Organised by BIO.NRW in cooperation with NRW.Global Business and supported by BIO Clustermanagement NRW GmbH, a biotechnology delegation from North Rhine-Westphalia undertook a week-long trip to Singapore at the end of April. The group, consisting of representatives from well-known companies and research institutions – including Numaferm, PL BioScience, Forschungszentrum Jülich, MedLife, KanMedIm, Ambidex Solutions IP, BlueSens gas sensor, ChitoNext and EUREGIO BioMedtech – immersed themselves in Singapore’s biotechnological landscape.

Singapore has established itself as a dynamic biotechnology hub in recent years and is playing an increasingly important role in the Asian market. The delegation trip offered participants the opportunity to make valuable contacts and gain strategic insights into this emerging market and its role as a hub for the ASEAN region.

A highlight of the trip was the participation in the Asia Bio Partnering Forum 2024, where the delegation was not only represented with its own stand, but the delegates also had numerous bilateral meetings.
Other opportunities for B2B meetings included the visit to Enterprise Singapore, the networking lunch and the NRW-Singapore Biotech Business Forum 2024, which was organised jointly with NRW.Global Business and the Singaporean-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce. In addition to detailed partnerships and further business negotiations, innovative ideas and global cooperation between the biotech scene in NRW and Singapore were also discussed.

Furthermore, the delegation participants received a comprehensive country briefing and visited important institutions such as the German Centre, ScaleUp BIO, German Accelerator, the Life Science Incubator and JLABS from Johnson & Johnson. These visits provided deep insights into Singapore’s innovative strength and research landscape and opened new opportunities for cooperation and business deals, which we are pleased to say have proven valuable even after the delegation’s trip.

BIO.NRW is already planning further activities in the ASEAN region based on the consistently positive feedback. Anyone interested in participating in the Asia Bio Partnering Forum 2025 or taking part in a possible delegation trip to ASEAN can contact Dr Jasmin Schubert.

The trip was rounded off with an informal closing event at which the participants exchanged their impressions and reflected on the diverse experiences of the week. Despite minor logistical challenges – a piece of luggage that was thought to be lost found its owner after all and a late bus driver – the trip was a complete success.

We would like to thank all partners and participants for their support and look forward to future collaborations and exciting projects in the ASEAN region.

Image sources:

Cover image: Enterprise Singapore

Other images: BIO.NRW