Abstract:
In 2000, Singapore’s government launched a strategy to establish the biotechnology industry as one of the pillars of its future economic growth. This targeted ‘causative’ process involved support policies, the creation and strengthening of research bodies, construction of a purpose-built bio-hub, attraction of foreign drug companies, and investment in local start-ups. These organisations, support factors, and the networks between them constitute Singapore’s national innovation system as it relates to biotech. Fourteen years on, Singapore’s causative approach has resulted in job creation and increased per capita income. It has also seen many of biotechnology’s top multinational corporations base a section of their operations within the country. However, the country’s innovation system has yet to produce a community of Singapore-started small and medium sized dedicated biotechnology firms, referred to here as SDBFs. Small and medium sized firms are key drivers of innovation in the biotechnology sector and their presence is necessary to create a sustainable cluster. There is considerable interest from academia and industry in understanding and learning from the development of Singapore’s local firms under its national innovation system. Hence, the purpose of this thesis is to study how Singapore’s national innovation system has affected its biotechnology sector, with particular focus on its effect on SDBFs. This thesis used mixed methods to investigate the research question. The quantitative approach involved the construction of a database of Singapore-started biotechnology firms and their characteristics. The qualitative method utilised semi-structured interviews with 16 professionals in Singapore’s biotechnology sector. The findings pointed to several key conclusions. Firstly, participants felt that increases in the availability of commercialisable patents, risk-comfortable venture capitalists, and entrepreneurial individuals are necessary factors to promote the emergence and success of start-up firms. Findings also showed that the majority of SDBFs studied are located outside of purpose-built hubs, which participants suggested might influence their business model. In addition, SDBFs appeared to be moving into the relatively ‘lower risk’ sub-sector of medical devices. Overall, a critical mass of firms, human capital, and support factors emerged as a state that Singapore must reach for the industry to thrive. This research builds on the body of work concerning the national innovation system framework and Singapore’s biotechnology industry. It acts as a snapshot in time of SDBFs and the perspectives of a sample of individuals in the biotechnology industry. The data gathered here outlines the effect Singapore’s national innovation system has had on the industry and emphasises the importance of the critical mass concept. This can be used to inform future policies and as an indicator of the characteristics of the SDBF level of the industry.