Mr Lim Hng Kiang at the Opening Ceremony of Panasonic Electronic Devices Singapore Pte Ltd’s Technology Development Centre, 22 Apr 2010

SPEECH BY MR LIM HNG KIANG, MINISTER OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY, AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF PANASONIC ELECTRONIC DEVICES SINGAPORE PTE LTD’S TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CENTRE ON 22 APRIL 2010, AT 10 AM, LOBBY LEVEL BANYAN BALLROOM AT SHANGRI-LA HOTEL

Okamoto-san,

Managing Director, Panasonic Electronic Devices Co., Ltd

Sugimoto-san,

Managing Director, Panasonic Electronic Devices Singapore Pte Ltd

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning.

I am pleased to join you this morning for the opening of Panasonic Electronic Devices’ (or PED) Technology Development Centre in Singapore.

Electronics industry – high potential for further growth

The electronics industry continues to be an important and vibrant pillar of Singapore’s manufacturing sector. Last year, the sector contributed more than 30% of Singapore’s manufacturing value-added. It is also a growth enabler for other industries such as logistics and precision engineering in Singapore. For example, electronics shipments alone account for half of the total air cargo volume out of Singapore. The sector is also an important capability enabler for new clusters such as avionics and medical technology.

Indeed these are exciting times for the electronic industry. New growth areas in the electronics sector are emerging for Singapore. For example, rising awareness of energy efficiency has led to a demand for green electronics products and energy harvesting solutions. Bioelectronics is another area that holds much growth potential. As the developed world ages, demand will rise for faster and less invasive ways to deliver healthcare and diagnostics such as bio-electronics solutions. Portable lab-on-chip devices that allow users outside the traditional lab environment to easily perform diagnostic tests at the point of need are an example. Other new growth areas where cutting edge electronics products are in great demand are security technologies and plastic electronics. These smart products currently contribute about 10 per cent of Singapore’s electronics output. By 2020, we hope to see that figure increase to 30 percent. In this regard, PED, through its Technology Development Centre and focus on medical, energy and environmental applications, is well positioned to capitalize on these growth areas.

Singapore’s competitive R&D environment

Corporate R&D centres will add depth to our electronics ecosystem. Through these new growth areas, Singapore’s existing capabilities will be enhanced. In green electronics, for example, we can leverage on our capabilities in integrated circuit (or IC) design to develop energy-efficient solutions for applications such as computing, automotive and lighting systems. In bioelectronics, our existing strengths in electronics and medical technology play a crucial role in the development of next-generation medical devices and healthcare monitoring systems.

PED’s decision to set up its first overseas corporate R&D center in Singapore demonstrates the company’s confidence in our research infrastructure and capabilities. For its part, the Singapore government has put in place several measures to foster an attractive R&D environment for companies. These include establishing a strong Intellectual Property regime so that companies can carry out research on cutting edge products knowing that their proprietary technology is well protected. Other measures include Singapore’s highly-rated educational system and pro-talent environment. This enables companies to tap into a ready pool of scientific and research talent here, as well as attract skilled professionals from the region. R&D activities for the electronics sector are flourishing. It accounted for four-fifths of the manufacturing sector’s R&D spending in 2008.

Our network of universities and research institutes also offers collaborative opportunities for electronics companies seeking complementary capabilities. Far sighted companies such as PED have been quick to seize this opportunity.

Since 2006, PED has been collaborating with the Institute of Microelectronics on the development of novel drug discovery devices. With the establishment of its Technology Development Centre, PED Singapore will be extending this collaboration to include 4 A*STAR research institutes and 3 research labs in NTU and NUS. They will work on 6 bioelectronics and green electronics projects. This is an excellent example of a company leveraging on Singapore’s R&D infrastructure to build up differentiating capabilities in new areas.

Panasonic Electronic Devices as a strategic partner to Singapore

PED’s partnership in Singapore has grown from strength to strength over the past 33 years. The establishment of a Technology Development Centre in Singapore is a significant milestone in the relationship. With this centre, PED Singapore will be able to further expand its value chain of activities here into upstream research. I understand PED Singapore also plans to invest approximately S$20 million to expand the center to around 50 Research Scientists and Engineers in 5 years.

Conclusion

On behalf of the Singapore Government, I would like to express our appreciation to PED for your continued trust and confidence in Singapore. To the management and staff of PED, my heartiest congratulations on the opening of your Technology Development Centre in Singapore. I wish you every success and I look forward to many more years of successful partnership between PED and Singapore.

Thank you.