R&D hubs in Singapore: How Hyundai, Lubrizol and FrieslandCampina are powering the next wave of innovation

Singapore is a recognised innovation hub, with an innovation ecosystem that ranks fifth globally and second in Southeast Asia¹. Supportive policies, strong research and industry partnerships and world-class talent – with Singapore topping the Global Talent Competitiveness Index – have underpinned the creation of breakthrough products. These range from Dyson’s PencilVac^TM to EssilorLuxottica’s spectacle lenses, which slow myopia progression in children. In the past five years, companies have committed more than S$14 billion to research and innovation investments here².
 

Singapore: A global innovation hub

Under Singapore’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE2030) plan, the government is committing S$37 billion over the next five years to strengthen Singapore’s competitiveness and resilience in national strategic priorities such as healthy longevity research, and four key domains of human health and potential; manufacturing, trade and connectivity; urban solutions and sustainability; and smart nation and the digital economy. 

Singapore also brings together companies, research institutions and academia to co-develop cutting-edge technologies, with leading pharma companies like GSK, Sanofi and Takeda partnering with Singapore’s public research institute A*STAR and universities to advance biologics and vaccine innovation. Local universities here are among the world’s top institutions, with NUS and NTU in 8^th and 12^th place respectively in QS 2026.

Firms here are adopting diverse innovation models, from corporate venture building and co-innovation labs to incubators and accelerators, and tapping into more than 4,500 tech startups³ in Singapore, the top startup hub in Asia⁴.
 

Reinventing next-generation manufacturing: Hyundai

Hyundai Motor Group established the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS) in 2023, the company’s first global hub and testbed for future mobility solutions, pioneering AI- and robotics-driven manufacturing to realise a Software-Defined Factory.

Nestled in Singapore’s Jurong Innovation District, HMGICS primarily focuses on the R&D and validation of advanced manufacturing technologies, leveraging Industry 4.0 solutions such as AI and robotics to be scaled across the Group’s global production network.

The facility serves as a living lab for next-generation manufacturing approaches for deployment across Hyundai Motor Group’s global operations. In particular, HMGICS fosters a robust mobility manufacturing ecosystem through active collaboration with research institutes, universities, and industry partners.
 

In October 2025, Hyundai Motor Group launched a Corporate Lab with Nanyang Technological University and A*STAR, a first-of-its-kind collaboration in Singapore’s automotive manufacturing sector. Located within HMGICS, the Lab advances technologies such as AI, robotics and 3D printing, bridging academic research with industrial applications while promoting manufacturing R&D and accelerating the adoption of next-generation technologies.
 

Driving sustainable materials innovation: Lubrizol

In 2025, specialty chemicals leader Lubrizol established its Innovation Centre for Southeast Asia in Singapore within its Jurong manufacturing site. Equipped with advanced laboratories, immersive experience zones and technical training spaces, the Centre drives innovation in advanced materials and sustainable solutions across industries ranging from mobility, infrastructure and digital technologies to nutrition and pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, and renewable energy.
 

As an integral part of Lubrizol’s global innovation network, the Centre partners with local research institutions, industry players, and customers to address complex challenges using science, data, and artificial intelligence. This local-for-global approach combines global expertise with regional market insight to accelerate market-relevant solutions.
 

Since the Centre’s establishment, Lubrizol has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with companies including United Oil Company, Aster, Petronas and APP, to advance joint innovation in areas such as specialty chemicals, lubricants, energy transition and sustainable solutions. The Centre also serves as a platform for industry dialogue and collaboration with companies and universities.
 

Scaling Asia-ready nutrition innovation: FrieslandCampina

FrieslandCampina, one of the world’s largest dairy cooperatives, opened its R&D Application Centre for Asia-Pacific in Singapore in 2025. The Centre translates advanced nutrition science into tailored ingredient solutions to meet the region’s diverse and growing nutritional needs.

Equipped with laboratories for functional foods such as yoghurts, bars, and Ready-to-Drink beverages, on-ground technical experts support product testing and development for customers in the region, strengthening the company’s capabilities in performance, active and children’s nutrition.
 

The Centre builds on FrieslandCampina’s longstanding presence in Singapore, where it has based its Asia-Pacific headquarters since 2011 and operates its only development centre outside the Netherlands. Its Ready-to-Drink portfolio was first conceptualised in Singapore and has since scaled across Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam, with plans to expand beyond Asia.
 

Being based in Singapore enables FrieslandCampina’s closer engagement with evolving consumer preferences, regulatory requirements and customer needs across Asia-Pacific. As a microcosm of regional tastes, the Centre also serves as a strategic testbed to refine taste, texture and formats for products such as protein bars.
 

How a Singapore innovation hub can power your next phase of growth

Global companies are developing the products of tomorrow in Singapore, supported by co-innovation platforms that connect research institutes, universities, startups and corporates to drive business growth.

EDB is also supporting companies to grow beyond their core businesses by building new ventures through programmes such as the Corporate Venture Launchpad 3.0. The programme has facilitated the launch of 15 new ventures, including new companies and global business units.

For companies developing products and processes in Singapore, EDB offers the Research and Innovation Scheme for Companies (RIS(C)) and works with experienced founders to kickstart and scale their new ventures from Singapore through the recently launched Global Founder Programme.

Whether your business is in AI, mobility, or medical technology, Singapore offers a trusted base to test, develop and scale breakthrough solutions. Join the global companies creating the solutions of tomorrow in Singapore.
 

Footnote:

¹ World Intellectual Property Organisation, 2025

² Speech by Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology in the Ministry of Trade and Industry Dr Tan See Leng at MTI Committee of Supply Debate 2026: https://www.mti.gov.sg/newsroom/speech-by-minister-in-charge-of-energy-and-science---technology-in-the-ministry-of-trade-and-industry-dr-tan-see-leng-at-mti-committee-of-supply-debate-2026/

³ Startup SG Network (2023)

⁴ Startup Blink (2024)