Asia is home to more than half of the world’s population, according to the United Nations’ Population Division, and will see major demographic shifts over the coming decades* that will open up opportunities for biomedical and healthcare providers.

As populations age rapidly and lifestyles change which in turn spur the prevalence of developed-world diseases, Asia’s drug and medication industry is poised for unprecedented growth. In line with the growth, treatment quality, outcomes and value are of increasing importance for the healthcare sector in the 21st century. Stakeholders around the globe are actively seeking innovative and cost-effective solutions to deliver patient-centred, technology-enabled “smart” health care, both inside and outside hospital walls, reported Deloitte’s 2018 Global health care outlook.¹ Rising disposable income and consumer healthcare awareness will also spur demand for non-essential and therapeutic treatments.

The choice Asian healthcare headquarters and medical technology base

Singapore has become Asia’s fastest-growing bio-cluster base, as strategic partnerships between research institutes, corporate laboratories and public hospitals yield new medicines and therapies for regional and global markets. Approximately US$1.1billion² is spent on biomedical research and development (R&D) annually, so it comes as no surprise that seven of the world’s top 10 pharmaceutical companies – namely Merck, Sanofi, Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson and Abbott – as well as all of the top 10 medical technology providers have located their regional headquarters in Singapore. 

With precision and reliability being key in the development of medical technology and supplies, Singapore’s strict standards of regulatory requirements and intellectual property (IP) protection ensure it is well-regarded as a trusted base for manufacturers of complex and high quality medical instruments and devices for global markets.

Current business events landscape

Singapore’s competitive biomedical and healthcare landscape is driving innovation and demand for supporting exhibitions and trade conferences. International industry experts, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, investors and fThe pharmaceuticals healthcare players regularly convene in Singapore at events such as BioPharma Asia Convention, Medical Fair Asia, IDEM Singapore and MEDLAB Asia Pacific.

The success of trade conferences like Ageing Asia Investment Forum is an indication of the growing demand for intelligent technologies and strategies in gerontology. Other notable events focusing on rehabilitative healthcare include the 3rd Asia Pacific Meeting on the Simulation in Healthcare 2016, Asia Pacific Hospice Conference 2017 and CaREhab 2018.