SINGAPORE, June 9 (Bernama) -- Glaxo SmithKline (GSK), the global pharmaceutical company, today officially opened its largest vaccine plant in Asia and the first of its kind in Singapore.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who officiated the plant opening, said the state-of-the-art facility that produced childhood vaccines could save three million lives worldwide every year.

"Singapore is proud to be part of this project," he said of the 85,000-square metre plant that employs 1,000 workers at the Tuas industrial area here.

Reminiscing GSK's history, Lee said the company and Singapore shared a longstanding and enduring relationship after it first set up a small sales office here in 1959, the year Singapore gained self-government.

In the half century since, GSK invested S$1.5 billion and expanded its activities in Singapore into manufacturing, drug discovery and clinical research, making the city-state one of the company's two global strategic manufacturing hubs and its regional headquarters for Asia Pacific.

Looking at Singapore's position beyond the current world economic malaise, Lee said the republic might explore the possibility of offering the city-state to be the corporate base for global companies, both big and small.

He said in the past, global companies operated with just one corporate headquarters, where all their key decision-makers were based.

"However, Asia is now the main growth story in the world," he said, adding that many companies were therefore looking to locate their key functions and decision makers closer to Asian markets.

The Prime Minister said with more and more manufacturing and research and development taking place in the region, companies were also establishing "control towers" to better manage and coordinate their activities.

"Singapore's stable and pro-business environment, excellent connectivity and competent workforce make us an ideal Asian base for these companies," Lee said.

-- BERNAMA

By Zakaria Abdul Wahab