Innovation Powerhouse: How Singapore is helping Dell, Evonik and dsm-firmenich stay ahead of the competition

Globally-leading companies are deepening their R&D and innovation footprint here, anchoring more high-value work spanning decision-making, commercialisation, and product management functions.

This is due to the unique environment that Singapore has created. Here, a robust global and local talent pool fuels a vibrant R&D ecosystem, and strong public-private linkages support companies to accelerate the translation of research into industry-relevant products and services. Singapore moved up two spots to fifth place in the Global Innovation Index (GII) in 2023.

Companies can tap on a sizeable base of industry partners along value chains and across sectors, while being able to access government crowdsourcing platforms or the Corporate Venture Launchpad programme run by EDB. Singapore’s location in the heart of a growing region is also a draw for companies seeking to scale across Asia, particularly SEA.

In the first of this three-part series, we look at why three MNCs—Dell Technologies, Evonik Industries, and dsm-firmenich—chose to innovate here for global growth.
 

DELL TECHNOLOGIES

ABOUT DELL TECHNOLOGIES:

American MNC Dell Technologies (Dell) is one of the world’s largest technology companies. The company helps organisations and individuals build their digital future and transform how they work, live, and play. It provides customers with the industry’s broadest and most innovative technology and services portfolio for the data era. It was recently recognised as Fast Company’s World Changing Company of the Year 2023. Dell has been operating in Singapore for over two decades, with its headquarters for the Asia Pacific and Japan region located here. Singapore is also home to Dell’s Singapore Design Centre (SDC), where Dell and Alienware’s award-winning monitors and peripherals are meticulously designed, tested, and developed locally before being sold globally.

INNOVATING FROM SINGAPORE:

Dell decided to locate its Global Innovation Hub (GIH) here in 2019 with an investment of US$50 million (S$67.23 million). The first of its kind outside of the United States, the company cited various factors including the country’s strong commitment to R&D.

Over the last three decades, Singapore has spent about S$60 billion to deepen its R&D capabilities, grow the R&D talent pool, and support companies’ innovation activities. During Budget 2024, the government announced it would inject another S$3 billion to do the above, with a focus on areas such as advanced manufacturing, sustainability, the digital economy and healthcare. Singapore has also harnessed technology across society, the economy, and the government through its Smart Nation initiative. The push towards digitalisation and focus on growing the digital economy has created new opportunities for businesses.
 

Dell’s GIH focuses on advancing growth areas for digital transformation, including augmented and mixed reality, data analytics, cloud-native architecture, cybersecurity, edge computing, and user experience through innovation. Through its GIH in Singapore, Dell has forged collaborations with numerous Singapore-based companies to push the boundaries of digital innovation. These include:

• Leading port operator and supply chain solutions provider, PSA, to build the world’s largest, fully-automated, intelligent, and sustainable port by the 2040s.
• Architectural and industrial design firm, DP Architects, to enable seamless, real-time collaboration on advanced design software, across DP Architects’ global studio.
• National University of Singapore (NUS) to pilot energy-efficient cooling systems for data centres in the tropics.
• Leading technology services firm, NCS, to accelerate Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) adoption among organisations across Asia Pacific and Japan.

Since embedding its innovation product roadmap and activities in Singapore, Dell has already seen success. Notably, Dell’s SDC managed to clinch international accolades for its meticulously-designed products, such as the Dell Ultrasharp Webcam which won the iF International Forum Design’s Gold Award in 2022. Another example is the Alienware 500Hz Gaming Monitor which is a winner of the 2023 Best of Innovation Award and an honouree of the Consumer Technology Association’s 2023 CES Innovation Award. The latest accolade added to their list is the 2024 CES Innovation Award of which the Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved ThunderboltTM Hub Monitor, and the Alienware 32 4K QD-OLED Gaming and 27 360Hz QD-OLED Monitors are honourees.

Recognising that a strong pipeline of talent is essential to its digital transformation and innovation activities, Dell in 2021 launched the Singapore tech skills accelerator initiative to empower more than 4,000 fresh graduates, mid-career professionals and students here with practical digital skills and knowledge. Dell has since scaled up its efforts, pursuing a joint commitment with nine Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs). Together, they’re equipping over 5,000 fresh graduates and mid-career professionals with critical core skills tied to emerging technologies such as cloud-native computing, microservices, and machine learning operations. This collaboration with IHLs has deepened with Dell co-hosting the inaugural Dell InnovateFest. In this inter-tertiary school competition, students developed innovative solutions to support the Persons with Intellectual Disability community in Singapore.

EVONIK INDUSTRIES

ABOUT EVONIK INDUSTRIES:

Evonik Industries (Evonik) is one of the world’s biggest specialty chemicals companies, operating in over 100 countries. A committed partner to Singapore since 1969, the German company set up its regional headquarters and its first Asia research hub here as part of its efforts to expand the company’s R&D footprint. It has also sited its manufacturing production plants in Singapore, including the world’s largest production complex for essential amino acid DL-methionine and a state-of-the-art oil additives production site.

INNOVATING FROM SINGAPORE:

As a strategic gateway to Asia – located within a six-hour radius of any Southeast Asian country - Singapore’s location has allowed Evonik to connect quickly with its partners and customers, facilitating co-creation, swift decision-making, and proactive responses to regional trends.

Evonik has made Singapore one of their global R&D core sites, with five manufacturing production complexes that accelerate the innovation process and scale production to meet market demands. Over the years, Evonik’s R&D team in Singapore has developed new technologies such as smart coating and functional surface solutions, as well as photopolymers for additive manufacturing in the country before commercialising them for use globally.

Evonik’s innovation journey in Singapore started with the establishment of the TEGO Innovation Centre in 2011. Here, a small team of 12 scientists, made up mostly of local talent, created new additives for environmentally-friendly coating solutions to meet the evolving needs of both regional and global markets. Gradually, Evonik expanded its R&D activities in the country by setting up technical service centres for animal feed, polyurethane additives, and personal care products.

The opening of the Asia Research Hub in 2018 marked a significant step for the company in internationalising its R&D activities. Key achievements included conceptualising and developing novel photopolymers for industrial, 3D printing applications. These drove significant advancements in additive manufacturing. The team has since grown to over 100 researchers.

Tissue engineering research done at the Asia Research Hub proved promising, prompting Evonik to expand their research scope to include regenerative medicine. Eventually, they even set up their Life Science & Advanced Biomedical lab here in 2022. Leveraging Singapore's rich talent pool, Evonik has established technology expertise in areas such as bioprinting, mesenchymal stem cell media, and in-vitro tissue models.

Singapore’s vibrant and collaborative startup ecosystem encouraged Evonik to co-create and develop emerging technologies with new ventures through Evonik Venture Capital. For example, Evonik has invested in local start-up Revivo Biosystem to support the development of a realistic, 4D model of human skin as an alternative to animal testing.

Evonik continues to nurture local talent through post-graduate R&D programmes, internships, and traineeships. Their efforts have borne fruit as 10 per cent of their current R&D staff comprise former trainees and mentees. With a strong focus in life sciences such as skin biology and biopharma solutions, research collaboration with IHLs and partners in the local ecosystem such as the Agency for Science, Technology and Research will provide a strong foundation for their next phase of growth.

DSM-FIRMENICH

ABOUT DSM-FIRMENICH:

dsm-firmenich, a Swiss-Dutch company, is an innovator in the nutrition, health, and beauty space. The company reinvents, manufacturers, and combines vital nutrients, flavours, and fragrances for the world’s growing population. Listed on the Euronext Amsterdam, the company has operations in almost 60 countries and revenues of more than €12 billion. With a presence in Singapore since 1990, Singapore is dsm-firmenich’s Asia-Pacific headquarters with close to 600 employees. From Singapore, the company leads Asia-centric development and supports translational work into key markets from other regional and global centres.

INNOVATING FROM SINGAPORE:

Singapore has developed an ecosystem of agrifood startups and partnership opportunities for new technologies to feed the country and the world sustainably. These efforts are also motivated by the country’s “30 by 30” national food security goal - to source 30 per cent of Singapore’s nutritional needs locally by 2030.

dsm-firmenich believes Singapore’s growing agrifood ecosystem of customers, research partners, and skilled talent pool make the city-state a prime location for its Asian innovation hub. Today, dsm-firmenich has a diverse team of 600 employees in Singapore, including 80 scientists and innovation experts.
 

dsm-firmenich has continued to invest in new capabilities in the food space. In 2021, the company set up their Culinary and SmartProteins® Innovation Centre, which focuses on research and development in alternative proteins. In 2024, dsm-firmenich commissioned a pilot food innovation facility to work on the next generation of plant-based proteins. The new facilities will allow the company to create plant-based proteins with superior texture and improved taste properties to improve consumer acceptance.

The broad range of innovation capabilities in Singapore allow dsm-firmenich to develop customised solutions for their customers. This is especially useful in Asia Pacific where there are diverse cuisines and taste preferences. Proximity to this diversity has enabled comprehensive research and the launch of several Asia-specific, Best-in-Class (BIC) flavour toolkits. Developed through proprietary research methods, these toolkits document the specific flavour preferences of Asian consumers in detail. This helps dsm-firmenich’s customers create foods suited for the Asian market more rapidly.

Additionally, being close to the diverse cultures here helped dsm-firmenich develop products better suited for Asia, a fast-growing market with food spending expected to double to over S$10.65 trillion (US$8 trillion) by 2030. Recent applications from dsm-firmenich include Asian favourites like plant-based satay (grilled skewered meat) and dumplings.

Beyond meat analogues, dsm-firmenich has also embarked on innovation across its entire portfolio In collaboration with partners in Singapore, they have developed micronutrient rice kernels with improved nutritional content, allergen testers for Asian foods—including soy allergen detectors for plant-based foods—and secured a patent for breakthroughs in sugar reduction. Besides food, the company also hosts the only production site in Asia Pacific for biodegradable, long-lasting fragrance innovations. These efforts reflect the company’s commitment to supporting the push towards sustainability and better health.

“The Singapore food ecosystem has been instrumental in supporting dsm-firmenich’s mission to deliver food and beverage products that are delicious, nutritious, affordable, and sustainable. We are excited to continue working with partners in the Singapore ecosystem to uncover new possibilities in food innovation,” Saplad said.

With plant-based protein being one of the company’s key pillars of future growth, dsm-firmenich expects to continue expanding its capabilities in this space. The Singapore team already has plant-based development specialists alongside flavourists, experienced product managers, and other food specialists.
 

The examples of Dell Technologies, Evonik Industries, and dsm-firmenich demonstrate how MNCs can leverage Singapore’s diverse talent pool, vibrant innovation ecosystem, and pro-business environment to create new products and services that have global impact. Learn more about how to kickstart your innovation journey here. 
 

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Footnotes:

¹ CNBC, "Asia’s food spending is set to double to more than $8 trillion by 2030, report finds”. CNBC, 21 Sep 2021.