling-up of pioneering robotics solutions in autonomous public land transport and cleaning

  • This will help boost productivity and address Singapore’s manpower challenges

7. Education technology (edutech)

  • This alliance aims to ride the momentum of digitisation in the education space, through online learning and training, to position Singapore as a global centre of excellence for the education sector

  • It has kickstarted several minimum viable products such as in data-driven jobs, learning and skills-matching platforms

NEW MEMBERS

The six new members of the task force are:

  • Mr Amos Leong, president and chief executive officer of precision engineering firm Univac Group

  • Mr Andrew Kwan, founder and group managing director of Singapore-owned investment holding company Commonwealth Capital

  • Dr Azlinda Anwar, director of grants and IP administration, and coordinating director of Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory

  • Dr Fidah Alsagoff, joint head of enterprise development and life sciences at Temasek

  • Ms Jessie Yeo, executive secretary of the Singapore Port Workers Union and human resource director at the National Trades Union Congress

  • Professor Koh Lian Pin, professor of conservation science, technology and policy, and director for the Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions at the National University of Singapore

Related topics

Jobs task force medtech Covid-19 coronavirus

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