SINGAPORE'S March manufacturing output rose 16.9 per cent compared to March last year, powered by a surge in output of the biomedical manufacturing cluster.

The three-month moving average growth for March was 12.4 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to figures released by the Economic Development Board (EDB) on Friday.

The month-on-month seasonally adjusted index for March fell 0.6 per cent from February.

Total manufacturing output for the first three months of th year increased by 12.4 per cent over the same period in 2007.

The star performer was the biomedical manufacturing cluster whose output went up by 98.1 per cent in March, compared to March last year.

Within the cluster, pharmaceuticals makers posted an increase of 108.4 per cent with a greater variety of active pharmaceutical ingredients produced.

But the medical technology segment shrunk by 5.7 per cent due to lower production of medical devices for export.