In 1965, newly independent Singapore had no natural resources, hinterland, or industrial base. But over six decades, it became a global hub for high-tech manufacturing.
Today, manufacturing remains a key economic pillar, accounting for over 17 per cent of gross domestic product.
The Republic has left some products behind, but is moving up the value chain for others, such as semiconductors. The Business Times traces this evolution.
When the People’s Action Party came to power in 1959, Singapore’s economy was heavily reliant on entrepot trade, and unemployment was high.
In 1961, a United Nations mission recommended creating over 200,000 jobs in a decade. Singapore began developing its first industrial estate in Jurong. Early factories churned out garments, toys, and wigs.
Industrialisation pressed on after independence, but was dealt a blow in 1967 with the British military withdrawal.
Singapore had to look outward. The Economic Development Board (EDB) began courting foreign investment. In 1968, it scored a breakthrough with US chipmaker National Semiconductor.
Within two weeks, the company was up and running – impressing peers such as Fairchild, Texas Instruments, Hewlett-Packard, and General Electric, which joined it.
Labour-intensive industrialisation was so successful that it led to a labour shortage by the 1970s. With neighbouring countries starting to industrialise, Singapore moved into higher-value goods. This meant attracting investment in sectors such as precision engineering and petrochemicals.
The latter grew rapidly. By the late 1970s, Singapore was one of the world’s largest refining centres.
With the computer boom in the 1970s and 1980s, hard disk companies like Seagate, Western Digital, and IBM opened plants here. Singapore eventually became a leading producer of hard disk drives. Aviation took off with the opening of Changi Airport in 1981.
EDB set up a dedicated Aerospace and Defence Industries unit to attract investment, particularly in aircraft maintenance and engineering.
Aviation investment laid the groundwork for aerospace manufacturing. By 1990, annual aerospace output exceeded S$860 million. Local players like ST Aerospace – now ST Engineering Aerospace – headed abroad.
Petrochemicals stayed key. A milestone was the start of land reclamation for Jurong Island in 1995.
Jurong Island grew from five companies in 1995 to more than 100 energy and chemical firms by 2014.
Meanwhile, Singapore intensified its push into biomedical manufacturing, with EDB launching investment fund Bio*One Capital. From 2001 to 2008, it backed over 50 local and overseas companies, including Singapore’s first vaccine startup, Singvax.
In the face of technological change and global shifts, Industry Transformation Maps were introduced in 2016 to help 23 sectors – many manufacturing-related – adapt and grow.
In 2021, Singapore launched the Manufacturing 2030 vision of growing the sector’s value-added by 50 per cent. Even while entering new areas, the Republic has doubled down on others, such as semiconductors.
It is now a global node for advanced chipmaking, with initiatives like the National Semiconductor Translation and Innovation Centre for Gallium Nitride to support the development of chips used in 5G and 6G communication systems, radars, and satellites.
Source: The Business Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.
