NRF has adopted both a top-down and a bottom-up approach to developing Singapore’s research, innovation and enterprise ecosystem. As part of the top-down approach, NRF identifies selected strategic areas of research in which to build up core R&D capabilities.

NRF Strategic Research Programmes (“Strategic Programmes”) are established in areas where Singapore has a competitive edge and existing strengths that could be further leveraged by increased public investments in R&D. These areas are typically ones that are going through a strategic inflexion point where a growth surge may be expected in the medium-term and exploitation of research results from these Strategic Research Programmes could generate future economic growth for Singapore.

To-date, the Research Innovation and Enterprise Council (RIEC) has allocated a total of S$1.55 billion to establish Strategic Programmes in the following areas, with other emerging areas to be identified in future:-

1. Biomedical Sciences (BMS) Phase 2 Initiative – focusing on efforts to translate basic science into better medicines and treatments to improve patient care. The Phase 2 Initiative builds on Singapore’s basic research and drug discovery capabilities initiated in the first phase of the BMS programme, its BMS industry cluster, and its strong foundation in healthcare services delivery, to develop Singapore as the best location in Asia for scientific proof of concept in man.
2. Environmental and Water Technologies (EWT) including Clean Energy – leveraging on Singapore’s strong foundation in water technologies and management, established over a number of decades as well as Singapore’s competitive advantages in other environmental technology sectors. Singapore, with its capabilities and technologies for water recycling and water resource management, is well-placed to take on a leading role in developing new technological solutions for managing the water life cycle. Riding on Singapore’s clean and green image, and complementing the promotion of the water sector, the Clean Energy initiative will focus on solar and fuel cells which Singapore has strong competitive advantages in. Being a compact city state, Singapore is also an ideal test-bed for new technologies in these areas.
3. Interactive and Digital Media (IDM) – building on Singapore’s unique multi-cultural, multi-lingual identity and our strong information and communication infrastructure to create new innovative niches in this vast and fast changing sector. Research focus areas in IDM include animation, games & effects, education and edutainment, “On-the-Move” media services and media intermediary services.

All three strategic areas are ones that Singapore has a unique competitive edge to gain a leadership position in. These sectors target to provide a total of 86,000 jobs with value added of S$30 billion by 2015. This underscores RIEC’s aim for R&D efforts to result in economic benefits. Attention would be given to market and commercial development to successfully bring scientific knowledge from the lab to the market.

A high-level Steering Committee and an Executive Committee comprising representatives from public sector agencies, industry and academia, have been formed in each of these Strategic Research Programmes to oversee and coordinate the programme from a multidisciplinary and holistic sector-wide perspective.