吴汉雁高级政务次长在 AI4Life 峰会 2025 的开幕致辞

Dr. Roland Ong, Chairman of Nanyang Biologics,

Distinguished Guests from NVIDIA,

Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Equinix, and the Workforce Advancement Federation,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A very good afternoon,

It is my pleasure to join you today at the launch of the AI4Life initiative. This is a significant initiative to harness AI to discover new solutions for human health.

AI Innovation for Better Biomedical Science

Drug discovery has traditionally been costly and uncertain. It often takes more than 10 years and billions of dollars before a single medicine reaches patients. That is really long when someone is in need of help.

However, AI is beginning to change this landscape and yield early success. End-to-end AI-driven pipelines have produced drug candidates that take a fraction of the time to reach clinical trials. Platforms like Nanyang Biologics’ Drug-Target Interaction Graph Neural Network show how AI can cut discovery timelines, reduce costs, and expand treatment possibilities for unmet medical needs. The technology is really complex but what really matters is how it affects and improves our lives. So I am very grateful that you are embarking on such an amazing journey.

AI offers scientists a deeper understanding of disease pathways by combining multiple layers of biological data — from genomics to proteomics to clinical insights. AI also helps scientists to overcome long-standing bottlenecks. Instead of screening millions of compounds in the lab, virtual molecular screening has enabled researchers to focus on the most promising ones, therefore saving precious time, money and other types of resources.

Beyond screening, AI is also starting to make drug development safe. Machine learning methods can predict how a drug in development behaves in the body, while AI-powered ADMET platforms – which predict how a drug is absorbed, processed, and whether it might be toxic. These platforms can filter out risky compounds early on, before they move too far down the pipeline. Again, it makes it safer and reduces the cost and resources required.

We are just at the starting block on how we see AI revolutionising the way we address human health. There are still many gaps to be filled. For example, AI-designed molecules can still be really hard to synthesise, and data scarcity is a problem.

That said, the trajectory is clear all of us. AI is already making a huge difference from drug discovery to clinical trials. Even in day-to-day healthcare outcomes, AI will enable more personalised medicine, earlier detection of disease, and better patient engagement through tools such as wearables and mobile health apps.

Strengthening Singapore’s Role as a Global Healthcare Innovation Hub

AI4Life also reflects how Singapore approaches innovation – and that is through partnerships with each and every one of you in the room. This initiative brings together many stakeholders: academics, researchers, global technology players, all here to offer a model for accelerating healthcare innovation at scale.

We believe that Singapore is well positioned to play this leading role. Over the years, we have invested heavily in our biomedical science ecosystem, which is anchored by sustained investments in A*STAR and our Academic Medical Centres. These centres integrate patient care, education, and research, enabling not just high-quality healthcare but also pushing the frontiers of research into Singapore. This is also then coupled with our trusted digital infrastructure, which provides a strong foundation for large-scale AI applications in both the provision of healthcare services and supporting translational research. For example, using federated learning approaches, researchers can then collaborate to develop AI models across multiple hospitals without having to transfer sensitive patient data. This ensures privacy while accelerating innovation in disease prediction and personalised medicine.

To this end, I am very pleased to witness the MoU signing between Nanyang Biologics, NVIDIA, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Equinix. This is a four-party alliance to build the world’s largest AI-powered natural compound library, right here in Singapore. The collaboration combines deep tech, advanced infrastructure, and life sciences expertise to accelerate therapeutic discovery and biomedical innovation.

It is crucial that we continue to find ways to collaborate and accelerate healthcare innovation at scale. By collaborating internationally and across industries, Singapore can bring in valuable expertise and leverage global discoveries, while also capturing value through skills development and creation of intellectual property. This will then ensure our long-term competitiveness and position Singapore as a hub for AI-enabled drug discovery.

Earlier this month, the Government launched the Economic Strategy Review to chart an economic blueprint. Together with initiatives like AI4Life, they ensure that breakthroughs in AI translate into real impact, for patients, for Singapore’s wider economy and for our society. I think that makes it all meaningful that it is not just technology for technology’s sake.

Building a Future-Ready Biomedical Workforce

And finally, I want to say that technology alone will not get us there. The convergence of AI and biotechnology is creating new roles in data science, molecular modelling, and clinical translation. To capture these opportunities, Singapore must invest in multidisciplinary talent - people who can bridge AI, biology, and drug development. These skillsets are essential in turning predictions from powerful AI algorithms into real-world therapies.

We have schemes in place to make this happen and will continue to improve. Workforce development programmes by the Workforce Advancement Federation are equipping Singaporeans with these skills to take on these emerging roles. This ensures that our talent development keeps pace with industry evolution, and that we have a future-ready workforce that can support innovation that can lead to better outcomes for Singaporeans, Singapore and the world at large.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the promise of AI in healthcare is immense, and I believe all of us are behind this cause, which is why we are here today. AI4Life is a powerful example of how we translate this promise into reality.

So now, let us build on this momentum. Let us work together across disciplines, sectors, companies, stakeholder groups, to ensure that Singapore not only keeps pace, but leads in shaping the future of healthcare innovation.

Thank you so much.