Strategic regional base anchors Forefront's global expansion

Being in the right location is important for a successful business. For Forefront Medical Technology, Singapore's stringent intellectual property (IP) laws make it an ideal base for its research, development and design capabilities.

"We have a solid home-grown advantage," says group CEO Mark Samlal. "We believe that our ability to contract with organisations as a Singaporean-listed company gives multinationals the comfort to deal with us."

Clients rely on Forefront for assistance in developing and prototyping medical products, assured that their IP rights are protected. Forefront designs, mass-produces and delivers disposable medical, diagnostic and drug delivery devices such as laryngeal masks, infusion system components and airway management devices.

"We are a pure-play 100 per cent medical devices company," Samlal says. "There is nothing in the entire spectrum of a fully-made device or its significant components that we can't manage."

In working with clients on product development, Forefront also has the support of Singaporean government agency SPRING, which nurtures local enterprises and builds trust in the country's products and services.

Forefront regards Singapore as the core of its hub-and-spoke set-up from which it directs its production operations in China. It opened its third manufacturing plant, a flagship facility within the Jiangsu Wujin Economic Zone in Changzhou in July last year. All of Forefront's manufacturing facilities are accredited to meet the stringent cleanliness standards required by the medical industry.