Singapore is committing S$118 million in public funding to research that turns biological materials into chemicals, marking its largest investment to date in the field as it seeks to make industrial production more sustainable and unlock new growth opportunities.

 

Launched under the S$37 billion Research, Innovation, Enterprise 2030 (RIE 2030) plan, the Bioeconomy Funding Initiative will tackle industry challenges in Singapore’s energy and chemicals sector, which accounts for one-fifth of the country’s manufacturing output.

 

The initiative will fund research by institutes of higher learning and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, with a focus on translating scientific advances into practical industrial applications.

 

Minister for Education Desmond Lee, who announced the initiative, said it would support research by “bringing our strengths closer to industry needs and wider application”.

 

Jermaine Loy, managing director of the Economic Development Board (EDB), said: “There are opportunities for Singapore to grow our capabilities in innovation and production of higher-value specialty chemicals and advanced materials, while supporting the transformation of our existing industrial base towards more sustainable production.”

 

The new initiative comes amid growing industry interest in replacing petroleum-based feedstocks with biological alternatives, including yeast and oil palm-derived materials.

 

Following consultations with companies and investors, the initial research push will focus on three areas: converting industrial by-products, known as “sidestreams”, into usable materials; developing new microbe- and enzyme-based production methods; and improving processing and manufacturing efficiency.

 

Researchers will also explore how biological and chemical processes can be combined to produce commercially viable goods, including high-grade synthetic rubbers.

 

The latest commitment builds on earlier government funding, bringing Singapore’s spending on bioeconomy-related initiatives to about S$200 million over the next five years.

 

“Our ambition is for the bioeconomy to become a new source of growth for Singapore,” said Loy, pointing to the potential for business expansion and job creation in specialty chemicals and advanced materials.

 

The funding announcement coincided with the opening of the S$50 million National Centre for Engineering Biology (NCEB), established with support from the previous five-year RIE 2025 plan.

 

Based at the National University of Singapore, the centre brings together talent from multiple organisations to develop manufacturing processes for specialty chemicals and advance product design and testing using machine learning and artificial intelligence.

 

More than 150 researchers, students and professional staff across partner institutions support the centre. Recruitment is also under way for another 50 positions, including principal investigators, postdoctoral researchers, and technical, engineering and management staff.

 

Speaking at the centre’s launch, Lee said Singapore was well-positioned to contribute to engineering biology, “tackling global challenges while strengthening advanced manufacturing and supply chain resilience”.