Speech by Min(EST) Tan See Leng at the Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association (SSIA) Semiconductor Dinner 2025

Mr Brian Tan, Chairman, Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association (SSIA),

Mr Tan Yew Kong, Vice Chairman, SSIA,

Excellencies,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

1. Good evening. It is a pleasure for me to be here with you to celebrate SSIA’s 20th anniversary. It is indeed a very special milestone.

2. The world today is a lot more complex and less predictable than ever. Geopolitical rivalry continues to heat up, and semiconductors are right at the heart of this strategic competition. At the same time, the global semiconductor market is also widely expected to reach US$1 trillion by 2030, and this is on the back of rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and megatrends such as the internet of things. These developments have contributed to both ongoing uncertainties over trade flows and investment decisions, as well as unprecedented opportunities at the same time for the entire industry.

3. These global developments matter greatly and deeply to Singapore. Semiconductors contribute close to 7% of our GDP.  They also account for one in ten jobs in the manufacturing sector. Semiconductors are an integral part of our vision for Singapore to become a global hub for talent, business, innovation, and advanced manufacturing. As we said before, we aim to increase manufacturing value-add by 50% by 2030.

4. Tonight, we celebrate SSIA, which has been a key bridge between industry, academia, and Government.

   1. When SSIA was started 20 years ago in 2005, it was called the Microelectronics Integrated Circuit Design and System Association. The name was longer than the list of members, which had just over 20 companies then.  But it had a clear mission to provide a unified voice for Singapore’s semiconductor industry.

   2. 20 years on, SSIA represents more than 300 members. It has become the leading association for Singapore’s semiconductor industry. Congratulations, SSIA! It strengthens our ecosystem and develops future-ready talent. Let me share more on both fronts.

Driving Collaboration

5. First, our semiconductor industry is highly diverse. We have MNEs and SMEs. We have manufacturers in wafer fabrication and packaging, to suppliers in chip design and equipment. All with different capabilities and needs. SSIA brings everyone together to share knowledge and to collaborate.

6. Platforms like the Semiconductor Business Connect and the SSIA Summit, which took place earlier today, provide opportunities to exchange ideas and build networks.

   1. For example, SSIA introduced ELH Tech, a local additive manufacturing SME which specialises in metal and polymer 3D-printing, to several MNEs. Today, semiconductor manufacturers like STMicroelectronics can rely on ELH Tech to replace obsolete equipment parts, which is a game-changer for the industry.

7. SSIA has been opening doors for Singapore companies overseas. It has led missions to countries such as India to help local SMEs understand business conditions and connect with key stakeholders. This complements the strategic collaboration between Singapore and India through our MOU on India-Singapore Semiconductor Ecosystem Partnership in 2024 and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established this year, which includes deepening our collaboration in R&D, skills training, supply chain and logistics for semiconductors.

   1. CleanTech Services, which provides gas and chemical engineering solutions, is an SME that has benefited from SSIA’s overseas missions. Through the mission it joined in March this year, CleanTech connected with Tata Electronics and other key players. This paved the way for CleanTech to set up a new manufacturing unit in India to engineer and install specialty gas line systems used in chip manufacturing.

   2. Later this year, I heard that SSIA will lead a delegation to the Netherlands. The focus will be to explore opportunities in photonics, a key enabler for smaller, faster, and better chips. All of these efforts prepare our local companies to compete on the global stage.

Future-Readiness

8. The second big area of SSIA’s work is talent development. The global shortage of semiconductor workers is expected to worsen. Singapore needs a strong pipeline, and SSIA has been proactive.

9. For students, SSIA runs Semiconductor Awareness Day, Electronics Industry Day, amongst other events. Leading companies like Micron, Applied Materials, and GlobalFoundries are invited to showcase internship and career opportunities in the sector. I thank SSIA for organising these, reaching out to more than 15,000 and for inspiring the next generation of talent.

10. For mid-career professionals, SSIA partners Workforce Singapore to reskill workers through the Career Conversion Programme. More than 2,700 mid-career professionals have been supported to make the move into semiconductor roles with  promising long-term career prospects.

11. At the apex, SSIA has trained more than 280 leaders through the Singapore Semiconductor Leadership Accelerator and Excellence programmes. Participants learn to sharpen strategic thinking and strengthen leadership capabilities. Eventually, they will guide the industry through future challenges, and capture and harvest future opportunities.

12. Workforce Singapore’s Workforce Transformation Award tonight is a timely recognition of the efforts by SSIA members and partners in upskilling their workers. It truly takes an entire ecosystem to nurture a future-ready workforce. Congratulations in advance to all award winners.

Conclusion

13. In conclusion, as we celebrate SSIA’s 20th birthday, let us look back with pride and forward with confidence. From 20 members to over 300 today, SSIA has been at the heart of Singapore’s semiconductor industry.  I am confident that SSIA will continue to play a pivotal and central role in positioning Singapore as a hub for semiconductor manufacturing and innovation.

14. Happy 20^th Anniversary SSIA! Thank you.