The innovation gap that Singapore must close
The Republic needs to make the translation of its scientific capacity into outcomes more repeatable.
Singapore's scientific prowess alone is insufficient to generate tangible outcomes that improve lives, strengthen industries, and drive economic value. The key challenge lies in bridging the innovation gap – the distance between scientific breakthroughs and their practical application. Limited translation of research into market-relevant technologies, products, and enterprises is the primary obstacle.
The experience of Lucence, a Singapore-based spinoff that collaborated with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) and the National Cancer Centre Singapore to develop a clinical-grade cancer-profiling test, demonstrates that it is possible for scientific work developed locally to become globally competitive businesses. However, the majority of promising technologies continue to struggle at this conversion stage.
The friction that hinders this transition is primarily practical. Technologies may pass scientific scrutiny but stall at the commercial level. This includes securing industry partners willing to invest upfront, identifying initial customers, forming a capable commercial team, and raising the necessary capital for scaling. To narrow this gap, Singapore must foster greater permeability between research, industry, capital, and customers.
This involves making the links between these sectors more fluid, enabling promising ideas to interface with real-world problems earlier, attracting appropriate partners sooner, and finding individuals prepared to take calculated risks.
A*Star's role as Singapore's strategic innovation engine is crucial in this endeavor. It brings together top research and entrepreneurial talent, and combines expertise across disciplines and partners to address national priorities. By collaborating with universities, research institutes, hospitals, companies, investors, and agencies like Enterprise Singapore and the Economic Development Board, promising ideas gain a more robust pathway towards validation, customer acquisition, and scalability.
The success of these collaborations is evident in the 2025 financial year, where 1,252 industry projects saw companies commit over S$830 million in their own R&D alongside A*Star.
The benefits of these interconnected networks extend beyond individual licences, products, or spinoffs. They cultivate a culture of collaboration, where researchers grasp industry requirements, companies comprehend scientific capabilities, and customers become more receptive to novel solutions. As circulation within this system improves, each achievement paves the way for subsequent ones, creating a self-reinforcing cycle.
Ultimately, the goal should be for more technologies to originate in Singapore, more intellectual property to be commercialized here, more products built for global markets, and more globally competitive companies stemming from Singapore. These successes will yield not only revenue but also foster experienced founders, technical leaders, customer relationships, and capital to catalyze the next generation of innovation.
Written by urgent.news from Straits Times Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
