AICTE: Create awareness about jobs in biotech sector in S’pore

CHENNAI: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has urged the Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs), especially in the engineering colleges in the State to create awareness among the students with regard to the huge employment opportunity in the Biotech industry in Singapore.

In a notification to all the vice-chancellors of technical universities and principals of AICTE-approved colleges, the council's advisor policy, and the academic planning bureau, Ramesh Unnikrishnan, advisor, AICTE, pointed out that the Singapore government's Deep Tech Investment Agency has released an assessment report that predicts a severe shortage of almost 30% in the availability of manpower for the biotech sector in that country.

He said that the assessment forecasts that the number of biotech companies in Singapore will grow from 52 to 84 by 2032 with 36 being clinical-phase companies and 39 being pre-clinical-phase organisations.

"The shortage is predicted to be especially acute in research and development, production, regulatory affairs, and business management,” he said adding "while the talent gap remains a perennial issue of biotech companies globally, the demand for expertise in these areas presents an opportunity for researchers and academia to gain industry exposure, particularly to Indian students.

Urging the technical institutions to create awareness among the students and faculty about the huge employment potential in this area and motivate them to avail this opportunity as a career in biotech, the AICTE advisor said.