1. I am very pleased to join all of you this evening for the President s Science and Technology Awards 2015.

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1 DELIVERED SPEECH BY MR S ISWARAN, MINISTER IN THE PRIME MINISTER S OFFICE, SECOND MINISTER FOR TRADE & INDUSTRY AND HOME AFFAIRS, AT THE PRESIDENT S SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AWARDS 2015, 16 SEPTEMBER 2015, 7:35 PM AT RESORTS WORLD EAST BALLROOM (BASEMENT 2), RESORTS WORLD SENTOSA President Tony Tan Keng Yam, Mrs Mary Tan Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, A very good evening. 1. I am very pleased to join all of you this evening for the President s Science and Technology Awards Singapore is committed to R&D as a key strategy to drive our transformation into an innovation-driven economy and to generate societal impact 2. As Singapore celebrates its Jubilee Year, it has also been a time for reflection to look back at how far we have come and what has made our journey and transformation possible. And one significant contributory factor has been the strides we have made in education, research and innovation, enabling the growth of our knowledge economy. Compared with 40 years ago, when barely 50% of Singaporeans moved on to secondary school 1, we are now a vibrant hub of research excellence and innovation, with a diverse community of scientists and researchers in the public and private sectors. 3. Singapore s competitiveness and positioning as an innovation hub has been recognised internationally. In terms of competitiveness, Singapore has been ranked 2 nd overall for the third consecutive year and top in the Asia-Pacific in the 2014/2015 World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report. Specifically on innovation, the 2014 edition of the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) & INSEAD Global Innovation Index has ranked Singapore 7 th in the world and top in the South East Asia and Oceania region, up one position from Today, we are also witnessing greater innovation and investment in R&D by industry. Business Expenditure on R&D (BERD) in Singapore has increased, from $2.1 billion in 1 Source: Heng Swee Keat, MOE Work Plan Seminar 2013 Page 1 of 5

2 2003 to $4.5 billion in This increase in spending by businesses reflects a greater willingness, and a deepening of the capabilities, within our industries to undertake R&D. A*STAR has played a catalytic role in this regard, by anchoring global companies through collaborations. Last year, A*STAR s Institute of Microelectronics (IME) launched four Advanced Semiconductor Joint Labs with 10 industry partners, to develop advanced semiconductor technologies for future electronics markets. With a total R&D commitment of $200 million over the next three to five years, these capabilities will prepare our companies for emerging global trends in the semiconductor industry, and help address industry challenges by reducing chip manufacturing cost, while enhancing performance. These joint labs attest to leading industry players confidence in Singapore as a home for R&D and innovation, and ensure that Singapore is well-positioned to grow the semiconductor industry. 5. R&D is also key to our efforts to address national needs, and improve the lives of our people. One good example is our water supply. From the very founding of our nation, ensuring a reliable supply of water for our people has been a top priority. PUB, The National Water Agency s R&D programme was born out of that need. PUB made its first foray into developing unconventional water sources in the 1970s, when it built a plant that could recycle treated used water into drinking water. However, the high costs and the unproven reliability of membrane technology at that time put paid to any plans to take things further. In the late 1990s, when membrane technology had become more mature, PUB built a small demonstration plant in Bedok to refine water recycling technology. The rest, as we all know, is history. Since 2002, PUB has been producing ultra-clean, highgrade reclaimed water known as NEWater. PUB subsequently went on to develop sea water desalination as an additional source of water supply. NEWater and desalinated water now meet up to 55% of our needs, and are critical to ensuring the resilience and security of Singapore s water supply. 6. The capabilities we have built in water research have underpinned the growth of the water industry in Singapore. Today, we have a thriving water ecosystem with over 180 water companies and 26 research centres. These include not only Singapore-owned companies such as Hyflux and Sembcorp, but international names like Black & Veatch and Meidensha. PUB also offers opportunities for water companies to test-bed new technologies under actual site conditions, and this has been a major draw for companies seeking to develop innovative solutions that address the world s most pressing water challenges. Since 2006, over 140 test-bedding projects have been carried out by PUB and the industry. Under RIE2015, we have nurtured a strong pool of scientific talent with a good mix of both local and international talent to support our vibrant R&D ecosystem. Going forward, a dynamic community of scientific and engineering talent remains integral to both research excellence and the translation of research into solutions that enhance economic competitiveness as well as quality of life 7. The world-class talent base that we have built at our public research institutions, universities, and hospitals has also been key to our R&D efforts. 2 A*STAR National Survey of Research and Development in Singapore, 2003 and 2013 Page 2 of 5

3 8. Since the launch of the first national technology plan, Singapore has nurtured a strong pool of scientists with a good mix of both local and international talent. Over the last 2 decades, the number of researchers, scientists and engineers (RSEs) across both the public and private sectors has increased from a base of just 5,218 in 1991 to 32,000 in % of our RSEs are local. Reflecting the wide diversity of our scientific and engineering community, the international members hail from all parts of the world - China, India, North and South America, and Western & Eastern Europe A dynamic community of scientific and engineering talent is integral to both research excellence, and the translation of that research into solutions that enhance economic competitiveness and quality of life. And we will continue to nurture a pipeline of local talent, complemented by a rich diversity of international researchers. Through PSTA, the nation s highest scientific honour, Singapore recognises our top scientific and engineering talent who have made outstanding contributions to the nation s R&D landscape and to strengthening Singapore s position as a R&D and innovation hub. 10. Tonight, we gather to celebrate the contributions of our premier scientific talent, through the President s Science and Technology Awards (PSTA). These individuals have made outstanding contributions to Singapore s R&D effort, and strengthened Singapore s position as a centre of innovation. President s Science and Technology Medal Mr Tan Gee Paw 11. The President s Science and Technology Medal, the nation s top scientific honour, recognises outstanding individuals who have made strategic and sustained contributions to Singapore through the management of R&D. The recipient of this year s award is Mr Tan Gee Paw, Chairman of PUB Singapore. 12. A key leader in Singapore s water sector, Mr Tan s efforts in charting Singapore s water master-plans and driving innovation in water management have fostered a robust and sustainable water ecosystem, and enabled Singapore to become an international hydrohub. He was instrumental in overseeing the development of NEWater, Singapore s own brand of recycled water, and has further guided PUB in introducing Singapore s desalination plant at Tuas. Mr Tan has also played a critical role in growing our water R&D ecosystem, by strengthening water R&D capabilities and competitiveness, as well as attracting global water companies to invest in Singapore. Under his stewardship and the work of many others, water, which was once a strategic weakness and vulnerability for Singapore, is now a competitive advantage, with cities around the world looking to Singapore as a model for sustainable urban water management. President s Science Award (PSA) 3 Source: National R&D Survey In 2013 the number of RSEs was 31,943. Of these, 22,478 were local (Singaporean and PR). Page 3 of 5

4 13. This year, the President s Science Award recognises a team that has made significant contributions to positioning Singapore as a leading centre for research into Asian cancers, and they are Professor Patrick Tan from Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School (Duke-NUS) and A*STAR s Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Professor Teh Bin Tean from the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) and Duke-NUS, and Associate Professor Steven Rozen from Duke-NUS. The team s integrative approach, spanning basic science, translational research and clinical studies, has enabled them to identify novel targets and develop innovative strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of cancers with high prevalence in Asia, such as gastric cancer, urinary tract cancer and certain types of breast cancer. The team s research has also opened the door for other researchers to further efforts in these important yet relatively understudied areas of Asian cancers. The team have been acknowledged internationally as a leader in Asian cancer genomics, and has attracted research collaborations with several pharmaceutical companies in Singapore, including Roche, Bayer and Novartis. President s Technology Award 14. The winner of the President s Technology Award 2015 is Professor Neal Chung Tai- Shung from NUS, for his work on membrane science and technology. Through developing innovative membrane technology for waste water treatment, water reuse and seawater desalination, Professor Chung s work has been instrumental to the development of a sustainable supply of water, and holds the potential to make processes more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. His inventions have been commercialised by companies such as Hyflux and used in Singapore s water recycling plants, as well as pre-treatment in large seawater reverse osmosis treatment plants globally. Developing promising young talent 15. The Young Scientist Awards (YSA) recognise the ingenuity of young researchers with the potential to reach greater heights in their research. This year, the YSAs are awarded to Assistant Professor Goki Eda of NUS, Assistant Professor Nripan Mathews of NTU, Assistant Professor Yvonne Tay of NUS, who is also a Principal Investigator at the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, and Dr Wan Yue, a Fellow at the Genome Institute of Singapore. We all look forward to witnessing their continued growth in their respective areas of research and celebrating their successes in the years to come. Conclusion 16. Once again, on behalf of the Government and scientific community of Singapore, let me extend the heartiest congratulations to all the recipients of this year s Awards. Your achievements and dedication to excellence in science, technology and research will continue to inspire our scientists in Singapore. I look forward to our scientific and research community continuing to grow in terms of research capabilities and scientific excellence, to harness the full potential of science and technology to improve the lives of our people. Page 4 of 5

5 17. Let me close by wishing the research community in Singapore continued success in pushing new frontiers, pursuing greater knowledge, and contributing to a better life for our citizens and the world. Thank you. Page 5 of 5