Biologicals Forum: Driving Innovation & Commercialisation for Sustainable Agriculture

05 Nov 2025
Breakout Room A
Agri-Tech , Breakout Session

Hosted by: 
Enterprise Singapore - Agenda

Biological crop inputs such as biostimulants are gaining traction as a solution for sustainable farming, enabled by advances in microbiome engineering and synthetic biology. While more companies are entering this industry, inconsistent usage protocols and misaligned cost expectations constrain widespread adoption. 

Mainstreaming biologicals will require coordinated efforts across research, industry, and government. What are the global success cases that we can look to? Which interventions should be prioritised to drive business development and research commercialisation in Singapore and Southeast Asia? 

Join Enterprise Singapore for interactive roundtable discussions led by key voices from industry and research. Participants will collaborate on real-world challenges, exchanging insights and ideas. Before wrapping up, every group will present their key takeaways to the room — sparking broader dialogue and shared learning beyond the session, Summit, and SIAW. 

 

Topic   Scope Moderator
Innovation in plant-based solutions Discuss the needs of the regional farming industry and potential for innovation in plant-based biologicals to address these needs. 
  • Dr Ritu Bhalla, Assistant Director, Agriculture Research and Innovation Centre, Republic Polytechnic (RP), Singapore
  • Julius Barcelona, Chief Operating Officer, Harbest Agribusiness Corporation, Philippines
Application of microbiological solutions Explore the role of microbiological solutions in advancing sustainable agriculture, with a focus on current challenges and gaps in the development of effective biologicals.
  • Dr Sheela Reuben, Assistant Director & Programme Manager, Singapore National Biofilm Consortium (SNBC)
  • Shoumo Mitra, R&D Director APAC Crop Protection Discovery & Development, Corteva Agriscience, Singapore
Standards and regulation

Identify emerging standards for plant biological products and assessing current regulatory landscape.

  • Gek Hoon Khoo, Director, Agriculture Research and Innovation (AGRI) Centre, Republic Polytechnic (RP), Singapore
  • Siang Hee Tan, Executive Director, CropLife Asia, Singapore
Commercialisation, farm adoption and financing Explore how we can accelerate commercialisation, strengthen farm adoption, and finance the scale-up of microbiological solutions for sustainable agriculture.
  • Joshua Soo, Co-founder, Agrifood Futures, Singapore
  • Cherie Tan, Regenerative Agriculture Lead,Agrifood Futures, Singapore · Ralph Graichen, Operating Partner (Agri-Food), Temasek International

 

Chairperson
Ritu Bhalla
Ritu Bhalla, Assistant Director, Agriculture Research and Innovation Centre - REPUBLIC POLYTECHNIC (RP), Singapore
Julius Barcelona
Julius Barcelona, Chief Operating Officer - HARBEST AGRIBUSINESS CORPORATION, Philippines
Sheela Reuben
Sheela Reuben, Assistant Director & Programme Manager - SINGAPORE NATIONAL BIOFILM CONSORTIUM (SNBC), Singapore
Shoumo Mitra
Shoumo Mitra, Director APAC Crop Health R&D - CORTEVA AGRISCIENCE, Singapore
Joshua Soo
Joshua Soo, Co-Founder - AGRIFOOD FUTURES, Singapore
Cherie Tan
Cherie Tan, Regenerative Agriculture Lead - AGRIFOOD FUTURES, Singapore
Siang Hee Tan
Siang Hee Tan, Executive Director - CROPLIFE ASIA, Singapore