The collaboration will also include the rollout of specialised professional development programmes
[SINGAPORE] The Republic’s medical technology (medtech) firms can now get help in navigating regulations under a new partnership between the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF).
The collaboration, which launched on Thursday (Oct 2), will combine SME Centre@SMF’s services with HSA’s Health Products Regulation Group (HPRG) Innovation Office’s technical regulatory expertise. This will provide early regulatory consultation and professional development programmes, as well as create awareness of HSA’s frameworks and initiatives to support firms’ entry to other markets.
The partners said: “This dual-pronged approach transforms (medtech companies’) regulatory journey from reactive compliance to proactive guidance.”
Advice and awareness
Through SME Centre@SMF’s business advisory services, the partners will provide medtech firms with expert guidance during the critical early stages of product development and regulatory planning. This could streamline and speed up their path to market.
The collaboration will also include the rollout of specialised professional development programmes, to help medtech companies navigate the regulatory landscape more effectively and efficiently. HSA experts, as speakers and advisors, will share insights on regulatory requirements and best practices.
Eugene Yoo, chairman of SMF’s Medical Technology Industry Group, said: “We’ve built an integrated foundation where streamlined regulatory processes, a robust framework for intellectual property protection, and essential trade facilitation services… are all seamlessly linked.”
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“This enables firms in Singapore to innovate, scale manufacturing, and secure their assets, giving them a strong launchpad to access global markets,” he added.
Dennis Mark, chief executive officer of SMF, said: “While clinicians and researchers develop innovative concepts, it is the manufacturing sector that turns these ideas into tangible, life-changing products. Singapore’s medtech success is built on an ecosystem defined by an agile and responsive regulatory framework and strong intellectual property protection.”
“We hope more industry players will work with us in managing the complex regulatory environment for Software-as a-Medical Device and AI-powered devices, and by creating new approval schemes to boost innovation,” he added.
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The partnership also aims to bring more attention to HSA’s initiatives and programmes.
The HPRG Innovation Office brings together agile regulatory frameworks and sandbox initiatives, “(pioneering) responsive regulatory approaches that adapt to rapidly evolving technologies whilst maintaining rigorous safety and efficacy standards”, said HSA and SMF.
Through HSA’s reliance programmes with Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Thailand, and Sri Lanka, companies can also reduce time-to-market.
More than 500 applications to register medical devices have been processed through Thailand and Australia’s reliance on HSA’s approval, as at September 2025.
“Close partnership between regulator and industry association is essential to ensure regulations remain relevant and responsive to the dynamic needs of this rapidly evolving transformative industry,” said adjunct professor Raymond Chua, CEO of HSA, adding that it allows co-creation of regulatory frameworks that accelerate breakthroughs going to market while staying committed to patient safety.
The approach also reinforces Singapore’s role as a trusted gateway for medtech innovation in Asia and globally, he said.
