[SINGAPORE] The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is aiming to strengthen Singapore’s competitiveness in the biomedical industry, especially in the area of health regulation.

Its expanded economic role will comprise three key thrusts, said Minister for Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Ong Ye Kung on Tuesday (Mar 10).

He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the International Medical Device Regulators Forum’s 29th session, which is being held from Mar 9 to 13.

One of them will be to collaborate to “put forward a holistic value proposition to the biomedical sector”.

This includes bringing together:

• The Agency for Science, Technology and Research, to anchor translational research and industry innovation;
• The Economic Development Board, to facilitate manufacturing investment; and
• HSA, to provide a rigorous and efficient regulatory process.

Enterprise Singapore will also help local companies expand into regional and international markets, supported by regulatory and capability guidance from HSA.

International biomedical companies establishing a presence in Singapore, meanwhile, can “look forward to HSA’s rigorous yet expedient registration process”, the authority said.

HSA added that these moves “will contribute to Singapore’s biopharmaceutical manufacturing output”, which it noted has “doubled over the past two decades to S$13.9 billion in 2023”.

The push also complements the Research, Innovation and Enterprise plan announced by the National Research Foundation in 2025. Under the plan,