Novartis is investing $256 million to expand its biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Singapore. The extended site will facilitate Novartis in deploying digital and automation solutions to enhance manufacturing productivity, improve operational efficiency, and upskill the workforce. The site will also focus on manufacturing therapeutic antibody drugs to deliver breakthrough treatments to patients globally.

Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies officiated the ground breaking ceremony along with Frank Grütter, Swiss Ambassador to Singapore, Embassy of Switzerland; and  Cindy Koh, Executive Vice President, EDB.

Adressing the gathering, DPM mentioned that, “In the next phase of growth for the biopharma sector, we should seek to make manufacturing more sustainable and productive, as well as to make products that are more targeted, precise and effective. This will require constant and persistent innovation. With Singapore’s biomedical investments over the years, we have built an ecosystem that is well-positioned to work with global partners like Novartis to deliver best-in-class and innovative biologics products that can combat diseases and increase healthspans, around the region and globally”'.

Steffen Lang, President of Operations at Novartis, stated, "Biotherapeutics now account for almost one-half of all recent drug approvals and have enormous potential to address unmet needs of patients across a wide range of diseases. To meet this increasing demand for biologics, the Novartis early-stage biologics portfolio has been growing significantly in terms of capacities and investment. Our new facility in Singapore, which will be operational by early 2026, is timely and will help in bolstering the biopharmaceutical manufacturing and supply chain across Asia as well as strengthen local capabilities and upskill talent in Singapore”.

The impact of biopharma is far-reaching, and the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) is working with industry partners to further enhance this by making the manufacturing process more productive and sustainable. Novartis has invested more than $1 billion towards its commitment to the Singapore bioscience ecosystem in the last 40 years to uplift the pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities of the nation. In addition to enhancing Novartis' existing workforce, this initiative is poised to create 100 new high-skilled jobs, fostering the growth of local life science companies in Singapore. 

Caption: Cindy Koh, Executive Vice President, EDB; Ana Locatelli, Site Head at Novartis Singapore; ⁠Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies; Steffen Lang, President of Operations at Novartis; Christoph Buerki, Chief Financial Officer of Operations at Novartis (Left to right)