Business Development

PI/Head: Fariyal AHMED, Ph.D
Email: Fariyal_Ahmed@immunol.a-star.edu.sg

The Translational Immunology Group (TIG) is the core support to the SIgN Principal Investigators for the development and management of translational projects with industry and clinical partners. In addition, the Group oversees activities related to business development, contracts management, scientific intellectual property management as well as research ethics compliance.

Headed by Dr Fariyal Ahmed, the TIG works hand-in-hand with the A*STAR Industry Development Group and A*STAR Exploit Technologies (A*STAR’s commercialization arm). The team identifies and markets relevant SIgN expertise, matches it with Industry needs, coordinates with partners within A*STAR and the larger Singapore research community, supports the investigators in project planning, and negotiates Research Collaboration Agreements.

Through Project Management, the team facilitates achievement of milestones by coordinating project activities, ensuring communication flow among stakeholders, and properly documenting the project outcomes. 

Collaboration Models

SIgN is open to a variety of interaction models with industry partners, but prioritizes collaborations based on common scientific interest and shared contributions. This often involves co-development of new products or technologies, and/or various forms of clinical research in the immunology space. SIgN has also established joint laboratories with industry collaborators, a formula that helps to attract new industrial partners and to anchor established collaborators within Singapore, resulting in value creation.

In addition to partnering with companies, SIgN actively collaborates with other local research institutes, hospitals and universities to add value to strategic research programs that give Singapore a competitive advantage in global research. 

Partners

At present, SIgN collectively has:

  • 24 active industry engagements (research collaboration agreements and service agreements) with Pharmaceutical MNCs and Biotechs
  • 40 clinical collaborations with local and international clinicians/clinician-scientists
  • 3 joint labs with private organizations and companies
  • Produced three spin-off companies by SIgN investigators (2016 to 2018)