Speech by Mr Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), at the opening ceremony of Denka Life Innovation Research Centre, Singapore, on Monday, 13 Feb 2017, at 6.30pm

Mr Shinsuke Yoshitaka, President, Denka Company, Limited
Mr Manabu Yamamoto, Senior Managing Executive Officer, Denka Company, Limited
Dr Beh Swan Gin, Chairman, Singapore Economic Board
Distinguished Guests
Friends and Colleagues

A very good evening to all of you.

INTRODUCTION

It gives me great pleasure to be here at the opening ceremony of Denka Life Innovation Research Centre Singapore. This event marks a significant milestone in nearly forty years of relations between Denka and Singapore.

GROWING DENKA’S PRESENCE IN SINGAPORE

Denka’s partnership with Singapore first started in 1980, when it became a pioneer member of the first Singapore Petrochemical Complex project. Today, the company has four manufacturing plants in Singapore. Collectively, they are a major service provider for the global market for acetylene black, fused silica filler, polystyrene, and synthetic fibres. Since 2009, Denka’s Singapore office has also served as the group management function for the Asia Pacific region. In 2014, Denka began to diversify its presence in Singapore beyond manufacturing to research, through collaborations with A*STAR. Currently, Denka and ICES are working together to develop a novel approach to manufacture specialty polymers, which are typically used in rubber industries as adhesives and moulded foam. The group hopes that this new technique would result in polymers with improved functionality, and thereby broader applications. The first phase of the project has recently concluded and I understand that plans are underway for Phase 2 to begin.

The establishment of Denka Life Innovation Research Centre in Nucleos further extends the Denka-Singapore link into the biomedical sciences. The US$2 million, 540 sqm facility will be Denka’s first R&D base outside of Japan, and will be manned by 10 researchers, majority of them are from the A*STAR and Biopolis community. I understand that this facility will explore innovative platforms in vaccine formulation and point-of-care diagnostics development, particularly for tropical infectious diseases, and will house collaborative projects with A*STAR research institutes.

VALUE-ADDING TO COMPANIES THROUGH SUSTAINED AND INTEGRATED R&D

Denka celebrated its 100th anniversary celebrations in 2015, and a key part of its growth strategy for its next 100 years is to develop new businesses through research and innovation, in particular, via collaborations with the global research community under an open innovation framework. I am therefore delighted that Denka has selected Singapore as the location to site its first biomedical R&D base outside of Japan.

The setting up of Denka Life Innovation Research Centre in Nucleos underscores Singapore's attraction as a biomedical research hub. In Biopolis, the colocation of public research institutes with private sector research provides ready access to multidisciplinary capabilities and talent in the RIs, and promotes collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors.

Biopolis is now home to a wide range of biomedical research activities, from early stage drug development, to translational research all the way to innovation activity. We are also seeing more Japanese companies committing to research and innovation here. In 2010, Fujitsu Laboratories opened its first overseas biomedical laboratory in Singapore which is dedicated to developing breakthrough technologies using aptamers for diagnostics. More recently in 2015, Chugai Pharmaceutical Research announced a significant further investment to expand its facility here, to foster and accelerate research and development of new therapeutic antibodies. Last year, the Agency for Medical Research and Development, which is Japan’s first national agency that oversees medical research, set up its first overseas office in Singapore. It is the equivalent of NHIC in Singapore. Its aim is to keep connected with, and enhance cooperation with the global biomedical research scene. Clearly, Japan and Singapore have shared beliefs in leveraging on open innovation to drive economic growth.

STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH OPEN INNOVATION

The sustained and steady investments by industry leaders like Denka are testimony to Singapore’s reputation as a global Research, Innovation and Enterprise hub. A*STAR’s mission is to create economic impact through open innovation in collaboration with enterprises, and in RIE2020, we intend to deepen these partnerships to enhance our research and innovative capacity locally. At the same time, this will also enhance health outcomes and bring benefits to Singapore and be a meaningful contribution to the rest of the world.

CONCLUSION

On this note, I would like to conclude by warmly welcoming Denka to the biomedical R&D community in Biopolis. In addition, I would like to thank Denka for its continued trust and confidence in Singapore and A*STAR, and look forward to many more years of fruitful partnership. I wish you every success in your new venture.

One final note, I have been informed that come April, Mr Yoshitaka will be Denka’s new Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Mr Yamamoto will be Denka’s new President and CEO. On behalf of everyone present, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr Yoshitaka and Mr Yamamoto on their new appointments. I am confident that with their new appointments, Singapore and Denka can look forward to even more collaboration in the future.
Thank you.