In Ihe 1970s and 1980s, a shift to more skill-intensive manufacturing led to an emphasis on technical fields. From the mid-1990s on, Singapore has sought to become a player in the global knowledge economy, encouraging more research and innovation-intensive industries and seeking to attract scientists and scientific companies from around the globe. The results of the government's economic policies have been stunning - rapid economic growth to reach developed country levels and an average per capita income in 2009 of about SCD 52 000 (USD 39 000) estimated at current market prices.