ESMO Asia 2026 runs from 4 to 6 December 2026 at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre. Oncologists, researchers and pharma and biotech teams from across the region will spend three days on the latest cancer research.
Singapore is a fitting home for it. The city is one of Asia's leading centres for biotech, pharmaceutical manufacturing and cancer research. Here's what makes it special, and how to make the most of your week at the congress.
Singapore's Biotech and Pharma Ecosystem at a Glance
Singapore has spent more than two decades building one of Asia's strongest biomedical sectors. According to the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB):
8 of the world's top 10 pharmaceutical companies base Asia operations in Singapore.
Commercial manufacturing facilities producing biologics and life-saving medicines.
Total biomedical manufacturing output recorded across Singapore in 2023.
Global pharma and academic translational research institutions.
Asia now accounts for nearly half of the world's innovative oncology and therapeutic pipelines.
| Ecosystem Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Top 10 pharma companies with regional headquarters in Singapore | 8 of 10 |
| Biomedical manufacturing plants | 60 |
| Biomedical manufacturing output (2023) | S$38.1 billion |
| Dedicated R&D centres | 30 |
| Asia's share of global innovative drug pipelines | 40% |
Singapore's medicines regulator, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), reached WHO Maturity Level 4 in 2022—the highest WHO rating for a national regulatory system. Biomedical research is anchored at Biopolis, the A*STAR biomedical research hub at one-north, which opened in 2003.
Cancer Care and Clinical Trials in Singapore
The National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) is at the heart of the country's oncology work. Its new 24-storey building opened in 2023, expanding dedicated research space by 2.5 times:
220 Ongoing Clinical Trials
Operating a dedicated facility for early-phase oncology trials, investigating next-generation targeted agents and Asian-prevalent cancer genomic signatures.
Proton Therapy Centre
A specialized proton beam therapy centre featuring four treatment gantries, delivering sub-millimeter precision radiation to spare critical healthy organs.
Multi-Omics Diagnostics & Tissue Bank
Houses a Cancer Discovery Hub for high-throughput multi-omics molecular profiling alongside an extensive on-site patient biobank.
For ESMO Asia attendees, this means the congress sits in a city where much of the oncology science and clinical trial evidence being debated in congress halls is actively produced.
Making the Most of ESMO Asia Week in Singapore
A successful congress week depends on how deliberately you navigate the science and the city:
01 Plan your sessions before you fly. The ESMO Asia programme is packed, and premier proffered papers frequently clash. Review the schedule in advance and bookmark primary tumor sessions.
02 Capture with context. Note the session title, presenter, and day alongside every slide and poster photo so you never lose the clinical trial context.
03 Spend dedicated time on the poster floor. Don't treat the poster hall as a gap-filler. Much of the region's real-world evidence, subgroup analyses, and investigator-initiated trials are exhibited there.
04 Meet the local ecosystem. With so many multinational pharma headquarters and biotech startups clustered in Singapore, congress breaks provide rare opportunities to connect with medical affairs and R&D teams across APAC.
05 Review within a week. Synthesize your notes into key departmental takeaways while the clinical trial readouts are still fresh in memory.
Take Singapore's Oncology Knowledge Home with Gnaanam
Three days at Suntec will leave you with hundreds of slide photos, poster readouts, badges, and QR codes. Gnaanam keeps them permanently organized and clinically actionable:
Automatic Congress Organization
Every slide, poster, badge, and QR code you capture is automatically sorted by congress, day, session, and speaker with smart OCR.
Contextual Networking
Save contact cards linked to the exact session or booth where you met, ensuring high-value collaboration discussions never go cold.
1-Click Clinical Summaries
Generate bulleted executive summaries and key evidence points from any session in seconds.
Department & Tumor Board Exports
Export your organized slides and findings into formatted PDFs or presentation decks ready for your Monday multidisciplinary tumor board.
Heading to Singapore for ESMO Asia 2026? Let's Meet!
The Gnaanam team is visiting Singapore on-site from 4 to 6 December 2026. If you are an oncologist, clinical researcher, biotech fellow, or medical affairs team member, we would love to connect in person during the congress!
We're excited to hear firsthand how you keep up with oncology congress science and give you an exclusive preview of how Gnaanam preserves clinical evidence.
Gnaanam is independent and not affiliated with ESMO.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about ESMO Asia 2026 in Singapore.
When and where is ESMO Asia 2026?
ESMO Asia 2026 takes place from 4 to 6 December 2026 at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre in Singapore.
Why is Singapore a biotech and pharma hub?
Singapore hosts the regional headquarters of 8 of the top 10 global pharma companies, 60 biomedical manufacturing facilities, and 30 dedicated R&D centres, backed by HSA—a WHO Maturity Level 4 medicines regulator.
Does Singapore run oncology clinical trials?
Yes. The National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) listed 220 active ongoing clinical trials upon opening its new 24-storey facility in 2023, with specialized facilities for early-phase trials and advanced proton beam therapy.
How can I keep track of everything at ESMO Asia?
Capture session slides, posters, and contacts with Gnaanam. The app automatically files every capture by congress, day, session, and speaker so you can search and export trial evidence effortlessly.
