Affymetrix, a global leader in microarray chip technologies and innovator in research tools and scientific instruments, developing technology solutions for genetics research and clinical science, has decided to establish its first GeneChip manufacturing facility outside US, in Singapore.

Over the past years, the operation has rapidly ramped up to over 110 employees within this 147,000 sq foot facility at Gul Way.

Affymetrix joins the cluster of Medical Technology (MedTech) companies in Singapore which collectively employ more than 6,500 workers and generate over S$2 billion in manufacturing output.

Scientific Instrumentation is one of the fastest growing sectors in Singapore's MedTech industry. Singapore is rapidly attracting a critical mass of such companies due to various reasons. Firstly, these companies leverage Singapore's well established electronics and precision engineering industries.

Secondly, Singapore has a large pool of well-educated workers. The Singapore government has invested heavily on education, spending more than 3% of the country's GDP in public education. And this emphasis on learning has gone beyond education to encompass lifelong learning to reflect the dynamic nature of today's competitive environment.

Thirdly, the competitive tax environment also plays an important role in attracting these companies to manufacture high value products in Singapore. The current headline corporate tax rate in Singapore is 18%, far lower than what many companies face in the US and many European countries.

By the end of 2008, Phase 1 of Fusionopolis will house A*STAR's Science and Engineering Research Institutes. And this proximity to Biopolis will help encourage and stimulate multi-disciplinary research that cuts across Biology, Engineering, and Physical sciences.