Government Investment in Healthcare Technology R&D in Last Three Years and Support for Research Cooperation between Clinicians and Engineers

17 Dr Choo Pei Ling asked the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health (a) how much has the Government committed to research and development of technology-enabled and technology-enhanced care for the elderly and disabled in the last three years; and (b) what support is in place to bring together and facilitate research cooperation between clinicians and engineers.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: We do not track the numbers as the Member has requested. That said, significant funding is available under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise Plan, especially in the Human Health and Potential Domain, which goes towards funding research in population health, and healthy and meaningful longevity research.

There are many research collaborations between clinicians and other professionals, including engineers, from academia and industry through a range of support structures and initiatives. The Open Fund – Large Collaborative Grant encourages interdisciplinary partnerships across institutions to leverage Singapore's full spectrum of research capabilities. There are also many open innovation platforms and programmes that bring together clinicians with industry partners and engineering talent to accelerate the development, translation and implementation of clinical innovations collaboratively.