Novartis invests $256 million for Singapore plant expansion

The investment enhances manufacturing and sustainability efforts.

Novartis has announced a significant expansion of its biopharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities in Singapore, with a $256 million investment aimed at boosting production efficiency and sustainability. 

Since establishing its presence in Singapore over four decades ago, Novartis has made substantial investments totaling more than $1 billion, reflecting its confidence in Singapore's skilled workforce and supportive government policies. The recent expansion of its biologics manufacturing plant is set to further enhance the city-state's capacity to produce high-quality biotherapeutics.

"Singapore provides an excellent ecosystem that allows us to be strategically positioned to deliver high quality biotherapeutics for patients in Asia for Asia," Ana Locatelli, Site Head at Novartis Singapore said. 

The expansion not only boosts Novartis's manufacturing production and efficiency but also focuses on upskilling the workforce and implementing digital and automation solutions.

"By the end of 2025, our commitment is to be carbon neutral in our own operations and reduce the usage of water for operations by 50%," Locatelli explained. Initiatives such as the installation of a solar farm and the planned biomass plant are steps towards achieving these sustainability goals.

The expanded facility will leverage advanced technologies to enhance manufacturing efficiency. Locatelli elaborated on the deployment of digitalization and automation, including the manufacturing execution system (MES), which facilitates paperless execution of manufacturing batches and reduces human errors. 

These technological advancements are expected to improve manufacturing efficiencies and utilisation capacities significantly.

Moreover, Novartis's expansion in Singapore is not just about scaling up production. It's also about contributing to the city's status as a supply node for high-quality biotherapeutics. "This expanded site will focus on manufacturing therapeutic antibodies to deliver breakthrough treatment around the world," Locatelli said.