Singapore Needs International Talents To Sustain As World-class Research Hub

SINGAPORE, Nov 9 (Bernama) -- Given its small population base and the inherent value of diversity in research and innovation, Singapore should continue to recruit international talent to complement its core of local scientists to sustain its world-class international research hub. In making the call, Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang said: "As we move into the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2015 plan this year, we are also witnessing the shift of global demand to Asia and the need for companies to better respond to the unique requirements of the Asian consumers. "Singapore is well placed to capitalise on this shift to attract even more corporate R&D investments and activities. "We should therefore fully leverage on our broad spectrum of R&D capabilities to catalyse more multi-disciplinary, collaborative research among the research institutes, universities and hospitals, and establish win-win public-private partnerships," he said in his address at the President’s Science and Technology Awards 2011, here Tuesday evening. Also present at the awards was President Tony Tan Keng Yam, where eight exceptional research scientists and engineers were also honoured with the nation’s highest scientific awards – the President’s Science and Technology Awards (PSTA). The number of R&D-related jobs in Singapore grew significantly to over 40,000 in 2010 from 8,600 in 1991. --BERNAMA Malaysia