Singapore: Biomedical scientists at Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) will join a programme that is expected to kindle the capabilities of small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) in the biomedical sector. Mr S Iswaran, a minister in the Prime Minister's Office, highlighted that the Growing Enterprises through Technological Upgrade (GET-Up) Programme would be expanded. The announcement was made at A*STAR's GET-Up Event on May 21, 2012.

The objective of the government-initiated programme is to help SMEs in R&D for greater productivity-driven growth. More than 600 biomedical scientists will be eligible to be temporarily transferred to SMEs in order to aid in upgrading R&D capabilities under a GET-Up scheme, called T-Up. Mr Iswaran shared success stories from firms that had received assistance from the scientists of Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology, under the programme.

Former participants of the T-Up scheme were also recognized for their efforts. The four winners of the T-Up Excellence Award were nominated by the SMEs for their exceptional contributions to the company during their stint. Since its launch in 2003, the GET-Up programme assisted over 370 companies to leverage research and innovation for growth. Around 361 scientists from A*STAR's science and engineering research institutes and local polytechnics would help over 200 SMEs.

"As we move further towards a knowledge-based economy, the strength of our local enterprises, and by extension, our economy, is increasingly linked to our ability to leverage R&D and innovation for growth," said Mr Iswaran.