Innovation thrives in environments where trust, stability and world-class infrastructure converge. As the top-ranked economy in IMD’s World Competitiveness Ranking 2026, Singapore offers multinational companies a trusted and well-connected base from which they can innovate and expand.
Its innovation ecosystem ranks 2nd in Asia and 5th globally in the 2025 Global Innovation Index, while forward-thinking policies, public-private partnerships and a dense concentration of top-tier research talent are additional factors that make Singapore a launchpad for R&D and commercialization. Innovations led from Singapore have become market-ready products powered by next-generation technologies, from Dyson’s PencilVacTM to EssilorLuxottica’s pioneering myopia-slowing Essilor® Stellest® lenses. Companies in Singapore have continued to invest in research and innovation—committing over US$10.8 billion in the past five years.
Singapore: A Global Innovation Hub
Singapore is committing over US$28.7 billion in the next five years under its Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE2030) national blueprint. The investment will strengthen the nation’s core scientific capabilities and address key national challenges, while actively co-funding and de-risking corporate R&D. RIE2030 is targeted toward key domains: human health and potential; manufacturing, trade and connectivity; urban solutions and sustainability; smart nation and the digital economy—underpinned by a strong foundation of academic research and talent. Funding is also directed toward boosting Singapore’s capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI), data architecture and high-performance computing, to create a cutting-edge research and innovation base for global enterprises.
Singapore’s ecosystem connects companies, academia and research institutions such as A*STAR to co-develop cutting-edge technologies. Leading pharma companies such as GSK, Sanofi and Takeda actively partner with A*STAR to advance biologics and vaccine innovation, supported by world-class universities such as the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
Global firms are adopting diverse innovation models here, from corporate venture building and co-innovation labs to incubators and accelerators, while tapping into a network of more than 4,500 tech startups in Singapore, recognized as a major startup hub in Asia.
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. Located in the Jurong Innovation District, the facility is the cornerstone of the group’s Software-Defined Factory vision, pioneering AI- and robotics-driven manufacturing. Beyond production site, HMGICS functions as a strategic testbed, developing next-generation manufacturing technologies for deployment across the group’s global operations. HMGICS also fosters a robust mobility manufacturing ecosystem through active collaboration with research institutions, universities and industry partners.
“HMGICS serves as a living lab for Hyundai Motor Group’s Software- Defined Factory vision, bringing together technology, talent and partnerships in Singapore to develop and validate next-generation manufacturing. Through close collaboration, we continue to set new standards for human-centered and innovative manufacturing.”
Dr. Hyun Sung Park
CEO of HMGICS
Most recently, Hyundai launched a Corporate Lab with NTU and A*STAR. As a first-of-its-kind collaboration in Singapore’s automotive manufacturing sector, it bridges academic research with industrial application while advancing the adoption of next-generation technologies such as AI, robotics and 3D printing.
