Singapore's sturdy infrastructure, pro-business environment and technological prowess allow us to capitalise on emerging areas of industry and opportunities that can develop overnight. These commercial industries include Intellectual Property, Information and Physical Security, Resource Management, Nanotechnology and Photonics.
i) Intellectual Property (IP)
Voted the most IP-protective country in Asia by the Political and Economic Research Consultancy for the last two years, Singapore is well-poised to aid companies in protecting, managing and commercialising their assets in Asia, especially as the region increases global manufacturing reach. Singapore's reputation as a secure and vigilant IP hub has been greatly augmented by the initiation of various pro-business policies and support schemes to promote IP activities. Some of the key IP initiatives that have been undertaken here by various organisations include the following:
- World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) established its first Asian regional office in June 2005 in Singapore.
- Honeywell and Hewlett Packard set up their Asian IP licensing and acquisition centres in Singapore
- Asiaworks Photography, the world's leading archive of Asian digital images, manages and licences its digital images and photographs from its headquarters in Singapore
- DLM Digital Studios (India), an Indian film production house, owns, licenses and manages its film rights for the international market in Singapore
ii) New Technologies
Looking five to ten years ahead, EDB has formed a team to scout for and establish in Singapore new technology-enabled industries which are likely to have high economic impact. This team will tackle issues such as infrastructure, manpower, cluster development, policy & regulation, research & development, and demand generation. The team is currently focused on two key areas:
Robotics and Intelligent Systems
Robotics & Intelligence Systems is entering its second wave of growth, expanding from industrial to consumer applications. With this initiative, EDB aims to attract and nurture companies in the areas of Robotics, Ambient Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence. EDB is working closely with the various institutions to ensure that Singapore has the manpower, research expertise, and technical know-how necessary to ride this next wave of growth. This is a natural extension of EDB's 1988 National Automation Masterplan, through which Singapore's automation capability was built up.
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology promises to deliver unprecedented enhancements to existing competencies in manufacturing and materials across a wide range of industries. EDB aims for Singapore to be a key global player in this exciting area, and is constantly developing new capabilities and companies in nanotechnology. NanoFrontier, a company of Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, is one result of EDB's effort. Since its inception, the company has been working closely with industry players to bridge the gap between laboratory science and industry needs for nanotechnology. NanoFrontier's work could culminate in new strong and lightweight materials, new manufacturing technology and new applications, and is an example of Singapore's commitment to and expertise in nanotechnology.
iii) Photonics
Currently applied in a wide spectrum of industries, ranging from electronics and telecommunications, to sensing and imaging and healthcare, photonics is a burgeoning field that Singapore is avidly supporting. Collaborative roundtables between industry and academia have been organised for the exploration into fibre optic sensors and organic light emitting diode- (OLED) based solid-state lighting technology. The industry’s confidence in Singapore's capacity to support the industry is evidenced by China's largest listed telecom equipment company, ZTE Corporation's, opening of its Pacific telecom equipment headquarters in Singapore to grow its international business. Finisar, a top optical communications transceiver manufacturer, also recently placed a product development team in Singapore to expand its global reach.
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