RESEARCH IN SINGAPORE

Research policy in Singapore is defined at the Prime Minister level.  The Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council (RIEC), chaired by the Prime Minister of Singapore, is the consultative instance which provides strategic direction for national research and development. Policies are implemented by the National Research Foundation (NRF) and several Ministries, in particular the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Health.

In 2006, the NRF, which is a department within the Prime Minister’s Office, was launched to support and coordinate the long-term research programmes of different agencies. The NRF sets the national direction for research and development (R&D) by developing policies, plans and strategies for research, innovation and enterprise. It also funds strategic initiatives and builds up R&D capabilities by nurturing research talent. Different agencies and research institutions such as A*STAR and universities such as NUS and NTU are leading research entities in Singapore and benefit from NRF funding.

Every 5 years, a guideline is specified and a budget allocated to give priority to the sectors with the most impact. For the RIE2020 (2016-2020), SGD 19 billion was made available to the following four domains, identified as key:

•  Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME)

•   Health and Biomedical Sciences (HBMS)

•   Urban Solutions and Sustainability (USS)

•   Services and Digital Economy (SDE)

Organisation of the R&D in Singapore(source: MTI)