The Emerging Opportunities In Middle East And Asia Pacific...

The Emerging Opportunities In Middle East And Asia Pacific Biotechnology

Posted 2024-02-27 12:00:58

900

The biotechnology industry in the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions has shown tremendous growth in the past decade and is emerging as a global leader. With strong government support, availability of skilled scientific workforce, and growing healthcare needs, these regions present immense opportunities for biotech innovations and advancements.

Moving beyond basics of research and development, biotechs in the region are building advanced biomanufacturing capabilities to produce biologics, cell and gene therapies at commercial scales.

Countries like China, Singapore and South Korea have invested heavily in setting up state-of-the-art facilities with single-use bioreactor systems, automated vial/syringe filling lines and cold chain distribution networks. China has over 30 commercial scale biomanufacturers approved by the FDA and EMA. Local production is bringing down costs and strengthening supply chain security for the region.

Some leading examples are WuXi Biologics from China which offers end-to-end contract development and manufacturing solutions, Samsung Biologics from South Korea and Biologics manufacturing facility in Singapore’s Tuas Biomedical Hub. Regional biotechs are increasingly leveraging these capacities to produce their pipeline molecules rather than relying on overseas CMOs.

Strong Talent Pool Driving Innovation

Another major strength of the Middle East And Asia Pacific Biotechnology is the availability of a large skilled talent pool in biomedical sciences and engineering. Countries have been actively supporting science education and research programs to groom specialized biotech talent.

For example, China graduates over 20,000 PhDs and 100,000 masters students in life sciences each year to support its biotech ambitions. India’s institutions like IITs and IISc are producing world-class scientists and engineers who can support biotech projects. Regional universities are also strengthening life science programs collaborating with institutions in the US and Europe.

Coupled with growing research infrastructure, this talent pool is enabling innovative start-ups and SMEs to emerge with disruptive ideas. Regional scientists are developing novel platforms in stem cells, genomics, bioinformatics, synthetic biology and more. Some examples include Anthropic (AI safety), GenScript (gene & cell therapy), Blubird Bio (gene editing) and Anthropic (AI safety) from the Asia Pacific.

Get more insights on Middle East And Asia Pacific Biotechnology

Also read related article on Scottish Whisky Market