SPEECH BY MR LIM HNG KIANG, MINISTER FOR TRADE AND
INDUSTRY, AT THE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY OF ROLLS ROYCE AERO-ENGINE
ASSEMBLYAND TEST FACILITY ON TUESDAY 19 FEBRUARY 2008, AT 3.15 PM
AT SELETAR AEROSPACE
PARK
British
Under Secretary of State for Transport, Jim
Fitzpatrick
His
Excellency Mr Paul Madden, British High Commissioner to
Singapore
Sir John Rose, CEO of Rolls
Royce
Distinguished
Guests
Ladies and
Gentlemen
A Landmark Project for the aerospace
industry
It gives me
great pleasure to be here for the groundbreaking ceremony of
Rolls-Royce’s Aero-Engine Assembly and Test Facility. I am
delighted that Rolls-Royce has selected Singapore for this
significant project, which is not only a first for Singapore but
also a first for Asia. This is the first time ever that large civil
aero-engines will be manufactured in Asia. This is therefore a landmark project for Singapore
and marks a major breakthrough for our aerospace
industry.
Since the 1950s when it
first set up its representative office in Singapore, Rolls-Royce
has been our partner in progress, growing in tandem with our
economy through the decades.Starting with only a handful of
employees, Rolls-Royce today employs more than a 1000 people in
Singapore and has activities ranging from aerospace maintenance,
repair and overhaul (MRO), marine systems, power generation and
fuel
cells.
When Rolls-Royce first
arrived in Singapore, the aerospace industry was only in its
infancy.In recent years, however, the industry has been one of the
fastest growing with an average annual growth rate of 13% since
1990 and today, Singapore has the highest concentration of
aerospace OEMs in the Asia-Pacific. In 2007, the aerospace industry
achieved a record output of S$6.9b, and the Singapore government is
clearly committed to its continued
growth.
Through its investments in state-of-the-art aerospace
operations, Rolls-Royce has contributed significantly to raising
Singapore’s aerospace capabilities and enhancing Singapore’s status
as a global aerospace hub. Rolls-Royce’s
Aero-Engine Assembly and Test Facility is thus a major step forward
in taking our aerospace industry to a new
level.
In coming to its decision to locate
its aero-engine assembly plant in Singapore, Rolls-Royce undertook
a rigorous investigation. Several locations were considered;
understandably competition was keen and the decision was arrived at
after a careful evaluation process.I am told that several factors
worked in favour of Singapore. These include the quality and strong
work ethic of our people; our strong technology orientation coupled
with a deep understanding and practice of lean manufacturing
processes; our excellent logistics infrastructure and connectivity
and, finally, our total cost
competitiveness.
These are critical factors for what
Rolls-Royce envisages to be their “Facility of the Future” – which
will set new benchmarks for productivity and quality in aircraft
engine
manufacturing.
An impressive start to Seletar
Aerospace
Park
We see strong growth potential for
the aerospace industry and are taking the necessary steps to
develop our infrastructure, manpower and technology capabilities in
this sector. For example, in 2007, we announced our decision to
develop the 300 hectare SeletarAerospacePark. While land is always
a valuable resource in Singapore, we wanted to ensure that we have
sufficient land for the aerospace industry to grow here. Today, I
am delighted that we are present here at the SeletarAerospacePark
for the groundbreaking of a facility that marks a new chapter for
our Aerospace
industry.
Rolls-Royce’s plant here is a strong boost and
testament to the attractiveness of SeletarAerospacePark. It will
undoubtedly serve as a ‘Queen Bee’, attracting more companies to
come here. We expect significant spinoffs for Singapore from
Rolls-Royce’s plant as we work jointly to develop a strong supply
chain to support it. We expect aerospace suppliers to locate in
Singapore and the precision engineering industry will benefit
significantly with the opportunities created.Logistics companies
will also be key beneficiaries, managing the movement of parts and
engines to and from destinations across the globe.
Conclusion
I want to thank Rolls-Royce for their
trust and confidence in Singapore. It is a confidence that stems
from a partnership that spans many decades. In fact, in 2006,
Rolls-Royce received EDB's Distinguished Partner in Progress award
for its contributions to Singapore's economic development. This
project marks another milestone in the close partnership between
Rolls Royce and
Singapore.
We will work together with
you to make this plant in Singapore a roaring success and look
forward to the day when ‘Made-in-Singapore’ engines will span the
sky.