Speech by MOS Alvin Tan at Tekscend Photomask Singapore Site Groundbreaking Ceremony

Mr Teruo Ninomiya, President and CEO of Tekscend Photomask,

His Excellency Hiroshi Ishikawa, Ambassador of Japan to Singapore,

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

1.            Good morning. It is my pleasure to join you at the groundbreaking ceremony of Tekscend Photomask’s new manufacturing facility.

2.            Tekscend is the global leader in outsourced manufacturing for photomasks - templates used to transfer integrated circuit (IC) designs onto silicon wafers during the photolithography process. Photomasks are foundational inputs for semiconductor manufacturing, as every chip pattern starts with a photomask.

Significance of New Investment

3.            Tekscend’s manufacturing facility is therefore a significant development for our semiconductor industry. The precision and reliability of photomasks will become more critical than ever, because artificial intelligence and electrification are driving demand for more powerful and energy-efficient chips in everyday devices - from smartphones and computers, to electric vehicles and medical equipment.

4.            Tekscend’s facility will strengthen Singapore’s semiconductor ecosystem in two ways:

a.    First, by strengthening supply chain resilience. With a higher risk of supply chain disruptions today, Tekscend’s facility will safeguard business continuity against such risks by giving Singapore-based foundries the option to source for photomasks locally, and not be over-reliant on overseas imports.

b.    Second, by enabling our semiconductor companies to innovate and introduce new products more quickly based on customer demands. This facility will also shorten the lead times for obtaining photomasks. This will be an additional competitive advantage in an industry with such rapid technological cycles.

Commitment to Growing Singapore’s Semiconductor Ecosystem

5.            Singapore will continue to grow our semiconductor industry as a key pillar of our economy, and we have two strengths upon which to build.

6.            First, on talent - demand for semiconductor talent will grow in tandem with the industry, which is on track to reach a market size of US$1 trillion (or S$1.3 trillion) by the 2030s. The Government will build a sustainable talent pipeline, by stepping up partnerships with industry and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs).

a.    This includes programmes to attract young talent to join the industry by raising awareness on the range of job opportunities, and our Career Conversion Programme (CCP) to reskill mid-career professionals as an additional source of talent. I invite Tekscend to work even more closely with us on this. Please work with our IHLs to co-develop curriculum or mentorship programmes, and provide opportunities for on-the-job training to help our students and mid-career workers master skillsets that the industry demands.

7.            Second, on innovation – we have built strong capabilities in next-generation semiconductor research. Over the years, we have invested in public-private research platforms like the Centre of Excellence in Advanced Packaging and the National Semiconductor Translation and Innovation Centre for Gallium Nitride.

8.            These strengths, and our longstanding status as a trusted and reliable business hub, have enabled us to build a robust ecosystem of semiconductor partners and suppliers. This ecosystem has created end-to-end capabilities across adjacent segments such as semiconductor equipment, materials, chemicals, and gases. We will continue to invest in enhancing the competitiveness of our semiconductor industry, by anchoring important players and activities across the semiconductor ecosystem. Just last year, Siltronic, Pall Corporation, and KLA opened new manufacturing facilities for silicon wafers, lithography solutions, as well as wafer geometry and defect inspection tools respectively.

9.            Collectively, these strong foundations make us an attractive location for companies like Tekscend to grow and expand, and we welcome more of such investments to further strengthen our semiconductor industry.

Conclusion

10.         Congratulations to Tekscend again on your first manufacturing facility here. Thank you for the vote of confidence in Singapore, and I trust it will bear fruit in the coming years. I look forward to the successful completion of this facility, and forging a closer partnership with Tekscend in your new chapter ahead.

11.         Thank you.