Speech by SMS Lee Yi Shyan at the Opening Ceremony of MTA 2015 at Singapore Expo

Mr Jeremy Fong, Chairman of the Singapore Precision Engineering and Technology Association,

Ms Lindy Wee, Chief Executive of Singapore Exhibition Services,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

Introduction

Let me extend my warmest welcome to all exhibitors and visitors to MTA 2015.

This year marks the 20th edition of MTA, and I would like to congratulate the organizers on reaching this significant milestone.

As an up-to-date exhibition, MTA 2015 has introduced a new technical conference titled “Future Factories & Manufacturing Asia”. Such forward-looking vision is important for businesses in Singapore as we are always looking out for new technologies to embrace.

The Government is committed to develop Singapore into an advanced manufacturing hub

At one-fifth of Singapore’s GDP and employing half a million people, our manufacturing sector is re-structuring. It is heading towards high value-added engineering production. A number of our firms enjoy technology and market leadership in sub-sectors such as semiconductor equipment, diagnostic tools, biologics, hard disk drive media and offshore oil and gas platforms.

Building on these achievements, we aspire to become an advanced manufacturing hub of tomorrow. To achieve this, the Government has set aside substantial resources to help companies’ undertake R&D and adopt new technologies. Let me illustrate this through our efforts in Additive Manufacturing (AM).            

Additive Manufacturing (AM)

Additive manufacturing (AM), more commonly known as 3D printing, is not entirely new, and has long enabled rapid prototyping. Its commercial proposition has strengthened in recent years with declining equipment prices and a wider range of materials that can be manufactured in this fashion – extending beyond plastics into metals, composites and ceramics. 

AM has the potential to enable cheaper low-volume production, responsive production, shortened supply chains, optimized designs and mass customization.  While some hurdles still exist, we have begun investing ahead of time to build up upstream R&D and downstream commercialization capabilities. We have also started to train the relevant talents in support of growth opportunities in the AM industry.

For example, Nanyang Technological University has set up the Singapore Centre for 3D Printing (SC3DP). It collaborates with the industry to try out novel AM materials, printing processes and next-generation AM equipment.  The Centre will also build up our talent pool in 3D printing by equipping up to 150 engineering graduates at the Masters and PhD levels with knowledge in AM over the next 5 years.

This year, A*STAR will launch a new Additive Manufacturing Centre to accelerate the adoption of AM technologies in Singapore. It will house state-of-the-art industrial-grade AM equipment and will work with industrial partners, such as Rolls-Royce and others to explore new applications using AM methods.

In addition to university-level training, Nanyang Polytechnic is expanding its Additive Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) to develop commercialization capabilities in the design, pre- and post-processing of additive manufactured parts. The Polytechnic also plans to conduct training programs for practicing engineers and technicians to apply AM technology. 

Other Emerging Technologies -- Robotics and Digital Manufacturing

Apart from AM, we also recognise the potential in other emerging technologies such as robotics and digital manufacturing. Robotics is also not a particularly new technology.  However, latest robotics are more easily-programmable and hence adopted. Together with digital manufacturing, integrated production processes would lead to faster and error-free production.

Staying at the forefront of technologies is crucial to the competitiveness of our manufacturing industry. The Government is committed to supporting public-private partnerships in these technology areas. I invite interested participants to engage the EDB for further discussions on your areas of interest. 

Innovative Factories of the Future

Beyond acquiring technologies, the Government is also providing more special-purpose industrial buildings. The JTC Space @ Tampines North is a good example of a future-ready production space which could house vibration-sensitive operations. Its high floor loading and high ceiling features would accommodate stringent requirements of AM and robotics applications. Its design also allows knock-out slab panels to be used for greater flexibility in future expansion.

Conclusion

In conclusion, let me say that our manufacturing firms need to stay ahead of competition by aggressive adoption of the latest technologies, including additive manufacturing and robotics. The Government will continue to provide a nurturing environment and supporting infrastructure to help our firms succeed in their quest for upgrading and moving up the value chain. May I wish you a fruitful and successful event. 

It’s my pleasure to now declare MTA 2015 open. Thank you.