Title page
Contents
Summary 4
Part A: Singapore's innovation ecosystem development 5
1. Introduction 5
1.1. Singapore's institutional framework for innovation and entrepreneurship policymaking and implementation 6
1.2. Innovation ecosystem framework 11
1.3. Singapore's innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem development 12
2. Overview of the R&D performers in Singapore 13
2.1. Investment in R&D 13
2.2. Scientific publications 15
2.3. Patenting intensities 15
3. Contribution of R&D investments to Singapore's economic development 16
4. Development of the technology entrepreneurship ecosystem 18
4.1. Summary assessment using the innovation ecosystem framework 22
4.2. The role of public policy in Singapore's innovation ecosystem development: Supply side 26
4.3. The role of public policy in Singapore's innovation ecosystem development: Demand side 27
4.4. The innovation demand-stimulating role of the Singapore government 27
4.5. Public health care 28
4.6. Smart urban infrastructures 30
4.7. Innovation demand stimulation: Summary observations 34
5. Overall concluding observations 35
Part B: Mapping the changing pattern of innovation among different innovation actor groups in Singapore 37
1. Categorization of innovation actor groups 37
2. Patenting trends of different innovation actor groups 39
3. Knowledge interactions among innovation actor groups 47
3.1. Geographical pattern of cross-border collaboration in innovation (as measured by locations of coinventors) 47
3.2. Collaboration pattern among innovation actor groups (as measured by coassigneeships) 52
3.3. Knowledge links among innovation actor groups (as measured by backward-citation links of patents) 53
4. Summary observations and suggested areas for future research 56
References 58
Annex 62
Table 1. Key innovation policy roles of public institutions in Singapore 9
Table 2. Estimates of R&D-TFP elasticities in Singapore vs. OECD countries 16
Table 3. Key changes in Singapore's innovation ecosystem based on the COI Framework 23
Table 4. Definitions of variables derived from USPTO patent data 37
Table 5. Trend of Technology field concentration and specialization by innovation actor groups, 2000-2010 vs. 2011-2020 46
Table 6. Coassigneeship links among different innovation actor groups, 2000-2010 vs. 2011-2020 52
Table 7. Assignees of patents cited by Singapore-invented patents, 2011-2020 53
Figure 1. Singapore's institutional framework for innovation & entrepreneurship policy as of early 2021 7
Figure 2. Innovation ecosystem framework 12
Figure 3. Growth in Singapore R&D spending, 1978-2019 13
Figure 4. Share of R&D expenditure, by origin, 1996-2019 14
Figure 5. Percentage of private sector R&D expenditure, by industry, 1996-2019 14
Figure 6. Growth in start-up employment, 2004-2015 19
Figure 7. Growth in number of tech start-ups in Singapore, 2004-2015 20
Figure 8. Sectoral composition of tech start-ups in Singapore (Census Data), 2004-2015 20
Figure 9a. Change in business activities of tech start-ups in Singapore 21
Figure 9b. Business activities of tech Start-ups in Singapore versus London and NewYork 22
Figure 10. Growth trend of Singapore-invented patents by local vs. foreign ownership, 2000-2020 40
Figure 11. Share of Singapore-invented patents by local vs. foreign ownership, 2001-2020 40
Figure 12. Composition of Singapore-invented patents by assignee types, 2001-2020 41
Figure 13. Patenting trends by local innovation actors, 2001-2020 43
Figure 14. Top Five Countries of Origin of Foreign Owners of Patents Invented in Singapore, 2000-2020 43
Figure 15. Technology Field Specialization by Innovation Actors 44
Figure 16. Coinventorship of patents in Singapore, 2001-2020 48
Figure 17. Trend of patenting in Singapore involving cross-border coinventorship, 2000-2020 49
Figure 18. Country of location of foreign coinventors, 2000-2020 50
Figure 19. Top global hotspot locations of foreign coinventors, 2000-2020 51
Figure 20. Backward-citation links among innovation actor groups, 2000-2020 55
Annex Tables
Table A1. Patent applications at the USPTO by Singapore based inventors and applicants, 1976-2020 63
Table A2. Top 50 assignee for Singapore invented patents, 2000-2019 64
Annex Figures
Figure A. growth in patents issued by the USPTO to Singapore inventors and assignees, 1976-2020 62