Speech by Minister S Iswaran at the SUTD-Keysight MOU Signing Ceremony and Launch of Measurement Technologies Lab

SPEECH BY GUEST-OF-HONOUR MR S ISWARAN, MINISTER FOR TRADE & INDUSTRY (INDUSTRY) AT THE SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN (SUTD)-KEYSIGHT MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) SIGNING CEREMONY AND LAUNCH OF MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGIES LAB (MTL), 6 DEC 2017, 10.25AM

Professor Thomas L. Magnanti,

President of Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD),

Professor Chong Tow Chong, Provost of SUTD,

Mr Gooi Soon Chai,

President of the Electronic Industrial Solutions Group (EISG),

Senior Vice President of Keysight Technologies Inc,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

1.            It is my pleasure to join you today for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing between the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Keysight Technologies Singapore [“Keysight”], to engage in strategic research on advanced manufacturing technologies, including advanced test and measurement technologies.  I am also pleased to launch the Measurement Technologies Lab (MTL) at SUTD, which will house the research activities under the MOU.

2.            SUTD is Singapore’s fourth public university, established since 2009.  Over the past few years, SUTD has rapidly grown its research activities, and is now home to 11 research centres and laboratories.  The MTL is SUTD’s third research laboratory with a leading industry player, and represents the largest investment by a single company in SUTD to date. 

3.            Keysight’s partnership with Singapore dates back to 1970, when it began operations as Hewlett Packard (HP).  Today, Keysight has around 300 employees in Singapore, across global and regional headquarters functions such as supply chain management, IT, treasury, tax, sales and marketing.  Singapore is also one of Keysight’s key global innovation hubs.  The number of Research Scientists and Engineers (RSEs) at its Singapore Research & Development (R&D) Center has doubled since 2014, reflective of Keysight’s commitment to grow its research and innovation activities in Singapore.  This MOU and the establishment of the MTL, mark another significant milestone for the partnership between Keysight and Singapore.

The Government will continue to invest in advanced manufacturing to support the transformation and growth of our manufacturing sector

Growth opportunities in manufacturing and Precision Engineering

4.            The manufacturing sector, which contributed about 20 percent of GDP and 14 percent of employment in 2016, is a key pillar of Singapore’s economy.   The sector experienced strong growth this year, with a 19.1 percent year-on-year increase in manufacturing output in the third quarter of 2017.

5.            The Precision Engineering (PE) industry is a critical enabler for our manufacturing sector, supporting the production of complex equipment and components required in industries ranging from electronics and aerospace, to oil & gas and medical technology.  The PE ITM, which was launched in October last year, aims to develop high-growth areas to increase output in the industry from S$32 billion in 2014 to S$42 billion in 2020.  Test & Measurement was identified as one of the areas with significant growth opportunities, driven by trends such as 5G and the proliferation of connected devices.

Investing in advanced manufacturing

6.            Rapid technological developments, in areas such as the Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT), robotics and additive manufacturing, are changing the complexion of manufacturing today.  These advanced manufacturing technologies present a key opportunity for companies to improve productivity, build up new capabilities and develop new products and solutions for their customers.  Therefore, the Committee on the Future Economy (CFE) identified advanced manufacturing as a growth area for our economy.  Similarly, one of the main thrusts of the PE ITM is to build up our advanced manufacturing capabilities to capture the opportunities in the industry.   

7.            The Government is committed to investing in advanced manufacturing technologies.  Under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2020 plan, we have allocated S$3.2 billion for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering to develop cross-cutting technologies such as robotics and automation, and additive manufacturing.

8.            The MTL at SUTD is aligned to this overall effort.  The lab will develop capabilities in advanced manufacturing technologies, which companies can tap on to transform their manufacturing operations.  For instance, the lab will develop capabilities in big data analytics for IIoT applications, which can help companies streamline their production processes and reduce machine downtime.  The lab will also develop technologies to enable companies to strengthen the testing and monitoring of IoT devices, which can help address privacy and security concerns.  

9.            The advanced manufacturing technologies developed at the MTL will be applicable to not just companies in Singapore, but also the global market.  Hence, this new lab is another step towards Singapore’s vision to be a global hub for advanced manufacturing, where we are not only a lead adopter but also an innovator and exporter of new technologies and solutions.

Partnerships are an important enabler for our industry transformation and innovation efforts.  

10.         Partnerships are an important enabler for industry transformation.  One of the key strategies of the ITMs is the emphasis on an integrated approach, bringing together different stakeholders from companies, research institutions, education and training providers, to Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs), unions, and workers, to partner the Government in implementing comprehensive strategies to ensure the continued growth of our industries. 

11.         Partnerships are also key to facilitating innovation.  There is a growing trend globally towards open innovation, where companies are increasingly seeking to collaborate especially with public sector research performers to enhance their access to new ideas, capabilities and solutions.  Under RIE2020, Singapore aims to foster such public-private partnerships to strengthen our innovation ecosystem, by ensuring that our public sector research expertise can be translated into industry solutions to create economic impact.  Collaborations between education institutions and industry also support the development of an industry-ready talent pipeline.

12.         The MTL at SUTD is a good example of such public-private partnerships.  The MTL collaboration will enable Keysight to leverage SUTD’s capabilities in Electronics R&D, to accelerate the company’s efforts to develop new advanced manufacturing solutions. 

13.         This collaboration will also strengthen the industry relevance of SUTD’s programmes.  Students at SUTD will be able to carry out their research studies and projects at the MTL, while interning at Keysight to apply their knowledge in a company environment.  We expect the lab to play a key role in building up the talent pipeline for the Test & Measurement sector, as well as the broader industry.

Conclusion

14.         In closing, let me once again congratulate SUTD and Keysight on this MOU signing and the establishment of the MTL.  This collaboration illustrates how companies and public sector institutions can work together to strengthen our enterprise capabilities and train an industry-ready talent pipeline.  The Government will continue to encourage more of such partnerships to ensure the success of our industry transformation and innovation efforts.

15.         Thank you.