Powering the AI Boom: How Singapore supports AMD in semiconductor innovation

As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes industries and redefines global competitiveness, companies across sectors are in a race to secure the talent, infrastructure, and innovation partnerships necessary to thrive and grow.

Singapore, with its robust connectivity, talent pipeline, and pro-innovation policies, has emerged as a trusted base for companies seeking to harness AI's full potential.

One company tapping into this momentum is Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), a global leader in semiconductor technologies.

With a more than four-decade-long history in Singapore, AMD is leveraging the city-state not just as a regional headquarters, but as a springboard for growth and collaboration across the Asia Pacific.

AMD designs and produces a wide range of high-performance processors, including CPUs (Central Processing Units) and GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), which are fundamental components for AI training and deployment, data centres, and various computing infrastructures. Singapore’s rich talent pool has benefited the company’s efforts in building powerful chips — the crucial bedrock for growth in an AI-powered era of work.

We speak to Peter Chambers, Managing Director for AMD in the APAC region, to understand how the company is responding to the surge in AI demand—and why Singapore plays a pivotal role in that strategy:
 

When it comes to AI adoption, what challenges do companies in Southeast Asia face?

AI is widely seen as the most transformative technology in half a century. However, its rapid adoption is straining existing workforce capabilities. In fact, AMD’s AI outlook survey revealed that more than 50 per cent of IT leaders¹ do not believe their organisations are ready to meet the demands of AI. Talent gaps, infrastructure readiness, and evolving skillsets are common hurdles.

To address these challenges, AMD is deepening its partnerships across Southeast Asia, particularly with education institutions and industry bodies. These collaborations aim to build sustainable talent pipelines and strengthen the broader tech ecosystem.
 

On the topic of talent and upskilling, how is Singapore helping companies innovate and build long-term capabilities?

On the AI front, Singapore was among the fastest countries to identify its potential, earmarking it as one of the nation’s four core technologies essential to its push to become “digitally ready”. Singapore’s early recognition of AI has enabled the country to create an environment conducive to innovation — such as implementing nation-wide initiatives like Smart Nation and the National AI Strategy. This has enabled AMD to find fertile ground here to co-develop talent and drive
applied research.

The Industrial Postgraduate Programme (IPP), supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board, allows AMD engineers to develop critical Research and Development (R&D) skills through PhDs while advancing the development of research competencies within our company. Meanwhile, AMD sponsors the Heterogeneous Accelerated Compute Cluster at NUS, a specialised initiative advancing adaptive computing for high-performance computing applications.

Such programmes underscore the collaborative ethos between government, academia, and industry that defines Singapore’s innovation landscape.
 

How has being in Singapore benefited AMD’s growth plans?

AMD’s Singapore journey began in 1984. What started as a high-volume manufacturing facility has evolved into a core R&D centre, leading regional Central Processing Units (CPU) development and contributing to global projects like the AMD Instinct^TM MI300 and MI325 series accelerators.

Singapore’s dynamic tech landscape has enabled AMD to play an active role in shaping innovation in here. AMD collaborates with local universities such as Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) through labs, awards, and joint projects, supporting data science and AI education. These initiatives not only build a future-ready talent pool but also equip students with hands-on experience using AMD technologies.

Singapore also offers a unique combination of strengths that go beyond access to talent. Its strategic location, stable business environment, and infrastructure have made it an ideal base for AMD to scale our operations across Asia Pacific. The country’s deep integration into global semiconductor supply chains also ensures we can move swiftly to meet market demand—whether it’s product testing, engineering, or advanced R&D.

Another key advantage is Singapore’s strong culture of public-private collaboration. We’ve found it incredibly valuable to work alongside government agencies, industry bodies like Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association (SSIA), and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partners to develop practical, forward-looking solutions in AI and compute acceleration. These collaborations, grounded in mutual trust and innovation, have played an essential role in helping us translate our technology into meaningful, region-wide impact.

A standout example is the NTU-AMD Data Science and AI Lab, which has supported around 150 students to date. AMD also contributes to inclusive Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiatives, such as funding a tech lab at Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home and hosting the SSIA’s Integrated Circuit (IC) Design Summer Camp for aspiring engineers.
 

In which industries are demand for AI and GPUs growing fastest in Asia-Pacific?

The Asia Pacific region is emerging as a major AI innovation hub, projected to reach a market value of US$78 billion by 2027². While use cases mirror global trends, industries like healthcare, industrial automation, security, and research are leading AI deployments in the region.

Graphic Processing Units (GPUs) are critical for training complex models—particularly generative AI models that involve billions of parameters. AMD’s Radeon^TM graphics cards provide a cost-efficient solution for developers building local AI capabilities. In parallel, AMD Instinct^TM accelerators support over a million AI models out-of-the-box, serving a growing base of cloud and enterprise users.
 

How are companies in Southeast Asia balancing cloud and on-premises GPU solutions for AI?

Enterprises in Southeast Asia are increasingly adopting cloud-based GPUs to scale AI workloads flexibly and cost-effectively. According to Flexera, 71 per cent of IT leaders are now prioritising cloud optimisation to drive cost savings.

Cloud GPU infrastructure offers energy efficiency, scalability, and enhanced security features like confidential computing—allowing encrypted data processing even during runtime. These developments are making AI workloads more sustainable and secure.
 

What makes Singapore a strategic launchpad for regional AI growth?

AMD’s R&D and engineering activities in Singapore are critical to its regional operations. The Singapore site also works closely with OEMs and system integrators like Razer, ASUS, and Lenovo to ensure widespread access to AMD technology.

By anchoring its AI development in Singapore, AMD is not only benefitting from world-class infrastructure and policy support but also helping companies across the region—including in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand—strengthen their own AI capabilities.

Singapore’s proactive approach to emerging technologies, coupled with AMD’s global expertise, creates opportunities for cross-border impact and innovation.
 

How is AI transforming the future of chip design and manufacturing?

The future of chipmaking is increasingly defined by AI. As AI workloads grow in complexity, demand for high-performance, customisable hardware will continue to rise. AMD sees AI-driven automation and optimisation as key to improving chip design, performance, and efficiency.

In this new landscape, no one-size-fits-all solution exists. A diverse mix of computing architectures—including CPUs, GPUs, and adaptive System on Chip (SoCs)—is essential. Singapore’s position at the intersection of talent, technology, and trust makes it an ideal base to shape this future.
 

Footnote:

¹ AMD. AI Outlook: Are IT Teams Prepared for AI’s Mainstream Moment? August 2023 https://www.amd.com/content/dam/amd/en/documents/solutions/ai/ai-outlook-are-it-teams-prepared.pdf.

² Syifa. “IDC Report: AI Spending in APAC to Grow to US$78.4 Billion by 2027.” Heaptalk, 9 Oct. 2023, https://heaptalk.com/news/idc-report-asia-pacifics-ai-spending-to-grow-to-us78-4-billion-by-2027/.

³  Flexera. "Artificial Intelligence Redefining IT Leaders’ Priorities, Finds New Flexera Survey." Flexera, 14 Nov. 2024, https://www.flexera.com/about-us/press-center/artificial-intelligence-redefining-it-leaders-priorities.