Business Potential for Agricultural Biotechnology - Asian Productivity ...

12. BUSINESS POTENTIAL FOR AGRICULTURAL
BIOTECHNOLOGY IN SINGAPORE
Khoo Gek Hoon
Quality Systems Branch
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore
Thomas Tan
Horticulture Service Centre
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore
Sembawang Research Station
INTRODUCTION
The agriculture biotechnology or agri-biotechnology industry in Singapore is modest in
comparison to other Asian countries such as China, India, or the Philippines which have been
classified as one of the 14 biotech mega-countries (growing 50,000 hectares or more of biotech
crops) by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA)
(Clive James, 2004) because they produced 5%, 1%, or less than 1% of 81 million ha of global
biotech crops respectively in 2004. However, agri-biotechnology development in Singapore has
been uniquely featured as one of the case studies in the guidance report “Western Australia’s
Strategy to Build Its Biotechnology Capacity” because of its strong government leadership in
supporting agri-biotechnology development, despite having little agricultural industry.
The agri-biotechnology sector was profiled for development in 1991, with Singapore adopting
a vision of a knowledge economy powered by ideas and innovation under the establishment
of the National Technology Plan(s). 1 Today, it has been subsumed under the broader industry
sector of life sciences, which also includes pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, and
food sectors. Life sciences, a knowledge-intensive and high-value-added industry, has been
identified by the Economic Development Board (EDB) as the fourth pillar of Singapore’s manufacturing
sector, alongside electronics, chemicals, and engineering. The agri-biotechnology business
sector in Singapore is also anticipated to grow in tandem with the other subsectors of the
life sciences.
Embracing the capital-intensive and high-risk agri-biotechnology industry for fast economic
returns in Singapore, where agricultural land resources are limited, is a significant challenge,
especially when the neighboring countries with low land costs, like China and India, are
also entering into the agri-biotechnology business. With the extensive support of knowledge, infrastructure,
and a regulatory framework that the government has formulated to drive the agribiotechnology
sector since the 1990s, numerous agri-biotechnology R&D activities are being
undertaken, particularly in the areas of genetic transformation, molecular breeding, vaccine and
diagnostic technology, genomics, and bioinformatics for the improvement of agricultural novelty,
yield, quality, nutritional content, and stress resistance (against environmental stress and
diseases).
Singapore, a country that imports many of its commodities, produces a small proportion of
its agri-food (i.e., 31% of hen eggs, 7% of fish, and 5% of vegetables for domestic consumption)
1
NTP, NSTP, and NSTP 2000. The National Science & Technology Board (NSTB) was established in 1991 to
spearhead the two national master plans that outlined Singapore’s strategies for science and technology (S&T)
development: the National Technology Plan (NTP) in 1991 to develop key resources in technology, manpower,
and skills to meet industry needs and the National Science and Technology Plan (NSTP) in 1996, which envisioned
“an innovative and enterprising society that embraces science and technology to develop a thriving
knowledge economy and good quality of life.”
– 167 –