Singapore, 5 December 2013 – ETPL has partnered the TTS Global Initiative to launch the inaugural TTS Asia in Singapore. The two-day conference brings the US and European communities in early stage biotechnology and healthcare innovation to Singapore, in an interactive “think-tank” format to build better understanding, expertise and collaborative relationships among technology transfer offices and broad stakeholder groups. About 150 delegates were in attendance, from public sector biotech research, technology innovation offices, early-stage start-ups and SMEs, industry licensing and business development across Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Korea, Philippines, China and Australia.
Given the global trends, Asia is set to be the largest pharmaceutical market in the world. The lure of lower production and clinical costs, a high-tech talent pool, and access to large and previously untapped markets has catalyzed the rise of Asia as an Innovation base. As the Singapore biomedical research community celebrates its tenth anniversary, ETPL has seen an accelerated pace of innovation. The number of licenses in the area of biomedical sciences has more than doubled in the last three years, and the estimated projection of how much value companies have gained with licensing A*STAR technology has also increased by more than six times.
“Singapore’s science business community is becoming more vibrant. TTS Asia is timely and aligns with ETPL’s efforts to enhance the capabilities of local professionals who work in biomedical innovation to strengthen the local technology transfer ecosystem. The informal and interactive format of TTS Summits are especially crucial where operations can be highly confidential and senior executive-centric. This platform for the global community will also help to add focus to our national thematic areas in Biopharma and Medtech,” said Philip Lim, Chief Executive Officer of ETPL.
Christian Suojanen, Co-Chairman of the TTS Global Initiative, commented: “TTS is pleased to partner ETPL in bringing the TTS Global Initiative to Asia for the first time through the TTS Asia, taking place in Singapore. The objective is to provide a unique discussion and business platform for Singaporean and Asian biomedical innovation stakeholders, and to connect them via the TTS Global Initiative community to other key biotech and biomedical sector innovation experts, leaders and decision-makers world-wide.”
TTS Asia will consist of keynote addresses and moderated round-table panel discussions focusing on core technology transfer topics and issues. The speaker line-up includes high level, experienced executives such as Gregory Simon, CEO of Polliwog and former advisor to the CEO at Pfizer; Vinit Nijhawan, serial entrepreneur and Managing Director at the Technology Development Office and Director of Enterprise at Boston University; and Marco Fiorini, tech transfer strategy lead at Aviesan, the French National Alliance for Life Sciences and Health. They will cover pertinent issues such as the evolving healthcare industry paradigm, new models in healthcare technology transfer, new developments in IP law, convergence of diagnostics and the pharmaceutical industry, and public-private funding models.
The TTS Summits are a networking platform for the dissemination and deliberation of problems and solutions, methods and processes in the commercialisation of biotechnological innovation. They have been hosted by leading biomedical innovation institutions around the world including the National Institutes of Health, Pasteur Institute, Wellcome Trust, University of California, MaRS and Johns Hopkins University. The first TTS Summit was held in 2007, and the summits have since been well-regarded for their format, facilitation, size and deep discussions across Europe, North America and Australia.
TTS Asia caps a slew of engagements by ETPL with established national partners this year, such as the US-Singapore Innovation Conference, DEMO Asia, Techventure, and the Distinguished Technopreneur Speaker Forum series that hosts luminaries such as Nobel Laureate and renowned biologist Professor Phillip Sharp.
TTS Asia is held at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel on 5 and 6 December 2013.
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For more information, please contact:
Amanda Lee
Corporate Communications
ETPL
DID: (65) 6478 8443
Mobile: (65) 9776 4218
Email: amanda_lee@etpl.sg
About ETPL (Exploit Technologies Pte Ltd)
ETPL is the technology transfer arm of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore’s lead agency for fostering world-class scientific research and talent. A*STAR oversees 14 biomedical sciences, physical sciences and engineering research institutes, and six consortia and centres. As a one-stop resource, ETPL supports A*STAR in transforming the economy through driving innovation and commercializing its research outcomes.
Also known as Exploit Technologies Pte Ltd, ETPL enhances the research output of A*STAR scientists by translating their inventions into marketable products or processes. Through shaping and facilitating licensing deals and spin-offs, ETPL actively engages industry leaders and players to commercialise A*STAR’s technologies and apply them to building ecosystems that benefit business, industry and economy.
For more information, please visit http://www.etpl.sg
About the Tech Transfer Summit Global Initiative
The TTS Global Initiative was founded to meet an increasing need for a better understanding between all the stakeholders in the Biotechnology community on the critical need for efficient transfer of early innovative research to commercialisable technologies. The inaugural Summit was held in 2007 and laid the foundations for the development of the leading summits of their kind, pioneering the effort to ensure that world class innovation is applied and brought to the market for the benefit of society.
The TTS Global Initiative is the key community platform which focuses directly on dialogue, partnering, licensing and technology transfer between public sector biotech research TTOs, early stage start-ups, SMEs and senior industry licensing and business development executives.