CONTENTS

About A*STAR 2 2 Our Mission and Vision OUR OUR 4 Message from the Chairman and CEO 5 Board Members MISSION VISION 6 Senior Management 7 Organisation Chart The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) A global leader in science, technology and open innovation. 8 Subsidiary Company drives mission-oriented research that advances scientific 8 Our Community discovery and technological innovation. We play a key role in A*STAR is a catalyst, enabler and convenor of significant nurturing and developing talent and leaders for our research research initiatives among the research community in Singapore Special Feature: institutes, the wider research community, and industry. and beyond. Through open innovation, we collaborate with Supporting Singapore’s Fight our partners in both the public and private sectors, and bring Our research creates economic growth and jobs for Singapore. science and technology to benefit the economy and society. Against COVID-19 As a Science and Technology Organisation, we bridge the gap 9 between academia and industry in terms of research and 11 Diagnostic Kits and development. In these endeavours, we seek to integrate the Complementary Systems relevant capabilities of our research institutes and collaborate 14 Antibody Discovery and Therapeutics with the wider research community as well as other public 15 Bioinformatics and Modelling Studies sector agencies towards meaningful and impactful outcomes. 16 Protective Face Masks 17 Analytics and Detection Together with the other public sector entities, we develop industry sectors by: integrating our capabilities to create impact with multi-national corporations and globally competitive Key Achievements companies; partnering local enterprises for productivity and 18 gearing them for growth; and nurturing R&D-driven start-ups by 19 Contributing to Better Health seeding for surprises and shaping for success. Outcomes for Singaporeans 22 Contributing to Societal Outcomes Our research, in addition, also contributes to societal 27 Contributing to the Transformation benefits such as improving outcomes in healthcare, urban of Singapore’s Economy living, and sustainability. These serve to enhance lives in 31 Talent for the Nation – Strengthening Singapore and beyond. a Vibrant Ecosystem for Research, Innovation, and Enterprise

40 Engaging the Community

Annex: 43 Key Performance Indicators 2 ABOUT A*STAR

2 Our Mission and Vision 4 Message from the Chairman and CEO 5 Board Members 6 Senior Management 7 Organisation Chart 8 Subsidiary Company 8 Our Community MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN AND CEO

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly disrupted the global economy which have reinvented themselves, and pivoted into new markets societal and economic needs. To date, we have nurtured a pipeline and people’s lives. and new products to create good jobs. Our collaborations with the of 1,650 scholars who are actively contributing to the Research, large local enterprises are adding value to Singapore’s economy. Innovation & Enterprise (RIE) ecosystem in Singapore. A number of Singapore was able to respond decisively to the pandemic. Our In RIE 2020, A*STAR undertook about 2,000 projects with local them have become entrepreneurs, setting up their own start-ups R&D ecosystem has built deep capabilities in infectious diseases enterprises, and assisted over 420 companies with their operation following a successful research career at A*STAR. Others continue and antibody research, as well as artificial intelligence. A*STAR was and technology roadmapping. to drive innovation in the laboratories, and are recognised by the also able to contribute its expertise in diagnostics, modelling and global research community for their efforts. simulation, material science, and precision engineering. With our Equally important, A*STAR supports the mission of the public strong capabilities in intellectual property licensing and productisation sector across a broad range of areas, including healthcare, food The days ahead will see Singapore experience one of its most built over the years, A*STAR was able to help our local companies security, as well as smart cities and sustainability. Our goal is to difficult periods ever. A*STAR stands ready to support the develop new products and processes to combat this new coronavirus. improve life and living for Singapore and Singaporeans through nation in developing innovative solutions to secure better our science. health, societal and economic outcomes, and to contribute to Our scientists have also made important contributions to unravel the the furtherance of science. Together with our collaborators and mysteries of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19, advancing A*STAR’s multi-pronged talent strategy builds a pipeline of skilled public sector partners, we will forge ahead with fortitude and community-based research globally. Collectively, our long-term R&D talent pool to drive innovation and contribute to the country’s resilience as Team Singapore. investment and capabilities have proven to be invaluable during these unprecedented times and helped A*STAR to respond rapidly in the war against the novel coronavirus. Along the way, we have enabled technology transfer to our local biotech and medtech companies, and allowed them to secure new export opportunities.

In this year’s annual report, we dedicate a special section to the teams who have been working alongside public agencies and industry to combat the pandemic and help Singapore recover.

With travel restrictions and other safety measures in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus, businesses must now adapt to the new rules of the game. A*STAR is committed to helping local enterprises survive, and even thrive, during these difficult times by embracing innovation. Ms Chan Lai Fung Mr Frederick Chew Chairman Chief Executive Officer Looking beyond these challenging times, we must be ready to capture new opportunities borne out of this crisis.

Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing said at the Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) 2Q 2020 press conference in August: “We are not returning to a pre-COVID world. We must chart a new path now”.

In this report, beyond COVID-19, we showcase the impact of our industry partnerships through features of local start-ups and SMEs 4 BOARD MEMBERS (as at 31 March 2020)

1 Ms Chan Lai Fung 9 Mr Chng Kai Fong 19 Dr Omkaram Nalamasu Chairman Managing Director Senior Vice President and A*STAR Economic Development Board Chief Technology Officer Applied Materials 1 2 3 4 2 Mr Frederick Chew 10 Mr Anton S. Huber President Applied Ventures LLC Chief Executive Officer Former Chief Executive Officer A*STAR Digital Factory Division, Siemens AG 20 Professor Tan Eng Chye 3 Professor Barry Halliwell 11 Dr Benjamin Koh Khay Wee President National University of Singapore Chair Deputy Secretary (Development) Biomedical Research Advisory Council Ministry of Health A*STAR 21 Mr Yee Ping Yi Senior Advisor 12 Professor Lily Kong Deputy Secretary (Planning) Academic Appointments and Ministry of Finance President and Lee Kong Chian Research Excellence, Office of the 5 6 7 8 Chair Professor of Social Sciences Senior Deputy President and Provost Singapore Management University Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor National University of Singapore 13 Dr Josephine Kwa Director 4 Professor Sir John O’Reilly Barghest Building Performance Chair Science and Engineering Research 14 Mr Quek Gim Pew Advisory Council A*STAR Chief Defence Scientist Ministry of Defence Chairman 9 10 11 12 13 NICC (Standards) Ltd 15 Mr Ravinder Singh 5 Professor Isaac Ben-Israel President ST Engineering Electronics Ltd Chairman Israel Space Agency 16 Professor Subra Suresh 6 Professor Stefan Catsicas President Nanyang Technological University Science and Technology Strategy Singapore Advisor Nestlé S.A 14 15 16 17 17 Professor Sir Keith O’Nions 7 Professor William Chin Chair University of Nottingham, UK Executive Vice President Clinical and Translational Science Chair Frequency Therapeutics British Geological Survey, UK

8 Professor Chong Tow Chong 18 Mr Arunjai Mittal President and Acting Provost Independent Director Singapore University of Technology 18 19 20 21 and Design 5 SENIOR MANAGEMENT (as at 31 March 2020)

1 Mr Frederick Chew 8 Dr Peter Nagler Chief Executive Officer Chief Innovation Officer A*STAR A*STAR Executive Director 2 Professor Barry Halliwell Institute of Chemical & Engineering Sciences (ICES) Chair Biomedical Research Advisory Council A*STAR 9 Professor Ng Huck Hui 1 2 3 Senior Advisor to the President, Assistant Chief Executive NUS Biomedical Research Council * Tan Chin Tuan Centennial A STAR Professor 10 Professor Tan Sze Wee 3 Professor Sir John O’Reilly Assistant Chief Executive Chair Science and Engineering Research Council * Science and Engineering Advisory Council A STAR A*STAR Chairman 11 Mr Philip Lim NICC (Standards) Ltd Chief Executive Officer 4 5 6 Accelerate Technologies Pte Ltd 4 Mr Suresh Sachi Deputy Chief Executive (Corporate) 12 Professor Lisa F.P. Ng General Counsel Executive Director A*STAR A*STAR Graduate Academy (A*GA) Senior Principal Investigator 5 Professor Andy Hor Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) Deputy Chief Executive (Research) A*STAR 7 8 9 6 Professor Sir David Lane Chief Scientist A*STAR

7 Professor Ong Yew Soon Chief Artificial Intelligence Scientist A*STAR President’s Chair Professor of Computer Science, NTU 10 11 12

6 ORGANISATION CHART (as at 31 March 2020)

CORPORATE HUMAN RESOURCE FINANCE COMMUNICATIONS

Group Director Group Director Group Director Ms Angelina Fernandez Mr Timothy Sebastian Ms Goh Mien Zo

INFORMATION CHIEF INFORMATION DIGITAL PLANNING AND POLICY TECHNOLOGY SHARED SECURITY OFFICE TRANSFORMATION & DIVISION Corporate SERVICES INNOVATION OFFICE Internal Audit Chief Information Director Deputy Chief Executive Chief Security Officer Director Mr Tan Haryanto Director Mr Suresh Sachi Information Officer Mr Tay Kheng Tiong Mr Chew Chun-Chau Kurniawan Ms Karen Chia Dr John Kan

ENTERPRISE RISK INFRASTRUCTURE LEGAL ADMINISTRATION Chairman MANAGEMENT OFFICE PLANNING & FACILITIES Ms Chan Lai Fung MANAGEMENT Chief Executive Officer and Chief Risk Officer General Counsel Director Mr Frederick Chew Director Board of Mr Phillip Lim Mr Suresh Sachi Ms Kerin Lim Directors Ms Neo Hwee Peng

Chair, Science A*CCELERATE INDUSTRY BIOMEDICAL and Engineering TECHNOLOGIES PTE LTD DEVELOPMENT GROUP RESEARCH COUNCIL Advisory Council Prof Sir John O’Reilly Chairman Group Director Assistant Chief Mr Frederick Chew Mr Liau Eng Soon Executive Prof Ng Huck Hui Chair, Biomedical Chief Executive Officer Research Executive Director Advisory Council Mr Philip Lim Dr Danny Soon Prof Barry Halliwell Research Chief Scientist SCIENCE & ENGINEERING A*STAR GRADUATE Deputy Chief Executive RESEARCH OFFICE Prof Sir David Lane RESEARCH COUNCIL ACADEMY Prof Andy Hor Assistant Chief Deputy Director Executive Director Chief AI Scientist Executive (Office of Research Ethics Prof Lisa Ng Prof Ong Yew Soon Prof Tan Sze Wee & Compliance) Dr Foo Ngee Chih Deputy Executive Executive Director Director Chief Innovation Dr Hazel Khoo Deputy Director (Scholarship Administration) Officer (Research Excellence & Ms Ang Ee Luang Executive Director Strategy Office) Dr Peter Nagler (Research) Dr Zong Yun Prof Reginald Tan 7 SUBSIDIARY COMPANY

Name of subsidiary company A*ccelerate is the commercialisation arm of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), supporting it in transforming the economy by driving innovation and commercialising its research outcomes. Accelerate Technologies Pte Ltd (A*ccelerate)

A*ccelerate aims to be the one-stop open innovation partner of choice to grow businesses in Singapore and beyond through accelerating the % of shareholdings in company translation of inventions and intellectual capital into marketable products, processes and services.

100% A*ccelerate’s IP, technology transfer and commercialisation professionals harness new technologies, increase the value of intellectual property and incubate cutting-edge business ventures to create commercial impact.

Together with industry leaders, mentors, catalysts and the A*STAR research community, A*ccelerate works to build a cohesive ecosystem for Innovation and Enterprise.

For more information, please visit https://www.accelerate.tech/

OUR COMMUNITY (as at 31 March 2020)

The A*STAR community spans across a broad range of research areas from the biomedical sciences to the physical sciences and engineering. The community of scientists and researchers, technical and non-technical staff, and industry development and commercialisation staff was more than 5,300 strong as at 31 March 2020.

Biomedical Research Institutes Science and Engineering Research Institutes National Platforms These are facilities hosted and managed by A*STAR but funded Bioinformatics Institute (BII) Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (ARTC) nationally by multiple public stakeholders and serve specific Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI) Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES) national capabilities. Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC) Diagnostics Development Hub (DxD) Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) Institute for Infocomm Research (I²R) Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC) Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) National Robotics Research and Development Programme Office Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) Institute of Microelectronics (IME) National Supercomputing Centre (NSCC) Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC) National Metrology Centre (NMC) Singapore Biodesign (SB) Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS) Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) Technology Centre for Offshore and Marine, Singapore Ltd (TCOMS) Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS) 8 SPECIAL FEATURE SUPPORTING SINGAPORE’S FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

11 Diagnostic Kits and Complementary Systems 14 Antibody Discovery and Therapeutics 15 Bioinformatics and Modelling Studies 16 Protective Face Masks 17 Analytics and Detection SPECIAL FEATURE SUPPORTING SINGAPORE’S FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

B8 | Insight The Sunday Times | Sunday, February 16, 2020 Sunday, February 16, 2020 | The Sunday Times Insight | B9 Coronavirus: Front-line Fighters

Professor Lisa Ng was part of a Singapore has responded quickly and team at A*Star that developed a kit which could test for the Sars Racing towards a cure S’pore labs virus in patient blood samples in 2003. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG Scientists around the world are looking to develop a cure for Covid-19, the disease with pneumonia-like symptoms caused decisively to the COVID-19 pandemic. by a novel coronavirus originating from Wuhan, China. join global will typically manufacture new Audrey Tan speaks to Singapore scientists to learn more antibodies to get rid of it. “So, when it comes to search- about therapeutics – the branch of medicine that looks ing for clues to how a person’s im- at treatment methods used to alleviate or prevent a The synergistic relationships and mune system mounts a defence particular disease. against this specific virus, which race to learn is so new, it sometimes feels like we are going in blind,” Prof Ng To tackle the current outbreak, scientists are looking tells Insight. to develop three broad categories of therapeutics. “But we are guided by certain open exchange of information basic understanding of biology, immunology and patient physiol- TREATMENT about virus ogy,” says the viral immunolo- gist, who studies how humans re- 1 Antiviral drugs spond to other vector-borne dis- eases such as chikungunya and How they work: viruses. A few are “broad-spectrum” between infectious disease scientists Zika. • These drugs work by preventing the and are able to target a wide range of viruses. Though she had always been in- development of the virus inside the human body. • As the novel coronavirus at the Having made a diagnostic test kit, scientists terested in the study of diseases centre of the current outbreak in humans, Prof Ng says it was • Just like a guided missile, these drugs target viruses at different comprises a single strand of genetic here now hope to develop a possible cure her experience during the severe stages of their life cycles in order to material known as RNA, antiviral acute respiratory syndrome disable and block their development. drugs that work against similar RNA and the clinical community that were viruses are currently being tested. (Sars) outbreak that changed her • By doing so, these drugs ultimately perception of the role of scien- reduce the number of virus particles • Singapore, for example, will likely be tists in such outbreaks. in the body, and prevent them from participating in a multi-country clinical spreading. trial testing a variety of antiviral drugs, She was part of a team at A*Star including the combination pill that developed a kit which could • This could help shorten the length lopinavir/ritonavir, which is used to cultivated since the SARS outbreak test for the Sars virus in patient of symptoms and give the body’s treat the human immunodeciency immune system time to ght off virus, which is also an RNA virus, said blood samples back in 2003. existing virus particles in the body. At that time, the most common Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang from Audrey Tan the National University of Singapore’s way to test for the presence of Current status: Science Correspondent viruses that cause respiratory dis- Saw Swee Hock School of Public • Most antiviral drugs are specic to Health and programme leader for eases in patients was to first col- one or, at most, a handful of similar infectious diseases. in 2003, were critical. The strong How does the fight against the lect nasal samples from them. spread of a disease begin, if the But Prof Ng had learnt that this virus causing it is something that method could expose healthcare no one has seen or heard of before? workers to infection risk. In the 2 Monoclonal antibody therapy As with most mysteries, it starts early days of Sars, clinical sample with first seeking answers to the collection equipment for infec- How they work: • They serve as substitute antibodies Current status: links that the top scientific talent • Monoclonal antibody therapy that mimic the immune system’s • Monoclonal antibody therapy is most basic of questions: What is it? tious pathogens was not as so- essentially works by ‡agging the attack on infected cells. a more specic type of treatment PREVENTIVE How does it spread? How severe is phisticated as it currently is. presence of the virus in the body, compared with antiviral the infection it causes? The development of a diagnos- so that the immune system can medication. 3 Vaccines Enter the scientists, the detec- tic test that could detect the pres- work to get rid of it. • This is because scientists need tives of the microbe world. cipal investigator with the Agency term protection for the patient the defence against the virus caus- ence of the virus in blood sam- Monoclonal Search for cure like • The immune system comprises antibody to nd out how exactly antibodies How they work: Working in laboratories, away for Science, Technology and Re- than drugs. ing Covid-19, says Prof Ng. ples – which have lower levels of many different elements which all in an infected patient latch on to • That way, if the patient later gets in Singapore have with renowned Vaccines are a preventive strategy infected by the virus, he would from the glare of the public spot- finding needle in a search’s (A*Star) Singapore Im- But studying how the body re- The immune system comprises the virus than nasal samples – work together to rid the body of the virus cells. This latching on is • bacteria or viruses. An important usually done via a lock-and-key that could inoculate the vast majority already have sufcient levels of light, scientists are in a race against haystack: Investigator munology Network. sponds to the virus is a long many different elements which all was a breakthrough that also of the population before they get antibodies in his blood to get rid of time to answer these questions – an- Before a cure or vaccine can be process. The first step entails the work together to rid the body of gave healthcare workers some component of this system is approach – the antibodies usually antibodies, which are found in have to take on a certain “shape” infected. the virus before symptoms develop. swers that others could build upon developed for Covid-19, which has search for immune system indica- bacteria, parasites and viruses. peace of mind. the blood. Proteins on before they can bind with the virus. • There are two main types of to save lives, improve patient care Professor Lisa Ng, 46, is part of a infected more than 67,000 people tors – such as protein levels and An important component of this Prof Ng says: “That experience vaccines – live vaccines and Current status: • When antibodies detect the Novel the cell • As the virus is so new, research international organisations also place and boost public health through de- team searching for a cure for worldwide, scientists must first un- the presence of antibodies – in sam- system is antibodies, which are taught me that being a scientist is coronavirus inactivated vaccines. • Scientists are now trying to presence of a virus, they latch on to is still under way to understand veloping diagnostic test kits, drugs Covid-19 – the “mystery” disease derstand how the human body re- ples taken from patients who have found in the blood. They detect the not just about hiding in the lab, the infected cell. By doing so, the this mechanism, before • Both types essentially involve understand more about the virus NO MUTATION SO FAR and even a vaccine. with pneumonia-like symptoms sponds to the virus infection. recovered. presence of a virus and latch on to looking at cells and then just presence of the problem cell is ‡agged, monoclonal antibodies can be injecting a tiny amount of a less- or and how the human immune and other elements of the immune generated in a laboratory, non-infectious strain of the virus into system responds to it. As the Health Ministry’s chief originating from Wuhan, China, This is necessary in order to de- As there can be thousands of such the infected cell, flagging it so about publishing papers about it. Monoclonal Such information will help in The latest analyses system can kick in to destroy it. antibody said Professor Lisa Ng, the patient, to kick-start the body’s health scientist, Professor Tan that only recently got a name. velop immune-based therapies indicators present in a human body other elements of the immune sys- “It’s also about how we can protective response to it. the development of a vaccine. Chorh Chuan, told the media last It is a noble task, but one that can that can stimulate the body’s natu- at any given time, it can be challeng- tem can kick in to destroy it. help to improve and save lives.” • In such therapy, laboratory- locked onto senior principal investigator Singapore in an optimal position to show that the virus produced antibodies, known as the protein from the Agency for Science, week: “To fight a war, you must feel like searching for a needle in a ral protective response against the ing to identify the specific elements When faced with a new or previ- Technology and Research’s has not mutated in our monoclonal antibodies, are injected Sources: LISA NG, HSU LI YANG, CANCER RESEARCH UK know your enemy.” haystack, says Prof Ng, senior prin- virus, which provides a longer- of the immune system mounting ously unidentified threat, the body Audrey Tan into the patient’s bloodstream. Singapore Immunology Network. targeted region of its The mystery virus first surfaced PHOTO: EPA-EFE SUNDAY TIMES GRAPHICS in Wuhan, China, late last Decem- genome. ber, with those infected exhibiting fight the novel coronavirus. Here are pneumonia-like symptoms. Since then, the virus – now identified as uploaded the genome of the coron- was also a good starting point for Agency for Science, Technology CoV-2 in a patient sample. fied quickly. the A*Star researchers at the Bioin- tients for the virus, the next step is and how the human body reacts to tive response. By studying these years, notes Prof Tan, and advance- Sars-CoV-2 (the disease itself is avirus on a public database last scientists in Singapore, paving the and Research (A*Star) and Tan Care is taken to ensure the ge- Says Dr Masafumi Inoue, co-de- formatics Institute who study the to find out how they can be it, by analysing samples from pa- mechanisms, it could pave the way ments in technology have also Covid-19) – has spread around the month. way for the development of a diag- Tock Seng Hospital, the kit has netic sequence flagged is the more veloper of the diagnostic test kit, genome of the virus. treated. tients in Singapore, and by working for the development of therapies yielded new capabilities, such as DR MASAFUMI INOUE, head of the globe, including in Singapore. It allowed scientists to determine nostic test kit, enabling clinicians been rolled out at a number of pub- stable part that is less prone to mu- who is also head of the diagnostics “The latest analyses show that This is what Professor Lisa Ng, se- closely with clinicians and health- and even a possible vaccine,” says rapid whole genome sequencing. diagnostics group in the translational Many unknowns remain about it, that it was related to the one that to quickly screen for patients in- lic hospitals here and also delivered tation. But this does not rule out mu- group in the translational sciences the virus has not mutated in our tar- nior principal investigator at care workers who interact directly Prof Ng. He adds: “R&D is integral to pre- sciences division at A*Star’s Experimental although scientists around the caused the severe acute respiratory fected with the coronavirus, with to China. tation occurring, which viruses are division at A*Star’s Experimental geted region of its genome.” A*Star’s Singapore Immunology with patients. Since the Sars outbreak, the re- the key achievements, so far. ’’Drug Development Centre, on how the paredness and effective response.” diagnostic test would have to be modified world were handed an important syndrome (Sars) in 2003. high accuracy. A diagnostic test “flags” parts of prone to doing. Drug Development Centre: “This is With Singapore already having Network, aims to find out. “In the presence of a virus, the im- search community has become quickly if mutation occurs. clue when Chinese scientists first The availability of the genome Developed by experts from the the viral genome unique to Sars- If it does, the test has to be modi- why we have to work closely with the capability to quickly screen pa- She studies how the virus works, mune system will mount a protec- more organised over the past 17 [email protected]

The measures service from 2000 to 2004, you were taken here responsible for leading the public The ‘sixth sense’ and long are based on health response to the 2003 Sars experience and epidemic. What’s the key difference data from now? previous viral A People are more confident and nights behind virus test kit outbreaks which less fearful. During Sars, many peo- have been ple and healthcare professionals effective, says were very fearful. I was very fearful Professor Tan because we had never experienced Chorh Chuan, an outbreak like it before and our As merrymakers ushered in the the time. Often, they turn out to be identified parts of the genetic code chief health systems were not as prepared. dawn of 2020 with high spirits, in- isolated cases, but we are always that were unique to Sars-CoV-2. scientist at the Today, for instance, there is fectious diseases experts in Singa- waiting to see what’s next.” The test flags these unique areas Ministry of Health. proper use of PPE (personal protec- pore were on high alert. Their No one knew what this virus was, in a process known as polymerase ST PHOTO: tion equipment), measures to radars, honed by experience, had how it related to other known chain reaction (PCR). KELVIN CHNG separate potentially infected pa- picked up on a series of pneumo- viruses, or where it had come from. The diagnostic test kits were de- tients from those who are not, nia-like cases in Wuhan, China. With no reported cases in Singa- veloped and rolled out in less than a working in split teams. By the time the Chinese authori- pore, there were no patient sam- month – a record, considering that When Sars first started, we didn’t ties alerted the World Health Organ- ples to work with. a similar one for Sars took months – have enough protective equipment isation on Jan 31 that they had an But Dr Inoue had a “sixth sense” it but its speed belied the effort that so I had to ration the supplies. Now, outbreak of an unknown virus on would be significant. “Based on went into it. we are well prepared in that regard. their hands, scientists here were what I observed of past events, Both men and their teams had Research has also improved waiting to spring into action. such as the 2009 swine flu and the many sleepless nights and count- globally and in Singapore – we can On Jan 2, Dr Masafumi Inoue, a sci- 2016 Zika outbreak, I had a hunch,” less discussions over text messages, sequence much faster and develop entist at the Agency for Science, says the head of the diagnostics e-mail and the occasional beer, to diagnostic kits much faster. All this Technology and Research (A*Star), group in the translational sciences troubleshoot problems, fine-tune More prepared, less fearful speeds up our understanding of sent a text to Dr Timothy Barkham, division of A*Star’s Experimental the product and overcome chal- this virus at a much faster rate. who works at Tan Tock Seng Hospi- Drug Development Centre. lenges such as disruptions in the During Sars, we had to manage tal (TTSH), saying: “How are you, On Jan 12, the full genome of the supply of chemicals needed. the first five weeks without a Tim, how’s your holiday?” Sars-CoV-2 virus, which causes the A day after Singapore diagnosed now than during Sars diagnostic kit. Can you imagine It was not a run-of-the-mill greet- disease now known as Covid-19, was its first coronavirus patient on Jan trying to control an outbreak with- ing from a friend. uploaded onto a public database. 23 – a 66 year-old man from Wuhan out a diagnostic kit? The two infectious diseases ex- A virus’ unique genome serves as who had stayed at a hotel on Sen- perts first met during the severe a “fingerprint” to distinguish it tosa – Dr Inoue and Dr Barkham Q What did we learn from the Sars acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) from other viruses. met to discuss the development of Joyce Teo tend to be spread, and it’s usually There’s uncertainty with a new epidemic when it comes to handling outbreak in 2003, and over the past Once the genome was made avail- the diagnostic kit at – of all places – Senior Health Correspondent through droplets and hand con- virus when it first appears. There is infected patients? 17 years, have collaborated on the able, scientists could determine Sentosa, where a food festival was tact. what we already know from other A I remember, early on in the Sars development of diagnostic kits for that the coronavirus was related to taking place. In Wuhan, there are many rea- types of similar viruses and there’s epidemic, there were groups that other disease outbreaks, such as the virus that caused the 2003 Sars Asked if they had been afraid of The chief health scientist at the sons it spread so quickly. The a period when concerns are raised, recommended that wearing one the swine and avian influenzas. outbreak which killed almost 800 getting infected, Dr Inoue says: Ministry of Health (MOH), Pro- whole city was isolated and condi- fears go up. We need to try to under- set of masks was not good enough, In his message, Dr Inoue attached people. “No. That’s one important thing to fessor Tan Chorh Chuan, sheds tions are very different, so it may stand these issues and how best to you have to wear two sets. READ more about a link to a news report about the Scientists from A*Star and TTSH, note – that the risk of infection is light on the measures Singapore not be representative of where we address them. But when we managed all the pneumonia outbreak in China. including Dr Inoue and Dr very low in an open space.” has in place to fight the corona- are at in Singapore. It’s part of confronting a new patients within Tan Tock Seng Dr Barkham replied: “Lots of Barkham, were now able to develop Dr Barkham says the close syn- virus outbreak. virus that we have not encountered Hospital and all the health profes- A*STAR’s R&D noise, but no diagnostic details. a diagnostic test kit to help clini- ergy between the hospitals and re- Q What are the changes you have before and learning as quickly as sionals were properly trained and Happy New Year.” cians at public hospitals diagnose search scientists was crucial in the Q There are fears that the made to your lifestyle now that there you can about it. used protective equipment, we contributions to The conversation ended with the infections with high accuracy. development of the diagnostic test, Dr Timothy Barkham from Tan prove the diagnostic test so it will Also, for the readings from the who develop the tests and those Singapore to develop and manufac- coronavirus is airborne. Is this the is local transmission? In the meantime, the practices saw that no other healthcare work- pair agreeing to meet soon. Tests for 10,000 patients have and is the result of a close partner- Tock Seng Hospital and Dr benefit patients.” PCR machine to be accurately used who implement them, both want ture its own diagnostic test kit in a case? A I continue to do what I normally that we are putting in place are ers were infected. Dr Barkham, 55, a senior consul- also been delivered to China, as ship that began in 2003. Masafumi Inoue from the Agency This includes, among other by clinicians in diagnosis, both the same thing: for the science to disease outbreak. “We have the A We really need to look for more would do, except I am much more based on experience and on data So, you definitely didn’t need to Singapore’s fight tant medical microbiologist at part of Singapore’s efforts to help He said: “At the hospitals, our aim for Science, Technology and things, being able to try out the diag- teams worked to optimise them, car- benefit the public. technology. And if we develop one data. Infections that spread mainly careful about keeping my hands from previous types of viral out- wear two or three masks. In fact, TTSH’s department of laboratory tackle the international outbreak. is to deliver a service to patients. Research worked with other nostic tests on real human samples, rying out the test at different tem- Talks are now ongoing to scale ourselves, we won’t be put in a situ- by airborne transmission tend to clean. It’ll actually be hard to live breaks which are similar and which what we are using now for PPE is against COVID-19. medicine, tells Insight: “We are con- To develop the diagnostic test, Dr What may work well in a lab setting scientists to develop a test kit to which could have other molecules peratures to see which temperature up production of the diagnostic ation where we have to rely on oth- be more infectious than what we normally if we went way beyond have been effective in those cir- sufficient to protect health profes- stantly on the lookout for possible Inoue’s team first compared the may not be that practical in the hos- diagnose infections with high or compounds that could disrupt registered the clearest reading. kits for distribution to other hospi- ers to help control the outbreak.” see now – it would be conditions that, because we will always be in cumstances. sionals. new infectious diseases. And we genome of the new virus with that pital. So we have to constantly give accuracy. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH the test, giving it false positive or Though there can be differences tals here, says A*Star. like chicken pox. situations where we come into con- get reports of possible outbreaks all of related viruses, such as Sars, and each other feedback on how to im- negative readings, he says. in expectations between scientists Dr Inoue says it is important for Audrey Tan We reference how coronaviruses tact with people. Q As MOH’s director of medical [email protected]

Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

10 SPECIAL FEATURE SUPPORTING SINGAPORE’S FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

The Fortitude Kit is the first “ready-made” hospital Team members from left to right: Dr Sebastian Maurer-Stroh, Deputy lab diagnostic test kit that received the Singapore Executive Director (Research), Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR; Health Sciences Authority’s (HSA) Provisional Dr Masafumi Inoue, Group Leader, Authorisation for clinical use. Co-developed by Diagnostics Group, Translational Sciences, Experimental Drug A*STAR’s Experimental Drug Development Centre Development Centre, A*STAR; Dr Sidney Yee, CEO, Diagnostics Development (EDDC), Bioinformatics Institute (BII) and the Hub; Associate Professor Dr Timothy Department of Laboratory Medicine at Tan Tock Seng Barkham, Senior Consultant Medical Microbiologist, Department of Hospital (TTSH), the diagnostic test kit detects the Laboratory Medicine, Tan Tock Seng presence of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) with Hospital DIAGNOSTIC high accuracy. KITS AND COMPLEMENTARY Thanks to close collaboration between scientists and the public health community, the Fortitude Kit SYSTEMS diagnostic was developed and deployed in Singapore hospitals within a month. A*STAR worked with the Enabling fast, accurate and safe testing of the National Public Health Laboratory at the National coronavirus to help Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), Singapore, curb the spread of the on the appropriate manufacturing standards of the pandemic in Singapore tests. The Diagnostics Development (DxD) Hub, a and globally national initiative led by A*STAR, further supported the development and production of these tests. A*STAR has since transferred the technology know- how to biotechs, including local company MiRXES, to scale-up, and manufacture the kits to fulfil local and international demand.

11 SPECIAL FEATURE SUPPORTING SINGAPORE’S FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

The RESOLUTE 2.0 Direct PCR Diagnostic Kit and The DSO National Laboratories (left) complementary automated lab system, RAVE, and A*STAR teams (right) involved increases COVID-19 test delivery throughput by four in developing an times, to support the national need for expanded improved COVID-19 test kit called testing capacity. A breakthrough Direct-Polymerase RESOLUTE 2.0. Chain Reaction (PCR) diagnostic test kit for COVID-19, Source: DSO NATIONAL RESOLUTE 2.0, was jointly developed by the DSO LABORATORIES National Laboratories and A*STAR’s DxD Hub. This was an outcome of a strategic partnership between DSO and DIAGNOSTIC A*STAR that was inked in January 2020 to strategically KITS AND align the defence-civilian research agenda. COMPLEMENTARY A*STAR also developed a robotics lab system, SYSTEMS the Rapid Automated Volume Enhancer (RAVE) to complement RESOLUTE 2.0. Local small and medium- sized enterprise (SME), Sankei Eagle is a systems integrator for RAVE. Several manual processes, such as handling of test samples, capping and uncapping of test tubes, as well as pipetting and movement of liquids, are automated with custom-built robotics systems. RAVE allows for high accuracy, speed, and enhanced safety for laboratory staff. The integrated RESOLUTE 2.0 and RAVE system combines A*STAR’s engineering and biomedical science capabilities. Distributed by local enterprise Advanced MedTech, RESOLUTE 2.0 and RAVE have been deployed to three local hospitals.

Rapid Automated Volume Enhancer (RAVE) automated The RESOLUTE 2.0 COVID-19 test kit developed by DSO National Laboratories and A*STAR can deliver test results lab system in about 90 minutes.

12 SPECIAL FEATURE SUPPORTING SINGAPORE’S FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

Local precision medicine company Lucence A first-in-the-world “rapid smart test kit”, the The ASSURE test kit can accurately identify SARS- developed a saliva sample collection kit that can cPass can measure neutralising antibodies in CoV-2 antibodies in 15 minutes and employs a keep the samples stable at room temperature for an hour, and will be instrumental in vaccine lateral flow format, similar to those used in home up to a week. The kit also inactivates SARS-CoV-2, and therapeutic development. Duke-NUS is pregnancy tests. The kit was co-developed by the virus which causes COVID-19, within 45 seconds co-developing and manufacturing the kit with A*STAR and diagnostics company MP Biomedicals. of sample collection. The reagent fluid used in the kit biotechnology company GenScript Biotech Serological test kits are especially important for was invented at A*STAR’s Institute of Bioengineering Corporation and A*STAR’s DxD Hub. A*STAR contact tracing purposes given that there are large and Nanotechnology (IBN). The kit’s viral inactivation validated the kit with clinical samples of patients, and numbers of asymptomatic COVID-19 cases around capabilities could mean enhanced safety and reduced developed the manufacturing protocol and quality the world. The ASSURE kit can determine if one DIAGNOSTIC risk of exposure for those involved in the collection, controls to secure its provisional authorisation by the has acquired immunity in the form of antibodies KITS AND transport, and testing processes. This kit will be Health Sciences Authority. The test kit is available to generated by the human body after exposure to the COMPLEMENTARY especially useful in countries where samples must be hospitals in Singapore and globally. SARS-CoV-2 virus. transported across long distances for testing. SYSTEMS A4 TOPOF THENEWS G | THE STRAITS TIMES | SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2020 | Coronavirus pandemic

USEFUL FOR DEVELOPING NATIONS The cPass Duke-NUS to co-develop, produce developed by our team can be used for contact tracing, one-of-its-kind test kit with partners reservoir or intermediate animal tracking, assessment of herd The cPass test immunity, longevity New antibodies kit can detect antibodies of protective test, known as cPass, capable of immunity and is available to neutralising the coronavirus in efficacy of different hospitals in S’pore patients in an vaccine candidates. hour, instead of the usual several It does not require a Timothy Goh days. The test biosafety can be used to see if potential containment Duke-NUS Medical School has vaccines work, facility, which come up with a test kit that takes among other just an hour, instead of the usual sev- things. makes it eral days, to detect if someone has PHOTO: immediately antibodies which can neutralise the GENSCRIPT coronavirus that causes Covid-19. BIOTECH accessible to the The new test, which The Straits CORPORATION Times first reported on earlier this global community, month, can be used to see if poten- including many tial vaccines work, to check what proportion of the population has al- developing nations. ready been infected and for contact tracing, which is critical as Singa- pore eases up on circuit breaker measures. PROFESSOR WANG LINFA, director of Known as cPass, the first-of-its- Duke-NUS’ emerging infectious kind test is available to hospitals diseases programme. here. ’’ When someone is infected with the virus, the body produces hun- dreds, if not thousands, of different KEY IN FIGHT AGAINST PANDEMIC The Safer-Sample kit contains a bottle of fluid that can be mixed with certain types of antibodies, which bind with the virus and are known as binding anti- This innovative virus samples at the point of collection. This fluid can keep the samples stable at room bodies. However, not all of them can neutralise the virus. This is the cPass diagnostic kit role of neutralising antibodies, will be instrumental temperature for up to a week, while inactivating SARS-CoV-2 within 45 seconds of sample which bind with proteins on the virus’ shell, preventing it from at- Professor Wang that due to this three-way partner- in supporting the collection. taching itself to a person’s cells. Linfa from ship,” said Prof Wang. fight against the There are currently Covid-19 Current versus new test Duke-NUS Professor Peter Preiser, associate tests for such antibodies, but they Medical School vice-president (biomedical and life global pandemic. Sars-CoV-2, the coronavirus which causes Covid-19, infects people by binding require the use of a live virus, cells, led the team sciences) at Nanyang Technologi- the proteins on its shell – known as spike proteins – to a cell surface protein highly skilled operators, and com- that invented cal University, said the test kit Source: Lucence called the ACE2 receptor. Neutralising antibodies bind to the spike proteins, plex laboratory procedures that re- preventing the virus from binding with the receptor. the test. would help identify those who were quire several days to obtain results. exposed to the virus but did not de- DR SIDNEY YEE, DxD Hub’s chief In contrast, the cPass mimics key Live virus velop symptoms. executive. parts of the testing process chemi- CURRENT SEROLOGY TEST “The ability of this kit to deter- cally and does not require the use of mine the level of neutralising anti- • Conventional tests Neutralising ’’ a live virus or cells, said Duke-NUS’ bodies will provide valuable infor- which detect antibody Professor Wang Linfa, at a virtual neutralising antibodies mation on whether a person could HELPFUL TO GOVERNMENTS press conference yesterday. It can require the use of the be protected against a future infec- be carried out in most research or live virus, which tion. This information would be use- The test results will clinical labs, he added. requires expertise and Spike There are also plans to partner lo- ful to identify the best approach on be of great help to Prof Wang, who led the team that specialised equipment protein cal biotech companies to increase how to reopen the economy with- invented the test, is director of and a biocontainment the production of the test kits. out risking a second wave of infec- governments in Duke-NUS’ emerging infectious dis- facility to handle. ACE2 receptor DxD Hub validated the kit with tions,” he said. eases programme. The role of anti- clinical samples of patients, and de- Professor Teo Yik Ying, dean of guiding the bodies in granting immunity from Spike protein binds veloped the manufacturing proto- NUS’ Saw Swee Hock School of Pub- resumption of work Covid-19 is currently still being re- to ACE2 receptor col and quality controls to secure its lic Health, called the test kit a “ter- searched. provisional authorisation by the rific development”. since it is extremely But Prof Wang said: “We are in Health Sciences Authority. Knowledge gained from tests con- useful for quick and the phase of a pandemic where ev- NEW SEROLOGY TEST: cPass™ GenScript was responsible for ducted by the kit could alter a coun- ery nation is discussing an exit strat- Neutralising proof-of-concept research, prod- try’s strategies against Covid-19, he reliable egy... in most cases, neutralising an- • Duke-NUS' test antibody uct design and development and op- said, allowing them to know when removes the need surveillance to tibodies equal protection, or are the Enzyme timisation, and will now play a cen- to relax their posture. for a live virus by determine how best indicator of protection (from mimicking key parts tral role in the commercialisation Prof Teo noted that the test can the virus).” process using its global network be deployed in field settings with of the process Modied widely a population He added: “It’s not a perfect indi- chemically. Instead spike protein and manufacturing capacity to limited resources. cator or biomarker for protection of a human cell, the launch cPass in Singapore and “This is important for countries has gained Source:(from Covid-19), The but it’s Business as good as ACE2 Times receptors are © Singapore Press Holdingsaround Limited. the world. Permissionwhere the required rural regions typically do immunity to the you can get right now… We have to spread on an ELISA Prof Wang said he came up with not have access to advanced labora- forbe realistic,reproduction. either you do nothing plate. the idea for the kit on March 10. tory set-ups,” he said. Sars-CoV-2 virus. or do something. And if you want to • The key part of the Proof of concept data was obtained He added: “Presently there are a Detection of do something, cPass is the only one virus’ spike protein is ACE2 receptors 10 days later, and by April 24, kits few unknowns with regard to that can do it.” modiˆed by pairing were being shipped to the World whether prior infection immedi- neutralising Duke-NUS also announced yester- it with an enzyme ELISA plate Health Organisation’s diagnostic ately confers immunity against re- antibodies day that it will be co-developing that causes the labs for assessment. infection, and even if so, how long and manufacturing the kit with mixture to change • If neutralising antibodies are present, they will cPass received provisional autho- this immunity lasts for. This cPass determines who can biotechnology company GenScript colour when it binds prevent the modiˆed spike protein – and the enzyme risation from the Health Sciences test kit is a crucial resource in allow- more safely go back Biotech Corporation and the with the ACE2 – from binding with the receptors, and there will be Authority on May 8. ing the world to learn about these Agency for Science, Technology receptors. reduced or no colour change. “Fighting Covid-19 is like in unknowns.” to work or to more and Research’s Diagnostics Devel- wartime, where everything has to opment Hub (DxD Hub). Sources: DUKE-NUS, GENSCRIPT, A*STAR STRAITS TIMES GRAPHICS progress very fast... We could do [email protected] social life.

such unapproved test kits by con- blood in the air, and you may infect sumers can lead to a false sense of the person trying to help you if DR ZHU LI, chief strategy officer of Home tests may not be as accurate, GenScript. security and risk the spreading of you’re actually (infected).” 13 Covid-19 unknowingly due to false Prof Wang acknowledged home ’’ sensitive as lab tests, cautions expert negative readings, or result in delay test kits may still have their uses – in seeking appropriate treatment.” such as mass testing to see what pro- Prof Wang said there might also portion of a population is infected – be operational issues associated but felt that it might not be helpful Home test kits to detect Covid-19 I’m convinced you can never pro- too inaccurate to be used. with such tests. in other situations, such as letting have their limitations, cautioned duce a home kit as accurate, as sen- Earlier this month, the Health Sci- He said: “In a finger prick test, individual people know whether Professor Wang Linfa, director of sitive as a lab-based test,” he said ences Authority (HSA) removed when you take blood and put it on they are immune to the virus. the emerging infectious diseases yesterday. the online listings of a number of il- the apparatus, do you do it yourself, “They have their uses. But you programme at Duke-NUS Medical A recent attempt in the UK to use legal test kits with inherent limita- or ask your brother, or your mother, have to (know) what question you School. such kits on a mass scale fell flat, af- tions which might have resulted in or your grandfather to do it? are asking,” he said. “I know the general public thinks ter the authorities announced that incorrect or misleading findings. “Because if that person’s hand is it’s great to have a home kit, but... at least 3.5 million such kits were HSA said: “Self-directed use of shaking, you will have a drop of Timothy Goh Scientists monitoring human-to-animal transmission as cases rise

The scientific community is moni- close interactions (with animals) – come asymptomatic carriers of the fection, transmit the virus to differ- Covid-19 remains limited. susceptible, but not as much as toring the transmission of Covid-19 some are farmers, some have pets.” disease. ent animals or back to humans, The World Organisation for Ani- cats. from humans to animals as more Pointing to the recent cases of a Prof Wang said it is unfortunate then this vicious cycle will be even mal Health (OIE) said on its web- The OIE said: “To date, there is no cases surface around the world, zookeeper in New York who in- that when there is a virus infection worse in the context of transmis- site that studies are under way to evidence that companion animals said Duke-NUS Medical School’s fected a tiger with Covid-19 as well in animals, they fall sick or die. sion control.” better understand the susceptibil- play a significant role in spreading Professor Wang Linfa yesterday. as two mink farms in the Nether- “That’s bad. But worse is an However, he noted that this is a ity of different animal species to the disease. Therefore, there is no Prof Wang, who is director of the lands that saw their animals com- asymptomatic infection. worst-case scenario, and added the coronavirus. justification in taking measures emerging infectious diseases pro- ing down with the disease, he said “We are worried about asympto- that the international community is Preliminary studies suggest that against companion animals which gramme at the school, said: “We that such transmission was happen- matic infection in humans – imag- watching the situation “very poultry and pigs are not susceptible may compromise their welfare.” have 4.3 million people infected ing “without any doubt”. ine what happens in animals. If the closely” and trying to ensure that to infection, while cats are the most (with Covid-19). Some have very The fear is that animals may be- animal can get an asymptomatic in- human-to-animal transmission of vulnerable. Dogs also appear to be Timothy Goh SPECIAL FEATURE SUPPORTING SINGAPORE’S FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

A*STAR scientists discovered an antibody The National Centre for Infectious Diseases that targets a specific part of the coronavirus, (NCID) and A*STAR discovered the specific sites preventing it from infecting human cells. Together on the novel coronavirus that trigger the body with Japanese pharmaceutical company Chugai to produce antibodies that prevent further Pharmabody Research, the scientists are currently COVID-19 infection. These findings demonstrated working on optimising the therapeutic antibody that antibodies produced during infection attach to for clinical use. many parts of the virus, but only some antibodies are capable of eliminating the virus or offering protection against infection. The information will be used to ANTIBODY guide development of treatments. DISCOVERY AND THERAPEUTICS The identification of these specific targets on the Expediting the search virus is a crucial advance in the development of for treatment of better diagnostics and treatments for COVID-19. COVID-19 patients There is also potential to use these targets against similar coronaviruses to address other viral outbreaks. - Professor Lisa Ng, Senior Principal Investigator at A*STAR’s Singapore Immunology Network

The discovery of a new variant of the COVID-19 virus that causes milder infections has placed Singapore’s R&D ecosystem on the map. The findings of Singapore scientists from A*STAR’s Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), the NCID and Duke-NUS Medical School were published in The Lancet medical journal. It demonstrated that COVID-19 patients infected with this new variant of SARS-CoV-2 had better clinical outcomes. The variant, which likely came from Wuhan, China, was detected in a cluster of infections that occurred from January to March 2020. The variant has a large deletion that removes the ORF8 gene. In Singapore, the virus was transmitted from person to person across several Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction. clusters before being contained. The findings could have implications on the development of treatments Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for and vaccines. reproduction. 14 SPECIAL FEATURE SUPPORTING SINGAPORE’S FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

A*STAR scientists, together with SingHealth doctors A*STAR continually tracks the evolution of the from the SGH Department of Infectious Diseases, virus, to inform the various COVID-19 R&D projects and the Department of Respiratory and Critical in Singapore as well as the global scientific Care Medicine, designed an experiment to show community. Dr Sebastian Maurer-Stroh, Deputy the importance of wearing a mask in helping to Executive Director (Research), and his team at the prevent the spread of viruses. Using laser sheets and Bioinformatics Institute at A*STAR are part of the core high-speed cameras, as well as modelling and simulation, scientific and curation team at the Global Initiative the experiments showed that when one wears a mask on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID). The platform properly, it can significantly reduce the spread of promotes the international sharing of the relevant BIOINFORMATICS droplets and aerosols ejected from the nose and mouth. virus sequences for various applications to combat AND MODELLING The experiment serves to educate the public on the the virus. For instance, Dr Maurer-Stroh’s work STUDIES importance of wearing masks, and inform national policy. ensures the continual high accuracy of the Fortitude Kit in detecting the virus in COVID-19 patients. Tapping on modelling and simulation work to Airflow Modelling keep track of everything in Public Spaces to from the evolution of This image captured from a high-speed and high-sensitivity camera shows a subject Understand Droplet the SARS-CoV-2 virus to coughing without wearing a mask. Transmission informing public policy on the safe re-opening A*STAR has also embarked of public spaces on a study to understand the risk of environmental transmission using airflow and droplet transport modelling supplemented with experimental droplet studies. This will enhance public health policy-making and better advise the public on safe distancing measures and guidelines.

This image shows the subject coughing while wearing a mask securely.

15 SPECIAL FEATURE SUPPORTING SINGAPORE’S FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

As Singapore presses on in its fight against COVID-19, face masks have become an integral part of daily life to complement social distancing and personal hygiene practices. A*STAR worked with local enterprises, including textile and apparel manufacturer Ramatex, to help them design effective masks for Singaporeans’ use. As global supply chains were disrupted by the pandemic, the key challenge in mask production has been the sourcing of raw materials. PROTECTIVE Researchers from A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of FACE MASKS Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) and Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (ARTC) Ensuring a secured collaborated with Ramatex in the search for materials supply of protective face that could work as effectively, if not more so, than masks for Singapore what was available. Tapping on the company’s deep knowledge in textiles, and A*STAR’s scientific know- how, the team was able to repurpose materials to

design a mask that was almost as effective as medical The mask’s ergonomic, duck beak design provides good breathability and facial coverage while reducing the components needed – such as the metal nose bridge typically found in masks, yet as comfortable and reusable as cloth masks. disposable masks. Special editions of these masks were also distributed to the public as part of the National Day Parade (NDP) Singapore Together Pack 2020.

One ground-up initiative was a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mask, the result of brainstorming between A*STAR’s student researchers and scientists. Using easily available household materials and consumables, this DIY mask could serve as an alternative to a commercial surgical mask if other options were unavailable or have been exhausted. This was timely, as it provided a potential option to address the perceived shortage of surgical masks back in March 2020. The DIY mask was tested and evaluated at A*STAR, and also went through third party testing at TUV-SUD. Watch this video to learn how to make your own DIY mask.

Joyce Tan (pictured above) and Jason Tan, PhD students with IBN, put together the The masks were distributed to each household as part of the NDP Singapore DIY mask video and taught some of the social service agencies to make these masks, Together Pack. to help more vulnerable members of the community learn to make them too. 16 SPECIAL FEATURE SUPPORTING SINGAPORE’S FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19

Researchers and technology firms around the A*STAR and SingHealth, with support from People’s feelings about COVID-19 around the world, including those in Singapore, are working the Integrated Health Information Systems world have shifted from fear to anger and joy as on wearable technology devices – to monitor (IHIS), developed a “Doctor COVID” chatbot on the pandemic developed, according to a study led and detect COVID-19, even before its symptoms instant messaging service Telegram, to improve by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) that surface in patients. Local medical technology start-up communication with COVID-19 patients remotely. analysed 20 million tweets on Twitter from January Respiree aims to save patient lives by predicting clinical Patients who subscribe to the chatbot service get daily to April 2020. A machine-learning algorithm called deterioration early. An A*STAR spin-off, Respiree’s broadcast messages such as reminders and other CrystalFeel, developed by A*STAR was used to core technology is a sensor platform developed at the medical information, as well as regular check-ins on analyse the tweets. It is able to identify joy, sadness, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC), A*STAR. The their mental well-being. This effort helps to minimise fear and anger based on words or phrases. These ANALYTICS AND platform combines breath-cardio sensing and artificial transmission risk among healthcare workers. An findings can help authorities to make informed decisions DETECTION intelligence analytics to help predict and manage early upgraded version out later this year will incorporate to address public sentiments such as fear and anger in a onset of clinical deteriorations, such as worsening conversational artificial intelligence (AI) technology, timely manner. Supporting remote conditions from respiratory diseases. Today, the Respiree which uses machine learning and natural language monitoring of COVID-19 devices are deployed on trial across segments in processing to analyse and respond to complex patients to ease selected local hospitals, to support healthcare workers questions posed by users. healthcare operations in caring for COVID-19 patients that often suffer from acute respiratory symptoms. Currently, Respiree and the National University Hospital (NUH), NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine) are collaborating on a research study to develop predictive models using respiratory rate and breathing variability, to detect clinical deterioration in patients suffering from acute respiratory failure and pneumonia early and accurately. The aim is to deploy the use of novel respiratory biomarkers to predict worsening conditions in isolated COVID-19 patients.

Local medical technology start-up Respiree’s wearable device which is used to Source: The New Paper © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for measure vital parameters such as respiratory rate or blood oxygen levels. reproduction. Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for 17 Source: Respiree reproduction. KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

19 Contributing to Better Health Outcomes for Singaporeans 22 Contributing to Societal Outcomes 27 Contributing to the Transformation of Singapore’s Economy 31 Talent for the Nation – Strengthening a Vibrant Ecosystem for Research, Innovation, and Enterprise KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Public Sector Collaborations Industry Partnerships Impactful Science

1. Supporting the Local Drug Development Ecosystem Building on capabilities honed over the years, A*STAR supports Singapore’s R&D ecosystem in developing innovative medicines.

The Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC), a national platform for drug discovery CONTRIBUTING and development was officially launched by Mr TO BETTER Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating HEALTH Minister for Economic Policies, Minister for Finance, and Chairman of the National Research Foundation (NRF) on OUTCOMES FOR 26 June 2019. The centre channels high potential drug SINGAPOREANS candidates toward commercial and clinical outcomes. A key milestone: EDDC has successfully moved the A*STAR contributes drug candidate ETC-159 – a novel small molecule drug to better living, and candidate for colorectal cancer and other solid tumours health outcomes for Singaporeans – into Phase 1B of clinical trials. by working closely together with the public As part of the national strategy, the Target Translation sector and industry to Consortium (TTC) was also set up in August 2019 with develop and leverage eight public institution members. The objective is to technology. The goal is synergise expertise and resources to improve the rate at to build resilient and which public research is translated into new medicines. Source: The Business Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction. sustainable systems for the future, in the areas of prevention, diagnosis 2. Driving Asian Phenotype-Focused Three of the authors from the study and treatment of published in the journal Cell, from Cancer Research left: Prof Liu Jianjun (Deputy Executive diseases, as well as Director of GIS, and Professor at Yong Supported by A*STAR and tapping on its multi- Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS), Prof solutions for an ageing Patrick Tan (Executive Director of GIS, population. ethnic population, Singapore has world-class R&D and Director of SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute of Precision Medicine), and capabilities in the biomedical sciences, particularly Prof Cheng Ching-Yu (Principal Clinician on the Asian phenotype and lifestyle. Scientist at the Singapore Eye Research Institute, representing the study’s participating cohorts). A*STAR’s Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and its LEARN more about the Experimental Drug partners from the research and clinical communities Development Centre. in Singapore have completed the world’s largest sequencing analysis of multi-ethnic Asian populations. This milestone study provides valuable insights on the unique diversity of largely understudied Asian populations, that could enable more accurate diagnosis of genetic diseases and chronic ailments, as 19 well as guide prevention and targeted therapies. KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Public Sector Collaborations Industry Partnerships Impactful Science

As stomach cancer is one of the most common Two new variants of the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) that 3. Advancing Infectious Disease Research forms of cancer amongst Asians, the Singapore can make it easier to identify individuals at high risk Over the years, A*STAR has built deep capabilities in Gastric Cancer Consortium, DxD Hub, NUH, and of developing “Cantonese cancer” were discovered infectious diseases research. Combining its capabilities TTSH, developed GASTROClear, a device that by A*STAR scientists, hence allowing for early in microbiology with genomics, molecular biology, simplifies the diagnosis of gastric cancer and intervention. The study, published in the journal Nature immunology, bioinformatics, data analytics, and even allows for early intervention. Commercialised by Genetics in June, involved scientists from A*STAR’s GIS, the productisation of diagnostics, A*STAR plays a local biotech company MiRXES, this in-vitro diagnostic Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Institute of Zoology significant role in Singapore’s world-class infectious medical device is the world’s first non-invasive blood of Chinese Academy of Sciences, as well as several other diseases R&D ecosystem. CONTRIBUTING test for detection of gastric cancer. It works by collaborating research institutes. measuring the levels of stomach cancer associated Scientists now have a better understanding of the TO BETTER microRNA biomarkers. The product was approved as a genetic materials and shapes of four dengue and four HEALTH Class C medical device by Singapore’s HSA in May 2019. Zika viruses, as well as their corresponding functions. It is now in use at local hospitals. OUTCOMES FOR A*STAR’s GIS, together with scientists from Duke- SINGAPOREANS NUS Medical School and A*STAR’s BII have succeeded in mapping out the structures of these viruses. Consequently, this would enable scientists to design better drugs and treatments.

Schematic representation of mature and infectious dengue virus

See the “COVID-19 Special Feature” on page 9 for more information on A*STAR’s key achievements in Source: CNA website infectious diseases.

20 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Public Sector Collaborations Industry Partnerships Impactful Science

4. Improving Health and Wellness with Eko.ai is an A*STAR MedTech & Digihealth spin-off which uses AI-based software to A*STAR has use-inspired basic science capabilities that enable early detection cut across biomedical sciences, as well as science and and prediction of heart engineering capabilities that can be applied to MedTech disease. Their software innovations, to prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses. platform offers a suite of research and productivity The market for smart wearables is heating up as tools to support healthcare CONTRIBUTING consumers become more health-conscious, and turn providers. The core to wearable mobile devices to constantly monitor their TO BETTER technology platform was health and fitness levels. Local SME KaHa and A*STAR’s HEALTH co-developed with A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology research institutes and OUTCOMES FOR (SIMTech) co-developed a Smart T-shirt which can A*ccelerate. They have SINGAPOREANS accurately measure the wearer’s heart rate and ECG bagged a number of levels, amongst other things. prominent awards in 2019, including the coveted Startup SG Grand Prize at Slingshot 2019 and the JLABS Award at the APACMed MedTech Forum. Eko.ai won the Startup SG Grand Prize at Slingshot 2019 and was presented the award by SMS Koh Poh Koon (left).

Researchers at A*STAR’s Institute of Material Research Engineering (IMRE), and Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), as well as NUH and the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI), have developed a biodegradable thermogel called Vitreogel. It Channel 8 Morning Express, 5 June 2019 mimics the clear, gelatinous substance called vitreous in the eye, and could serve as a long-term vitreous substitute in eye treatments. The team started a spin-off company called Vitreogel Innovations and is exploring the use of the gel as a sustained drug delivery platform for biologics to the posterior segment of the eye. It can also act as a scaffold to facilitate stem Source: Vitreogel cell transplantation for retinal disease such as age- related macular degeneration.

21 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Public Sector Collaborations Industry Partnerships Impactful Science

1. Boosting the Resilience of Singapore’s Food Security SIFBI will look into areas such as food, nutrition The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the importance and agricultural technology and is part of of food security in Singapore into sharp relief. Singapore’s efforts to produce 30 per cent of its To support the national agenda of strengthening nutritional needs by 2030 - or what it terms its Singapore’s food supply, A*STAR works closely with ‘30 by 30’ target. public R&D entities and industry partners. - Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, at the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Week 2019 CONTRIBUTING Led by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and TO SOCIETAL A*STAR, the Singapore Food Story R&D Programme was initiated in 2019 to turn the nation’s challenges SIFBI is doing its part DPM Heng Swee Keat and SMS Koh Poh OUTCOMES Koon visited A*STAR in September 2019 in food security into economic opportunities. The to actively promote to gain deeper insights into our Food & Consumer R&D strategies A*STAR is committed aim is to build a strong foundation of food-related partnerships in the to supporting the cross-domain R&D capabilities in local research local R&D ecosystem. public sector and institutions, and address emerging high-value industry The aim is to accelerate relevant industries in needs in the areas of the agri-tech, nutrition, novel innovation and the improving the lives foods and food safety. transformation of the of Singaporeans, local food industry to especially in the areas In collaboration with public agencies including capture new growth of food security, as SFA and the institutes of higher learning, A*STAR opportunities in the well as smart cities and established the Singapore Institute of Food and global food market. sustainability. Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI) in April 2020 to These partnerships are bring its food science research under one roof. essential for SIFBI to This includes research capabilities in areas such as contribute to Singapore’s nutrition, biotransformation, biotechnology, food food security goals. safety, agri-food technology, and even manufacturing and engineering. The goal of this synergistic platform Watch: New A*STAR is to facilitate economic value capture for Singapore’s institute SIFBI pushes food R&D ecosystem. the frontiers of food innovation SIFBI will partner other research partners in the food ecosystem such as the NUS, NTU and SFA’s National Centre for Food Science, as well as foreign universities to plug capability gaps in the local ecosystem. READ more about A*STAR’s Future of Food Initiatives.

22 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Public Sector Collaborations Industry Partnerships Impactful Science

Local start-up Archisen develops and operates Eatobe is a Singapore systems and solutions to grow local produce in urban food biotechnology cities. By leveraging its expertise in crop management, start-up which aims engineering innovation and IoT technology, Archisen to address nutrient connects multiple urban farms to a centralised intelligence deficiencies in the system, to help them stay profitable.A*STAR provided population. Eatobe’s Archisen with technological expertise that accelerated collaboration the start-up’s development of their intelligent urban with SIFBI’s CONTRIBUTING farm management platform, Croptron. The start-up Biotransformation worked with A*STAR’s BII on a yield prediction model Group has enabled TO SOCIETAL for lettuce and kale to help prevent crop wastage, thus it to develop OUTCOMES reducing operational costs and increase profitability. proprietary enzyme cocktails that ferment Start-up Sophie’s Kitchen’s Bionutrients is developing a whole foods to new sustainable alternative protein out of microalgae, produce ingredients which can be turned into a plant-based protein to be with higher nutrient incorporated into consumers’ everyday diet. SIFBI and bio-accessibility. Sophie’s Kitchen entered a research collaboration Eatobe produced a in August 2019 that would leverage BioTrans’ prototype after six know-how in fermentation, as well as bioprocess months of collaboration engineering and design, to develop a robust with A*STAR, while bioprocess for the production of alternative food securing grants and protein using microalgae. The partnership would investments with the enable Sophie’s Kitchen to rapidly ramp up the scale technology developed The Eatobe R&D and Foods team in their pilot processing and test kitchen space. of its production for commercialisation, and support during the partnership. Source: Eatobe Singapore’s ‘30 by 30’ goal.

2. Building A Smart and Sustainable City To help expedite court proceedings, the Speech Transcription System (STS) was developed by A*STAR’s capabilities range from robotics and A*STAR’s Institute for Infocomm Research (I2R) with artificial intelligence to data analytics and machine the State Courts to provide real-time automatic learning. Through public sector partnerships, these speech transcription of English conversations R&D capabilities have been developed into innovative presented as oral evidence and delivery in the Courts. solutions that does everything from improving public Applying A*STAR’s speech recognition technology, service delivery, to sustainable and more liveable this STS does away with manual court reporters or spaces for Singaporeans. transcribers. Previously, the system requires an external service provider which will take about seven days to fully transcribe all digitally recorded court proceedings.

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Eugene Wang, Co-founder of Sophie’s Kitchen’s Bionutrients KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Public Sector Collaborations Industry Partnerships Impactful Science

SG Translate, an AI-translation engine A*STAR collaborates with local robotics SMEs to was deployed in July 2019 to assist public up their game in creating innovative solutions for communication officers in their translations of industry. Local start-up, SIIX-AGT specialises in multi- official materials. More recently, it was used to purpose robotics components such as base modules translate the COVID-19 updates on Gov.sg WhatsApp that can be repurposed for different market segments and Telegram to push out these messages quickly. – much like the building blocks of service robots. By incorporating A*STAR’s AI technologies into its service robots, the enterprise was able to come up with new CONTRIBUTING innovative solutions to address market needs and boost productivity. TO SOCIETAL Singlish-Speaking Robots and Other Ways to Make AI Work for Singapore and Beyond 2 OUTCOMES It licensed I R’s software to develop an advanced The Straits Times, 14 December 2019 autonomous robotics base that integrates multiple sensors for indoor navigation, and to carry out Chief AI Scientist, Prof Ong Yew Soon and Assistant multiple tasks. Powered by deep learning algorithms, Chief Executive, Science and Engineering Research the service robots are trained to avoid humans and Council Prof Tan Sze Wee shared insights on making AI obstacles, as well as perform tasks without human work for Singapore and beyond in this opinion editorial supervision. SIIX-AGT has also worked with A*STAR to for The Straits Times. The Multi-purpose All Terrain Autonomous Robot prototype the earlier versions of the MATAR robots. (MATAR) is a smart security patrol robot that employs A*STAR’s technologies in AI and robotics. Neeuro launched the brainwave-controlled game A collaboration between A*STAR’s I2R, Ministry of CogoLand to help complement Attention Deficit Home Affairs’ Home Team Science and Technology Hyperactivity Disorder treatment for children. An Agency (HTX) and the Singapore Police Force, MATAR is A*STAR spin-off, Neeuro licensed the Brain-Computer equipped with sound and visual sensors with 360 video Interface (BCI) technology from A*STAR’s I2R. The capabilities. These allow the autonomous patrol robot trial of CogoLand to complement ADHD treatment is the to detect suspicious activity on the ground. MATAR was result of a collaboration among the Institute of Mental deployed for a trial at the National Day Parade 2019. Health (IMH), Duke-NUS Medical School and A*STAR’s I2R.

Watch the MATAR robot in action.

Innovation is what will set you apart in a world of disruption. My vision for SIIX-AGT is to create novel robotics solutions that will transform industries and make a positive impact for society. Cogoland is a game that could complement the treatment of children with ADHD. 24 - Mr Ivan Khoo, the Chief Executive Officer of SIIX-AGT Source: Neeuro (right in picture) KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Public Sector Collaborations Industry Partnerships Impactful Science

Singapore faces significant challenges related to climate- The IEM has also pushed technological boundaries A*STAR and Surbana Jurong will jointly develop change, such as high temperatures in urbanised spots. in high performance supercomputing. It has created advanced digital capabilities in i) the planning of cities, A team comprising of researchers from A*STAR’s the first-ever 3D wind-flow simulation that included residential towns and industrial parks, ii) design and Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC), all buildings in Singapore at a 10-metre resolution. simulation of buildings, and iii) services for efficient and I2R and HDB engineers have developed a modeller In 2019, the project garnered prestigious awards sustainable operations and maintenance. As part of that optimises the design of urban spaces for such as the President’s Technology Award, the the commercialisation partnership, Surbana Jurong is improved liveability. The Integrated Environmental ASEAN Outstanding Engineering Achievement incorporating into its service offerings, technologies Modeller (IEM) renders high-resolution 3D models of Award and the Minister for National Development’s commercialised by A*STAR’s SME and start-up CONTRIBUTING urban environments, and is a world-first urban-planning R&D Merit Award. licensees. The Large Local Enterprise (LLE) will also tool which integrates the projection of how individual expose local companies in its supply chain to overseas TO SOCIETAL environmental factors solar, wind, and noise, as well as As Singapore gears up to become a smart nation markets for new business opportunities, including the 40 OUTCOMES their interrelationships, affect an urban setting. With the powered by digital innovation, A*STAR is embarking countries in which the company has an existing market IEM, urban planners can visualise environmental factors on two partnerships with large local enterprises to presence. The upcoming Surbana Jurong Campus will on a virtual “Digital Twin” to optimise the design of urban co-develop digital solutions for smart cities and the serve as a test-bed for new technologies in partnership spaces. For example, the IEM proved instrumental in built environment. with A*STAR SMEs and start-ups. the urban design plan for Tengah town. HDB’s planners, architects and engineers used the IEM as one of the smart planning tools to analyse key wind channels and the solar Moving forward, heat gained by different urban features, such as concrete A*STAR will enhance and vegetation. This will help them design open spaces our support for as well as optimise the building layouts and orientation to local enterprises. promote natural ventilation within the town. For Surbana Jurong, we will do our part to support its global competitiveness in the built environment through leveraging technology. The fact that local SMEs can benefit from this new partnership is LEARN more about A*STAR’s research a very important on Sustainability. outcome. From left: Mr Frederick Chew, CEO, A*STAR, Prof Tan Sze Wee, ACE SERC, A*STAR, Ms Chan Lai Fung, Chairman, A*STAR, Mr Liew - Mr Frederick Chew, Chief Mun Leong, Chairman, Surbana Jurong, Mr Chong Lit Cheong, Group Chief Corporate Officer, Surbana Jurong, and Mr Wong Heang Executive Officer, A*STAR Fine, Group Chief Executive Officer, Surbana Jurong

From left: Mr Tan Sze Tiong, Director, Centre of Excellence for Environmental Sustainability Research, HDB, Dr Koh Wee Shing, Senior Scientist, A*STAR’s IHPC, 25 Dr Poh Hee Joo, Senior Scientist, A*STAR’s IHPC and Mr Fachmin Folianto, Senior Research Engineer, A*STAR’s I2R KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Public Sector Collaborations Industry Partnerships Impactful Science

With ST Engineering, A*STAR will focus on Local enterprise Westcom’s food waste management IHI Corporation is a Japanese multinational company technology co-development, adoption and system is a game-changing solution that turns food (MNC) that produces heavy-industry machinery. commercialisation in robotics, smart mobility, waste into fertiliser within 24 hours, and generates no The company worked with A*STAR’s Institute smart communications, and healthtech. A*STAR will wastewater. Westcom’s patented microbial solution of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES) to pull technological capabilities from across its research was invented after a two-year R&D process with co-develop a new Methanation catalyst to help institutes to co-develop innovative solutions with ST A*STAR. Researchers also helped Westcom set up its companies such as chemical production plants Engineering. The partnership will drive new business own in-house laboratory so that the company could convert carbon dioxide emissions into methane, outcomes in Singapore and in overseas markets for ST scale up production of its microbial solution to serve which could then be sold or used as an energy CONTRIBUTING Engineering and its SME partners. market needs. source to power plant operations. The new technology aims to effectively reduce carbon footprint TO SOCIETAL of these production plants, contributing to Singapore’s OUTCOMES efforts in addressing the effects of climate change.

Bags of fertiliser produced by Westcom’s food waste recycling machine A demonstration unit of the new technology by IHI and ICES situated on Jurong Island MOU signing ceremony with ST Engineering in July 2019 Researchers from IMRE have churned This MOU with A*STAR serves as another out biodegradable collaboration platform for us to work with some plastic made out of of the best minds in research and engineering to lignin, a waste product of processes such as create differentiated, commercially viable smart paper production, and city solutions that will further enhance our the method has proven global competitiveness. to be cost-effective. - Mr Vincent Chong, President & CEO of ST Engineering

From left: Dr Kai Dan, Scientist, Prof Alfred Huan, Executive Director and Dr Loh Xian Jun, Senior Scientist from IMRE 26 Source: Lianhe Zaobao © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction. KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Public Sector Collaborations Industry Partnerships Impactful Science

1. Powering High-Value Manufacturing A*STAR’s ARTC, local SMEs JM Vistec System and A*STAR’s ARTC, Jurong Townhall Corporation (JTC) M8M, as well as MNC Procter and Gamble (P&G) and Singtel signed a memorandum of understanding A*STAR’s wide-ranging capabilities in Industry 4.0 jointly developed a new system driven by artificial in June 2019 to develop Industry 4.0 solutions based manufacturing processes give local companies intelligence to automate the process of quality on 5G technology. The three parties are integrating 5G a competitive edge, helping them to reinvent inspection for P&G’s luxury consumer care bottles technology into A*STAR’s Model Factory @ ARTC in the themselves, and pivot into new markets and new during production. Jurong Innovation District (JID) to drive digital transformation products. A*STAR also works with multinational in the manufacturing sector. The 5G pilot network at ARTC corporation (MNC), helping to anchor their activities will help accelerate the commercialisation of 5G technology in Singapore to create business opportunities for and its adoption by manufacturers in Singapore. CONTRIBUTING local companies and jobs for Singaporeans. TO THE TRANSFORMATION Component Technology and A*STAR have worked on several industrial projects together and to date, OF SINGAPORE’S co-developed 27 key technologies in wire bond ECONOMY inspection. A partnership with A*STAR’s SIMTech was crucial for a small business like Component Tech Open innovation adds because it did not have the capabilities to develop value to the economy. new technology on its own. These collaborations A*STAR supports Singapore’s world- resulted in a first-of-its-kind 3D automated wire bond class R&D ecosystem inspection system, which Component Technology by bridging the gap exhibited at the Hannover Messe trade fair in April between academia and 2019. Using algorithms and triangulation technology Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction. industry, thus anchoring jointly developed with A*STAR, the machine inspects businesses in high-value the interconnections between wires to confirm that The SIMTech Innovation Factory – an industries here. they are up to standard. The cost savings are the key initiative by A*STAR in partnership value proposition for the machine, giving the company with Enterprise Singapore – is a space a competitive edge. In the future, it plans to provide that supports local firms’ ideation upgrades such as artificial intelligence capabilities so the and design of unique products. Set machines can handle more complicated applications. to be operationally ready at the Jurong Innovation District (JID)’s CleanTech Park by 2021, the Innovation Factory will provide companies with design and prototyping support for products such as inspection equipment, medical technology devices and electromechanical modules. Resident design and technology experts will be on hand to guide them on their innovation journey. The Innovation Factory supports the JID’s aim to

Component Technology CEO and managing director Berne Chung with the first- create 95,000 jobs in research and of-its-kind 3D automated wire bond inspection system his company developed in advanced manufacturing activities collaboration with A*STAR After developing their idea into a product concept for prototyping, companies can choose to carry out pilot 27 manufacturing of their products at the A*STAR Model Factory located at SIMTech and the ARTC. Source: Component Technology over the next two decades. KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Public Sector Collaborations Industry Partnerships Impactful Science

At the annual Industrial Transformation Asia- Pacific (ITAP) 2019 in October, A*STAR launched a series of new Future of Manufacturing Initiatives. These include i) a hyper-personalised manufacturing platform for the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector; and ii) a learning platform that digitally connects smart factories for the sharing of Industry 4.0 best practices.

CONTRIBUTING ARTC’s hyper-personalised manufacturing initiative TO THE marks new frontiers for Singapore’s Future of TRANSFORMATION Manufacturing strategy. This move towards hyper- OF SINGAPORE’S personalisation takes manufacturing to the next level ECONOMY by leveraging advanced IoT-enabled devices as well as machine learning techniques to analyse customers’ real-time behavioural data. Tapping on the local R&D ecosystem, Singapore-based manufacturers are keen to deploy production know-how globally as well. In 2018, A*STAR extended its ARTC model factory to FMCG firms, complementing its work with aerospace and engineering companies. So far, A*STAR and 10 companies have collectively invested S$38 million into FMCG R&D at ARTC.

Pfizer, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, established its Manufacturing In October 2019, A*STAR’s SIMTech and Technology Development Centre (MTDC) in A*STAR’s the Singapore Precision Engineering ICES in 2016. The company has extended its agreement and Technology Association (SPETA) with ICES to host MTDC till 2022, further anchoring its launched a learning platform that global R&D activity in Singapore. digitally connects smart factories so local companies across industries can learn Industry 4.0 best practices. This new platform will allow companies to discover fresh approaches to digital FIND OUT more about A*STAR’s Future manufacturing, and explore how these of Manufacturing initiatives. could be applied in their factories for higher productivity. Thirteen organisations across industry and institutes of higher learning have signed an MOU with SIMTech and SPETA to join this Digital Ecosystem of Model Factories Initiative. 28 MOU signing ceremony on the Digital Ecosystem of Model Factories in October 2019 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Public Sector Collaborations Industry Partnerships Impactful Science

Source: The Business Times © Singapore 2. Enhancing Trade and Connectivity Press Holdings Limited. Permission required A*STAR supports trade and connectivity for Singapore, for reproduction. maintaining its competitiveness as a global air and sea transhipment hub.

The Smart Manufacturing Joint Lab between A*STAR, Rolls-Royce and Singapore Aero Engine Services Pte Ltd (SAESL) was first established in September 2017 to CONTRIBUTING accelerate the development of solutions for automatic, TO THE digital, adaptive manufacturing, and repair for the TRANSFORMATION aerospace industry. Since its launch in 2017, the joint lab has seen nearly 30 R&D projects with around OF SINGAPORE’S 100 companies, more than 40 of which are local. For ECONOMY example, local SME KA Industrial Engineering, has deployed an automated boron nitride spray process developed by A*STAR for Rolls-Royce’s Seletar facility. In June 2019, A*STAR and Rolls-Royce further invested S$8 million into their joint lab with Singapore Aero Engine Services, bringing the total investment of the five-year collaboration to S$69 million.

Another product of the Smart Manufacturing Joint Lab between A*STAR, Rolls-Royce and Singapore We want to bring Aero Engine Services: Two local enterprises and the the local enterprises entities have jointly developed a new technology along; they are the that automates part of an inspection process receptacles for the in jet engine manufacturing. System integrators technology that Zincode Technologies and Sysmatic Global worked with Rolls-Royce and ARTC on the solution, which A*STAR creates uses an array of cameras and specialised lighting to so they will be capture detailed images of jet engine fan blades. It the beneficiary of has been installed in Rolls-Royce’s Seletar facility for the business that further validation. comes as a result

These stories highlight how A*STAR continues of it, together with to keep Singapore attractive as an R&D hub, Rolls-Royce. From left to right: Dr Bicky Bhangu, President, Southeast Asia, Pacific and South Korea at Rolls-Royce, Prof Tan Sze Wee, Assistant Chief anchoring MNCs here, and in the process, help - Prof Tan Sze Wee, Executive, SERC, A*STAR, Dr David Low, CEO, ARTC, A*STAR, Mr Gavin New, Director, Sysmatic Global, and Mr David Tan, Director, local SMEs make headway into the aerospace Assistant Chief Executive Zincode Technologies of A*STAR’s Science Source: Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction. industry through innovation. and Engineering Research Council 29 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Public Sector Collaborations Industry Partnerships Impactful Science

Sembcorp Marine and A*STAR inked a Master MRCA signing ceremony with Sembcorp Marine in February 2020 Research Collaboration Agreement (MRCA) to jointly pursue innovation in digital design and advanced manufacturing to achieve clean energy solutions. With this agreement, the partners aim to shorten the development cycle and time-to-market of new and sustainable offshore and marine innovations. Sembcorp Marine and A*STAR will also set up a joint research CONTRIBUTING laboratory and workspace to facilitate the test-bedding and commercialisation of technologies. TO THE TRANSFORMATION The Centre of Excellence for Autonomous & Remotely OF SINGAPORE’S Operated Vessels (CEAOPS) was launched in October ECONOMY 2019. CEAOPS is the first research initiative to be funded under the Maritime Transformation Programme, and will be the national focal point for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships R&D. It will lead the way for safe and efficient operations of autonomously and remotely operated vessels, as well as vessels equipped with smart maritime systems and MOU signing ceremony during the Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) solutions, in complex operating environments. Forum in October 2019

CEAOPS will be housed in the Technology Centre for Offshore and Marine, Singapore (TCOMS), a joint initiative between A*STAR and NUS. Technologies developed by the R&D ecosystem in Singapore are already being deployed. For example, Jurong Port has test-bedded a cargo forecasting prediction tool in its decision-making process for future port resources planning. This tool was co-developed by A*STAR’s IHPC, Singapore Management University (SMU) and Fujitsu. ST Engineering, IHPC and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Living Lab are also working closely to develop next generation vessel traffic management systems. To help maritime SMEs embrace digitalisation, the Singapore Sea Transport Digital Plan was rolled out in 2019.

30 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Public Sector Collaborations Industry Partnerships Impactful Science

1. Nurturing A Pipeline of Local Talent Following a successful research career at I2R, A*STAR scholars are actively contributing to the A*STAR scholar Dr Research, Innovation & Enterprise (RIE) ecosystem in Ethan Chu, founded Singapore. Here are some success stories. Xjera Labs, an A*STAR spin-off focused on AI- Driving Entrepreneurship based Video Analytics. A*STAR scholar Dr Liang Hui Guang, is CEO and Xjera’s AI solution helps TALENT FOR co-founder of Mercurics, an AI company that allows its customers make sense of their data and THE NATION - companies to measure the personality traits of existing and potential employees that suit the organisation’s videos, which can be STRENGTHENING needs. The A*STAR spin-off’s computational modelling applied to everything A VIBRANT platform can be applied to various professional services from the improvement ECOSYSTEM sectors, such as human resource, retail and finance. of security, to general FOR RESEARCH, productivity. In 2019, the company won both INNOVATION, the Emerging Enterprise Winners of the Emerging Enterprise Award (from left) Mr Wong Joo Seng, co-founder and CEO of Spark System, Mr Jeremy Heng and Mr AND ENTERPRISE Award and the Best Ethan Chu, two of the three co-founders of Xjera Lab and Mr Charles Cher, Chairman of Emage Vision at the awards night on Oct 3, 2019 Innovation Awards. Source: ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR As a vibrant Global-Asian node of technology, A*STAR scholar Dr Ling Ka Yi, together with innovation, and Dr Sandhya Sriram co-founded Shiok Meats, As of April 2020, A*STAR has nurtured a pipeline of enterprise, Singapore a cell-based crustaceans start-ups in 2018. Born creates new products around 1,650 Singaporean PhD talent through various and services for the out of their desire to create an alternative to the scholarship schemes. world. A strong base of unsustainable shrimp industry, the founders leveraged researchers, innovators, their backgrounds in biology and cell science to build and entrepreneurs is Shiok Meats and craft the world’s first “clean shrimp”. The A*STAR Scholarship Award is part of critical to achieve this. In 2019, the enterprise raised S$6.2 million in seed our wider national strategy to allow our A*STAR’s multi-pronged funding to develop cell-based shrimps. talent strategy builds best to excel to their potential... Many are a pipeline of skilled well regarded in their respective fields talent pool to drive and through their work, have made a innovation and meet the country’s societal real difference to people’s lives, not just and economic needs. in Singapore but around the world… I am happy to note that A*STAR has made In my PhD thesis- I wrote this in my foreword: significant contributions to Singapore’s ‘I will never forget my charge to contribute – efforts in nurturing our talent base. in whatever capacity my professional training - Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing at A*STAR’s Scholarship Award Ceremony 2019 allows – back to the economy of Singapore.’ 31 - Dr Liang Hui Guang, who scored 254 points for his PSLE and is CEO of Mercurics From left: Dr Ka Yi Ling (CTO) and Dr Sandhya Sriram (CEO), co-founders of Shiok Meats KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Public Sector Collaborations Industry Partnerships Impactful Science

Driving Innovation in the Labs A*STAR scholars, Asst Prof Christine Cheung from A stem cell and developmental biology senior research IMCB and Asst Prof Benjamin Tee from IMRE were scientist at GIS, A*STAR scholar, Prof Tan Meng How A*STAR scholar Dr Tam Wai Leong is the group leader awarded the World Economic Forum’s Young was one of nine scientists selected to join the for precision oncology at the Genome Institute of Scientists of 2019, which featured 21 leading academics prestigious European Molecular Biology Organisation Singapore under A*STAR. He is part of the research from 10 countries. Asst Prof Cheung’s work involves using (EMBO) Global Investigator Network. In a recent team that collaborated with the National Cancer stem cell technology to study blood vessels in ways that joint study published in Nature, Prof Tan’s team, together Centre Singapore (NCCS) in a local study to discover could lead to treatments for diabetes and stroke; Asst with NTU and Stanford University uncovered a new layer that tumour growth can be slowed or prevented Prof Tee’s skin-like sensor systems help the brain interact of complexity beyond the human genome. The in-depth TALENT FOR by “starving” cancer cells of a nutrient commonly with prosthetic limbs, and give robots the sense of touch, study and new discoveries of RNA editing process provide found in meat, fish and dairy products. enabling them to repair themselves. better understanding of what makes us human. THE NATION - STRENGTHENING A VIBRANT ECOSYSTEM FOR RESEARCH, INNOVATION, AND ENTERPRISE

These A*STAR scholars were amongst 20 regional honourees of the Asia-Pacific Technology Review Under 35 Award 2020, announced in December 2019.

Dr Yvonne Gao (pictured, left) Scientist, IMRE Building modular hardware for quantum computers Tan Meng How and his colleagues’ latest work Dr Tam Wai Leong (left), group leader for precision oncology at A*STAR’s GIS, and Dr Daniel Tan, a senior consultant at the division of medical oncology at the NCCS, Dr Ling Ka Yi greatly expands our understanding of how RNA and a member of the research team which discovered that cancer stem cells use an Co-founder of Shiok Meats amino acid called methionine as fuel and are especially dependent on it. editing contributes to the diversification of our Bringing delicious and healthy Source: ST PHOTO: JASMINE CHOONG crustacean meat to consumers by genome – across time and age and in different harvesting cells instead of animals tissues of the body. They have identified important findings about how RNA editing is controlled and defined new regulators of this process. This is a very important study for our understanding of the role that RNA editing plays in different contexts and will provide a foundation for future studies in this field. 32 - Associate Prof Carl Walkley from St Vincent’s Institute and the University of Melbourne KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Public Sector Collaborations Industry Partnerships Impactful Science

2. Fueling Innovation in Local Industry The Technology for Enterprise Capability Upgrading (T-Up) initiative seconds A*STAR Research Scientists & Engineers (RSEs) to local enterprises to build and upgrade their in-house R&D capabilities. Here are some exemplary A*STAR talent who have made impactful contributions to local enterprises.

TALENT FOR Mr Mike Wong Kim Sing, Senior Research Engineer, THE NATION - I2R, was seconded to local enterprise Pestech STRENGTHENING to support the development of its auto rodent surveillance system, RodentEye. The system taps A VIBRANT on data analytics and IoT platform technologies, ECOSYSTEM and reduces manpower costs by 50 per cent, while FOR RESEARCH, improving the effectiveness of rodent hotspots INNOVATION, elimination by 100 per cent. Mr Wong was pivotal AND ENTERPRISE in the translation of research done at A*STAR I2R into innovative solutions that gave Pestech a competitive edge. He is also a veteran of the T-Up Scheme, having completed 10 years’ worth of Winners of the T-Up Excellence Award 2019 secondments and seen through the innovation journeys From left: Mr Marcus Neo Puay Keong, CEO of Omni-Plus System Pte Ltd, Dr Leong Yew Wei, IMRE, Mr Tong Kien Seng, Founder of Pestech, Mike Wong Kim Sing, I2R, Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Trade and Industry, Ms Chan Lai Fung, Chairman of A*STAR, of five local SMEs. Mr Peter Ong, Chairman of Enterprise Singapore, Mr Jeffrey Lu, Co-Founder/CEO of Engine Biosciences, Dr Asha Shekaran, BTI (joined T-Up company after secondment ended)

A*STAR has helped Pestech to innovate its Dr Asha Shekaran who was from A*STAR’s Omni-Plus System (OPS)‘s business is in providing a Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI) helped full solution approach to supply neat thermoplastic work processes, enabling us to overcome high optimise Engine Biosciences’ proprietary AI resins and composite materials to the electronic operational costs, and provide higher-value- platform for faster and more effective drug manufacturing industries. Dr Leong Yew Wei was added service to our clients. With the training discovery processes. The T-Up Project included a seconded to OPS for a year under the T-Up scheme provided, our staff has also become more proof of concept screen to identify miRNAs which where he facilitated the company’s capability competent in harnessing digital technologies regulate liver cancer cell growth and drug sensitivity; development roadmap. He played an instrumental and a commercial engagement of its platform role in establishing the R&D direction of the company, for greater efficiency. technology to identify regulators of a specific enabling it to create their own proprietary product - Mr Tong Kien Seng, Founder, Pestech biological pathway of interest. Dr Asha is currently portfolio to enhance their competitiveness. hired by Engine Biosciences as lead scientist and platform leader.

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3. Driving Impactful Discoveries As a world-class research organisation, A*STAR nurtures local talent while attracting global top talent to enable the local innovation ecosystem. Here are the highlights of their achievements in use-inspired basic science and high-impact R&D.

Top High-impact Journal Publications (in FY2019) TALENT FOR THE NATION - STRENGTHENING A VIBRANT ECOSYSTEM FOR RESEARCH, INNOVATION, A*STAR researchers found a novel point of weakness in tumor-initiating cells (TICs), AND ENTERPRISE opening up new opportunities for treating drug-resistant cancers. Tam Wai Leong, GIS A*STAR scientists identified a molecular marker for tracing the origins of Nature Medicine immune cells that reside in tissues and organs. Methionine is a metabolic dependency of tumor-initiating cells Florent Ginhoux, SIgN Cell A*STAR researchers discovered that modifying how embryonic stem cells use Fate Mapping via Ms4a3-Expression History Traces sugar can switch them into a totipotent state. Monocyte-Derived Cells Tee Wee-wei, IMCB Nature Cell Biology Maternal factor NELFA drives a 2C-like state in mouse embryonic stem cells

READ our High-Impact Publications. Scientists employed a combination of theoretical and experimental methods to optimise catalyst design. An improved design for nickel hydroxide catalysts could By integrating nanoantennas with liquid crystals, A*STAR researchers created a reduce costs and improve the efficiency of hydrogen fuel and oxygen generation. metasurface that allows fine dynamic control over the properties of light. Scientists discovered that biosensors designed with quantum properties are 15 Yu Zhigen, IHPC times more sensitive than classical sensors. Arseniy Kuznetsov, IMRE Xi Shibo, ICES Science Energy & Environmental Science Wu Lin, IHPC Phase-only transmissive spatial light modulator based on Strain stabilised nickel hydroxide nanoribbons for efficient Nano Letters 34 tunable dielectric metasurface water splitting Quantum Plasmonic Immunoassay Sensing KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Public Sector Collaborations Industry Partnerships Impactful Science

Awards: International L’Oreal-UNESCO International Awards for Women in American Institute for Medical & Biological Science 2019 - Dr Sherry Aw, Independent Fellow, IMB Engineering College of Fellows – Prof Malini Olivo, Honorary Citizen Award - Professor Sir John O’Reilly, Director of Biophotonics and Head Laboratory of Chairman of SERC, A*STAR Dr Sherry Aw was awarded the L’Oréal-UNESCO regional Bio-optical Imaging, SBIC, A*STAR fellowship Singapore. Singapore has honoured Professor Sir John O’Reilly, Picked for her pioneering work in developing Chairman of SERC, A*STAR and Professor Victor J. Dr Aw’s work in neuroscience could pave the way for biophotonics technology, Prof Malini Olivo was the only Dzau, President of the United States’ National Academy better treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. one from Singapore and the ASEAN region to receive of Medicine, with the Honorary Citizen Award for their Among the 275 national and regional fellowship winners this recognition. TALENT FOR valuable contributions to Singapore. that UNESCO supports each year, Dr Aw was listed as THE NATION - one of the 15 most promising researchers. STRENGTHENING Sir John O’Reilly has played an invaluable role in A VIBRANT charting the strategic direction for R&D in Singapore, ECOSYSTEM particularly in the engineering and physical sciences domains. He has also been instrumental in fostering FOR RESEARCH, close links and R&D collaborations between Singapore, INNOVATION, and British companies and universities. AND ENTERPRISE

World Summit on the Information Society Prize 2020 Champion - Transforming Urban Tree Management project, IHPC

The team collaborated with botanists and ecologists to translate the botanical domain knowledge into large-scale representative biomechanical 3D models of From left: Professor Victor J. Dzau and Professor Sir John O’Reilly at the Istana actual, individual trees in Singapore. These dynamic tree models will bring about more sustainable solutions for tree management in Singapore, as a response to climate change. Support from stakeholders such as NParks, Singapore Land Authority, GovTech, and the National University of The IHPC team (from left): Dr Daniel Wise, Dr Lim Chi Wan Calvin, Dr Like Gobeawan, Singapore, enabled IHPC to form an end-to-end value Dr Su Yi, Dr Wong Sum Thai chain from data acquisition, digital modelling, to tree management operations. 35 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Public Sector Collaborations Industry Partnerships Impactful Science

Global Highly Cited Researchers 2019

TALENT FOR THE NATION - STRENGTHENING A VIBRANT ECOSYSTEM Assoc Prof Loh Xian Jun Dr Seh Zhi Wei Prof Nicholas Barker Dr Subhra K. Biswas Senior Scientist, IMRE Senior Scientist, IMRE Research Director, IMB Principal Investigator, SIgN FOR RESEARCH, INNOVATION, AND ENTERPRISE

Dr Florent Ginhoux Dr Liu Zhuangjian Dr Michael Meaney Prof Laurent Rénia Senior Principal Investigator, SIgN Senior Scientist, IHPC Director, SICS Executive Director, SIgN

READ more about our 2019 Global Highly Cited Researchers.

Dr Zhang Lili Prof Zhang Yong Wei Scientist, ICES Deputy Executive Director, IHPC 36 KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Public Sector Collaborations Industry Partnerships Impactful Science

Awards: National A*STAR Scholar Dr Shao Huilin is a Joint Investigator with A*STAR’s IMCB and was awarded President’s Technology Award 2019 - Dr Poh Hee Joo, the 2019 Young Scientist Award under the Physical, Senior Scientist, IHPC, and Mr Fachmin Folianto, Information and Engineering Sciences category. Senior Research Engineer, I2R, Dr Koh Wee Shing, Her work focuses on developing innovative diagnostic Senior Scientist, IHPC, and Mr Tan Sze Tiong, technologies to empower patient care. An Assistant Director, Centre of Excellence for Environmental Professor at the National University of Singapore, her Sustainability Research, HDB pioneering technologies enable non-invasive early TALENT FOR cancer detection and monitoring processes. Dr Shao A joint effort by A*STAR and the Housing & Development and her team have also developed molecular switches THE NATION - Board (HDB), the Integrated Environmental Modeller that enable the rapid detection of infectious diseases STRENGTHENING (IEM) was adopted in the planning of the new Tengah such as human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis A VIBRANT town to build a cool and well-ventilated environment and flu. In 2019, she invented a blood test that ECOSYSTEM for residents. In addition to the President’s Technology would enable the accurate detection of Alzheimer’s Award, the IEM project has also garnered other notable FOR RESEARCH, disease — even at early stages. The breadth of her awards such as the ASEAN Outstanding Engineering work — spanning the fields of molecular biology, INNOVATION, Achievement Award, and the Minister for National nanomaterials science and device engineering — AND ENTERPRISE Development’s R&D Merit Award in 2019. The IEM team receiving the President’s Technology Award from President Halimah not only enables clinical breakthroughs, but also Yacob at the Istana in October 2019 strengthens Singapore’s international reputation in Exemplary Innovator Award – Dr Tan Puay Siew, 2019 Outstanding Maritime R&D and Technology healthcare technology and innovation. Director, SIMTech Award – I2R Team Recognised for breaking technological boundaries in Researchers from the I²R’s satellite team, Dr Peng developing the Model Factory@SIMTech, Dr Tan Puay Xiaoming, Zhang Weiqiang, Dr Yen Kai, Mr Law Sie Yong, Siew’s work has helped companies remain competitive Dr Lin Zhiwei and Mr Richard Wang Bo, and industry by adopting innovation and Industry 4.0 technologies. partner ST Engineering, were awarded the Outstanding She is also commended for her efforts in designing Maritime R&D and Technology Award for their work customised technology upskilling courses to transfer on a very high frequency (VHF) data exchange system expertise to industry. She received her award at the (VDES) for safe navigation at sea. Public Sector Transformation Awards 2020.

Dr Shao with her team members from IMCB

37

The I2R team receiving the 2019 Outstanding Maritime R&D and Technology Award ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY A*STAR SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS CEREMONY 2019 29 July

The A*STAR scholarships were launched in July 2001 to develop local PhD talent in Singapore. The A*STAR Scholarship Awards Ceremony celebrates newly awarded scholars, and welcomes them into the A*STAR family. Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Chan Chun Sing was the Guest-of-Honour.

LEADERS IN SCIENCE FORUM 2019 A*STAR SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE 2019 10 September 16 October

The Leaders in Science Forum is the opening event for the one-north Festival. Themed “Innovating for a Sustainable Future”, the 2019 This annual event focuses on the latest advances in science and technology within the A*STAR community. speakers addressed tech-policy innovations required in a fast-changing technology landscape, and discussed sustainability and its The theme in 2019 was “The Next Bounds in Science”, which explores the impact of R&D on advancing implications on science and society. healthcare outcomes, transforming industry and enhancing sustainability. Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Mr Masagos Zulkifli was the Guest-of-Honour.

40 ONE-NORTH FESTIVAL 2019 13 - 14 September

The one-north Festival is an annual celebration of research, innovation, creativity, and enterprise. It is jointly organised by A*STAR and JTC, and supported by Science Centre Singapore, and many partners within and beyond one-north.

41 X-PERIMENT! 2019 13 - 14 September

X-periment! is a science carnival under the Singapore Science Festival, jointly organised by A*STAR and Science Centre Singapore. It is also held in conjunction with the one-north Festival.

42 A*STAR ANNEX RIE2020 RIE2020 KPIs Achievement Target (as at FY19 Q4) 6,056 KEY 1 Industry R&D Projects* 3,315 (183%) 1,136 PERFORMANCE 2 Industry R&D Spending (S$ mil) 1,200 (95%) 977 INDICATORS 3 No. of Licences 450 (217%) 68 4 No. of Spin-offs 52 (131%) Industry Cash Funding Received (S$ mil) 396 5 315 [Tracking Indicator in RIE2020, subset of indication no. 2] (126%) 23.6 6 Licensing Revenue (S$ mil) 15 (157%) 255 7 No. of RSEs from RIs seconded to industry 275 (93%) 542 8 No. of PhD Postgraduates trained or being trained 545 (99%)

* Excludes Characterisation, Measurement and Technical Consultancy (C/M/TC) projects.

In addition to the indicators above, A*STAR’s research was also published in 8,733 high-impact publications.

43 ORGANISATION DETAILS

Board Secretary: Mr Haryanto Tan, Director, Planning & Policy, A*STAR Public Sector Science & Tech Policy and Plans Office, Prime Minister’s Office

Address: Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 1 Fusionopolis Way, #21-10 Connexis North, Singapore 138632

Telephone: 6826 6174

Fax: 6777 1711

Email: [email protected]