Singapore becomes a haven for companies and investors fleeing tensions between the US and China.
Its reputation of political neutrality — and strength in life sciences — is making Singapore a favoured launchpad for western investors and Chinese startups.
Two years ago, Polaris Partners, the investment arm of US pharmaceutical company Polaris, opened an office in Singapore as it started to ramp up investments in the Asian country.
“Singapore has an extraordinary ecosystem,” says Amy Schulman, managing partner at Polaris Partners. “It has first rate science that gets a good amount of government support. It has terrific intellectual property protection, and it has organised rule of law system that makes things very appealing.”
Singapore’s favourable tax system and English-speaking business community have also made it an ideal jumping off point for international companies se...