Intelligent Investment
Singapore Market
Global Life Sciences Atlas
April 11, 2025 5 Minute Read
Overview
- Singapore is one of the few markets in Asia-Pacific with a full end-to-end value chain—manufacturing, research and development (R&D), sales and logistics—bolstered by supportive government policies. Its biomedical manufacturing sector—notably medical technology—has been the fastest growing among various manufacturing sectors (8.3% CAGR from 2000-2023 for biomedical manufacturing vs 4.1% for overall manufacturing).
- Singapore’s life sciences startup ecosystem remains vibrant, with nearly 500 biomedical startups attracting nearly $2 billion in venture capital funding in recent years.
- CBRE Research estimates Singapore has roughly 37.4 million sq. ft. of business parks, high-tech and manufacturing space with life sciences operations. Leasable, multi-tenanted space totals nearly 7 million sq. ft. in business parks, high-tech space (including R&D) and some manufacturing properties.
- Singapore’s growth as a life sciences hub benefits from its developed infrastructure, political stability, business-friendly policies, skilled workforce and favorable intellectual property laws.
Submarkets
- Biopolis: The nucleus for growth in the biomedical sector, located within one-north, Biopolis boasts six phases, totaling 2.4M SF of prime business park space.
- Singapore Science Park: The oldest cluster in Singapore and home to a thriving ecosystem of leading agritech, biotech, IT, life sciences and specialty chemical companies. Currently undergoing rejuvenations to become a new life sciences and innovation hub with new building completions to take place in 2025.
- Tuas Biomedical Park: Many major life sciences companies have established their own build-to-suit manufacturing facilities.
- Kallang: A budding life sciences sub-cluster on the city fringe, providing a central location for manufacturing and R&D users in high-spec industrial buildings. It is currently home to established life sciences companies like 10K Genomics and GenScript Biotech.
Industry Presence
- More than 26,000 employees work in the biomedical industry
- CBRE Research estimates roughly 37.4 million sq. ft. of business parks, high-tech and manufacturing space with life sciences operations. Leasable, multi-tenanted space in business parks, high-tech space (including R&D), as well as some manufacturing properties totals nearly 7 million sq. ft.
- Four of the world’s top 10 drugs are manufactured in Singapore (by global revenue)
- Nine of the top 10 biopharma companies have a presence in Singapore
- More than 80 manufacturing plants for the pharmaceutical and medical device industry
Life Sciences Venture Capital Investment Trends
Figure 1: Life Sciences Venture Capital Funding
Life Sciences Market Stats
Figure 2: Life Sciences Clusters
Development Pipeline or Activity
- Nearly 1 million sq. ft. of new deliveries scheduled in 2025 at Singapore Science Park
Featured Projects:
- 1 Science Park Drive
- Net Leasable Area: 531,000 sq. ft.
- Expected delivery: Q2 2025
- 1A Science Park Drive
- Net Leasable Area: 283,700 sq. ft.
- Expected delivery: Q2 2025
- 1B Science Park Drive
- Net Leasable Area: 270,100 sq. ft.
- Expected delivery: Q2 2025
- 10X Genomics
- Abbvie
- GenScript Biotech
- Illumina
- Johnson & Johnson
- MSD
- Novartis
- Pfizer
- Roche
- Sanofi
- Takeda
- Thermo Fisher Scientific
- Vanda Pharmaceuticals
- Vertex Pharmaceuticals
- A*STAR – Agency for Science, Technology and Research
- Nanyang Technological University
- National University Hospital
- National University of Singapore
- Singapore General Hospital
- Singapore Polytechnic
Global Life Science Markets
-
Beijing is one of China’s two comprehensive life sciences clusters, alongside Shanghai, that offer a spectrum of research and development (R&D), manufacturing, medical technology and front office or headquarters space.
-
Spearheaded by its capital Hyderabad, the state of Telangana has emerged as a pivotal contributor to India’s life sciences landscape.
-
Shanghai stands as one of China’s two comprehensive life sciences clusters, alongside Beijing, offering a spectrum of research and development (R&D).