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Ministry of Trade and Industry
2. Speeches

Speech by Minister of State Alvin Tan at the SSIA Semiconductor Business Connect 2026

16 April 2026

  1. Last year, I posed the question “Why Singapore.” Today, I want to talk about “Why Especially Singapore?” in a crisis.

  2. Singapore remains the “Steady Hub” in this shifting world. When things are uncertain, companies look for safe harbour. Singapore offers more than that. We are advanced, trusted, high-tech, and green. We offer the rule of law, a stable Government, and a deep pool of talent.

  3. Today, let me talk about the three pillars that keep our “Steady Hub” strong: (a) sustainability, (b) R&D, and (c) talent.

Pillar 1: Sustainability

  1. Sustainability is key to our industry’s long-term survival. The energy crisis has shown us how vulnerable we were due to our reliance on fossil fuels. With this wake-up call, companies that thrive are those that use less, waste less, and adapt faster.

  2. And the Government will support you. Through our Resource Efficiency Grant for Emissions and the Enterprise Sustainability Programme, we are seeing real progress:

    1. Micron’s Catalytic Central Greenhouse Gas Abatement System removes 95% of fluorinated GHG emissions and is expected to cut fuel use by 90%.

    2. STMicroelectronics’s Industrial District Cooling Network is expected to cut carbon emissions by 120,000 tonnes a year, reduce cooling-related electricity costs by 20 percent each year, and to repurpose over half a million cubic meters of water consumption per year.

  3. We can also lead through deliberate design. Whether it is making chips that use less energy or advancing packaging techniques, companies like Applied Materials are already leading the way through their Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialisation (EPIC) Advanced Packaging Platform.

  4. SSIA is a key partner in these efforts through the Singapore Semiconductor Sustainability Committee which was formed in 2023. Their work to spread awareness about sustainability in this industry and benchmarking sustainability indices will help companies adopt sustainable solutions into their business.

  5. Use less, waste less, adapt faster and save cost!

Pillar 2: Research and Development (R&D)

  1. Our second pillar is R&D. To power the future of AI, 5G, and electric vehicles, we need breakthroughs in advanced packaging, silicon photonics, RF GaN and next-generation power semiconductors.

  2. Singapore has invested in R&D for nearly two decades. Let me unpack this at three levels:

    1. At the planning level, under our Research, Innovation and Enterprise RIE2030 plan, we introduced the RIE Flagship in Semiconductors, with $800 million dedicated to coordinating our research in areas like advanced packaging and photonics, where we have established strengths in. Professor Yeo from A*STAR will share more on this shortly.

    2. At the infrastructure level, we are also building the hardware you need, through shared, industry-grade platforms that strengthen our ability to translate semiconductor R&D into real-world applications. Our National Semiconductor Translation and Innovation Centre, a S$500 million investment, will start operations next year. It will provide companies, including start-ups and SMEs, with access to 12-inch industry-grade tools and shared cleanroom infrastructure to support advanced semiconductor R&D. We’re bridging the gap from lab to fab by bringing promising technologies closer to market.

    3. At the company level, we are bridging the gap from “lab to fab,” by supporting partnerships to ensure research translates into viable commercial outcomes. One example is the Advanced Micro Foundry (AMF). The research done in our ecosystem helped seed AMF, and GlobalFoundries’ acquisition of AMF is now helping scale those technologies for the whole world.

  3. Together, these examples reflect how investing in Singapore’s public R&D ecosystem has helped catalyse companies, attract industry investment and strengthen our position in the global semiconductor supply chain.

Pillar 3: Talent Development

  1. This brings me to our most important pillar: our people. A point I made last year. The global chip market is expected to hit one trillion US dollars by 2030 – barely four years away. To get there, our semiconductor industry needs one million more skilled workers by 2030.

  2. Singapore is actively building this pipeline:

    1. Inspiring and attracting the next generation: Platforms like SSIA’s Electronics Industry Day connect students, job seekers, and mid-career professionals with companies in our industry. Recently, over 1,000 job openings were shared across more than twenty hiring companies.

    2. Training: The Singapore-Industry Scholarships (SgIS) helps students develop professional skills and gain industry exposure through internships and structured development programmes. Over the last five years, 18 semiconductor companies have awarded almost 300 scholarships under SgIS. Through partnerships with Workforce Singapore and NTUC’s e2i, SSIA also supports the creation of structured training pathways that prepare professionals for roles across research, manufacturing, and operations.

    3. Switching careers: Since 2016, the Career Conversion Programme has helped more than 2,700 mid-career professionals move into semiconductor roles. This proves that people from different industries can contribute to advanced manufacturing if we give them the right support.

Strengthening our Ecosystem Through Partnerships

  1. We need good partnerships for what I’ve mentioned to happen. Today, we will see three MOUs signed:

    1. SSIA and NTUC LearningHub to help our workers learn new skills.

    2. SSIA and SGInnovate to grow our deep-tech talent.

    3. SSIA and the India Cellular and Electronics Association to work together on leadership and industry studies.

  2. These are concrete actions that show Singapore is not just a place to build advanced and cutting-edge manufacturing facilities, but a place to build the future.

Conclusion: Why Especially Singapore

  1. To conclude, Singapore’s semiconductor story is close to sixty years old. Today, we produce one in ten chips globally and one in five pieces of semiconductor equipment. This sector makes up 20% of our manufacturing output and 6% of our GDP.

  2. This success didn’t happen by chance. It happened because of trust and deliberate planning. In a world that is shifting and unpredictable, companies need a partner that is stable and reliable.

  3. So, “Why Especially Singapore?” Because when the winds of change blow hard, you need a steady hub that keeps the lights on and the innovation moving.

  4. We have been your partner for the last sixty years, and we are ready for the next sixty. Let’s keep working together to turn today’s challenges into tomorrow’s growth.

  5. Thank you.

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