Biopolis to be further expanded
SPACE for more scientists, researchers and engineers will be created in yet another expansion of the Biopolis.
The latest expansion of the $700 million, 200ha biomedical research hub near Buona Vista will add a further 46,000 sq m, bringing the total area to more than 300,000 sq m, the equivalent of about 40 football pitches.
In January, it was announced that about 40,000 sq m of space would be added, but an increase in demand has been met by this further expansion.
Currently, phases one and two of the Biopolis are fully occupied, providing space for more than 2,000 people, with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) being the anchor tenant. Other tenants include the GlaxoSmithKline Centre for Cognitive and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Lilly Singapore Centre for Drug Discovery, Takeda Singapore and the British High Commission's science and technology office.
A spokesman for industrial developer and landlord JTC Corporation said it cannot speculate on the number of people who could be drawn to work at the new expansion until it is completed in 2013.
The Biopolis was conceived in 2001 as a focal point for scientific talent and biomedical research. It aims to attract local and foreign talent and both private and public companies. It also works in laboratory research, manufacturing and health care.
Professor Lee Eng Hin, executive director of A*Star's Biomedical Research Council, said: 'The Biopolis is a melting pot of science and talent from both the public and private sectors. This co-location, together with excellent infrastructural support in the form of shared facilities, puts us in a good position to accelerate discoveries from the lab to the clinic and industry.'
The biomedical sector is expected to grow between 5 per cent and 10 per cent this year. The industry had an output of $20.7 billion last year and the Economic Development Board is confident it will hit its target of $25 billion by 2015.
The latest expansion of the Biopolis will add a further 46,000 sq m, bringing the total area to more than 300,000 sq m, the equivalent of about 40 football pitches. -- PHOTO: JTC
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