BioNTech Amplifies Singapore's Biopharma Innovation with BioPIPS Entry

18 March 2024 | Monday | News


Strategic expansion with global and local leaders in biotech and education aims to revolutionize biologics manufacturing and elevate global health responses
BioNTech, GSK, Sanofi, NTU, NTUitive, NUS and SIT signed a membership agreement on 15 March 2024 to join the Biologics Pharma Innovation Programme Singapore (BioPIPS) consortium led by A*STAR and supported by EDB. EDB’s Cindy Koh, Executive Vice President and Member of EXCO witnessed the membership agreement signing

BioNTech, GSK, Sanofi, NTU, NTUitive, NUS and SIT signed a membership agreement on 15 March 2024 to join the Biologics Pharma Innovation Programme Singapore (BioPIPS) consortium led by A*STAR and supported by EDB. EDB’s Cindy Koh, Executive Vice President and Member of EXCO witnessed the membership agreement signing

Singapore's biopharmaceutical landscape has taken a significant leap forward with the expansion of the Biologics Pharma Innovation Programme Singapore (BioPIPS), now featuring BioNTech, a foremost innovator in immunotherapy. This progression enriches partnerships with pharmaceutical giants such as GSK and Sanofi and forges ties with Singapore's top-tier research and educational entities: the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) and its enterprise arm, NTUitive, the National University of Singapore (NUS), and the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). This collaboration underscores Singapore's growing influence in the global biopharmaceutical sphere.

 
The BioPIPS consortium, spearheaded by A*STAR and supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), aims to enhance Singapore's biologics manufacturing capabilities. It focuses on elevating productivity and sustainability to revolutionize the country's biologics production foundation. The initiative is set to concentrate on vital biologics products, including recombinant therapeutic proteins and vaccines, acknowledged for their life-saving roles during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emphasizing collaborative innovation, the consortium invites participation from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large local enterprises (LLEs), and other multinational corporations (MNCs) as service and technology providers. This collaborative approach is designed to facilitate the translation of technologies developed within the consortium, enabling companies to swiftly respond to pandemic-induced demands for biopharmaceutical products, thus ensuring broader patient access and other benefits.

In 2022, consortium partners executed a Memorandum of Understanding, engaging in exploratory discussions to pinpoint manufacturing challenges and outline research objectives. These discussions, facilitated by A*STAR and EDB, have led to initiatives focusing on leveraging data analytics for process enhancement and pursuing agile, sustainable manufacturing solutions.

Professor Lim Keng Hui from A*STAR emphasized the consortium's role in bolstering Singapore's biomanufacturing field, aligning with the nation's Manufacturing 2030 vision for increased manufacturing value. Cindy Koh of EDB highlighted the consortium's potential to fortify Singapore's global standing as a biopharma manufacturing hub, enhancing local ecosystem and workforce capabilities.

Quotes from BioPIPS members underscore the collaborative ethos and strategic vision underpinning the consortium. BioNTech, GSK, and Sanofi leaders expressed their commitment to advancing manufacturing innovations and environmental sustainability. Academia representatives from NTU, NUS, and SIT stressed the importance of interdisciplinary research, operational efficiency, and applied learning in achieving the consortium's goals, marking a new chapter in Singapore's journey towards becoming a leading biologics manufacturing and innovation hub.

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