Facility leverages Singapore's capabilities to test bed new technologies and business models.

 

With Asia's growing ageing population and rising mass affluence, the need and demand for better quality healthcare systems and solutions are more crucial than ever.

Against this backdrop, Asia represents a new window of opportunities for companies like Hill-Rom, a leading global manufacturer and provider of medical technologies and related services for the healthcare industry. Leveraging this development, Hill-Rom opened its Asia-Pacific Innovation Center in Singapore in August, nine months after the company announced its selection of Singapore as the site for the Center.

The Asia-Pacific Innovation Center is now the home base for new Hill-Rom teams focused on research and development for global applications of the company's various projects. This includes developing projects that involve micro-electronics, embedded software and electro-mechanical systems, all of which are integral to the technical development of new Hill-Rom beds and therapy surfaces.

The Center also complements its other worldwide facilities, including a Batesville-based Global Innovation Center in Indiana, US, and ongoing R&D work at its sites in Montpellier and Pluvigner in France.

With Asia's growing ageing population and rising mass affluence, the need and demand for better quality healthcare systems and solutions are more crucial than ever.

Against this backdrop, Asia represents a new window of opportunities for companies like Hill-Rom, a leading global manufacturer and provider of medical technologies and related services for the healthcare industry. Leveraging this development, Hill-Rom opened its Asia-Pacific Innovation Center in Singapore in August, nine months after the company announced its selection of Singapore as the site for the Center.

The Asia-Pacific Innovation Center is now the home base for new Hill-Rom teams focused on research and development for global applications of the company's various projects. This includes developing projects that involve micro-electronics, embedded software and electro-mechanical systems, all of which are integral to the technical development of new Hill-Rom beds and therapy surfaces.

The Center also complements its other worldwide facilities, including a Batesville-based Global Innovation Center in Indiana, US, and ongoing R&D work at its sites in Montpellier and Pluvigner in France.

"Our Innovation Center in Singapore represents an acceleration of our efforts to embed increasingly sophisticated and differentiated micro-electronics and software in our products. It is also an important step in globalising our products and presence." - Peter Soderberg, President and CEO, Hill-Rom

Says Peter H. Soderberg, President and CEO, Hill-Rom, "Our Innovation Center in Singapore represents an acceleration of our efforts to embed increasingly sophisticated and differentiated micro-electronics and software in our products. It is also an important step in globalising our products and presence."

Soderberg explains that while the company has an ongoing commitment to its Indiana home base, it recognises the need to leverage opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region as well as tap onto the talents and strengths of the global workforce. He adds that Singapore, with its regional reputation for advancing technology development and innovation, and its similarities to North America in terms of its healthcare environment and proximity to the broader Asia-Pacific region, is the natural choice for the Asia-Pacific Innovation Center.

Asia's Maturing Demographic

In 2050, the United Nations expects Asia's population aged 60 and above to grow to more than 100 million. At the same time, healthcare costs are rising rapidly worldwide, especially in developed countries. A combination of factors including escalating demand due to an ageing population, poor hospital management systems, and shortage of healthcare workers, will continue to fuel the rise in healthcare costs.

According to Lim Siong Guan, Chairman, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the upside is that these present new opportunities for medical technology companies like Hill-Rom to develop solutions that can mitigate the inefficiencies in the current healthcare systems. And Singapore, he points out, is a strategic base for such medical technology innovation.

"Singapore presents a strategic location for companies to tap on Asia's growth by forging strategic partnerships with our base of global industry partners, research institutes and hospitals," he says. "These partnerships will position Singapore as a one-stop location for companies to test bed and develop cost-effective, efficient healthcare systems and solutions for the regional and global markets."

Strategic Base For Innovation

Singapore presents a one-stop location for companies who seek to address regional and global healthcare needs with innovative systems and solutions. Companies are able to tap on innovative ideas, technology and test bedding infrastructure in Singapore.

To explore and seed new ideas, companies can partner scientists in its public-sector research institutes to work on new concepts and innovations. As companies proceed to translate these ideas into commercially-viable products, they can source for engineering and manufacturing services, ranging from IC design and software development to prototype manufacturing. In addition, companies can work with hospitals to test bed their innovative systems and solutions. As a microcosm of Asia, Singapore provides an ideal base for companies to test and develop new solutions and systems for the regional and global market.

Intel is one of the companies that is partnering Singapore's hospitals by introducing its Mobile Clinical Assistant in Changi General Hosptial. Caregivers in the hospital were provided with a lightweight mobile device that provides information on patients’ conditions and test results, while they are on the move. Building on this successful partnership, Singapore is developing new platforms for hospitals to work with companies. They include the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, which adopts a management model that enables companies to test and develop new systems. When completed in 2011, new hospitals in Novena will allocate wards for companies to try out their eco-friendly technologies.

All these add up in favour of Hill-Rom's Asia-Pacific expansion plans. "Innovation and partnering are key levers for a successful medical technology company like Hill-Rom," says Abel Ang, Chief Technology Officer, Hill-Rom. "Not only does Singapore offer great technical talent, but also an environment with sophisticated healthcare institutions and a government supportive of growth. As our R&D Center ramps up, we are looking to collaborate with our Asian partners to advance and test bed new technologies and business models, with the intent of raising the standard of care offered to patients and caregivers worldwide."