Singapore announces SG Semiconductor to strengthen its role in the global semiconductor ecosystem

SINGAPORE, 25 SEPTEMBER 2026 – Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Dr Tan See Leng today announced SG Semiconductor, a national identity for Singapore’s semiconductor sector, at Innovate Together 2026. Organised by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), the annual forum connects public research and industry to advance semiconductor technologies.  

Jointly developed by A*STAR and the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), SG Semiconductor will raise the global visibility of Singapore’s sector-wide strengths and make it easier for companies and talent to understand what the country offers and engage its ecosystem. The branding effort will focus on public sector R&D as its first course of action.  

Singapore has built a substantial semiconductor industry over nearly six decades, spanning chip design, wafer fabrication, assembly and testing, equipment and materials development and manufacturing, and research and development (R&D). It now accounts for one in ten global chip output and one-fifth of global semiconductor manufacturing equipment production. As applications become more sophisticated and place greater demands on semiconductor performance, Singapore is building on this foundation through closer research-industry collaboration and talent development, supported by the latest S$800 million investment from 2026 to 2030 through the RIE Flagship in Semiconductors.  

Trusted location for semiconductor innovation and manufacturing  

SG Semiconductor brings together Singapore’s capabilities across R&D, advanced manufacturing, infrastructure, industry partnerships and talent. Its work spans seven technology areas: advanced packaging, silicon photonics, power electronics, radio frequency gallium nitride, piezoelectric micro-electro-mechanical systems (piezoMEMS), flat optics and integrated circuit design. Across these areas, Singapore is developing capabilities to address growing needs in artificial intelligence and advanced computing, high-speed and energy-efficient data communications, electrification, sensing and intelligent systems. By connecting research expertise with industry-grade infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities of industry partners, Singapore can develop, validate and scale new semiconductor technologies for global markets.  

Accelerating innovation through new industry partnerships  

Demonstrating SG Semiconductor in action, Innovate Together 2026 also saw the announcement of new and expanded partnerships spanning several key semiconductor technology areas. These collaborations connect research expertise with industry-grade platforms and manufacturing capabilities to develop, validate and scale emerging technologies.  

In advanced packaging, Applied Materials and A*STAR will embark on Phase 4 of their longstanding collaboration, significantly expanding the joint laboratory’s infrastructure, equipment and headcount to develop technologies for AI and advanced computing. A*STAR and KLA will establish a new process control collaboration framework to explore ways to improve manufacturing reliability and yield, while A*STAR and STATS ChipPAC will collaborate in co-packaged optics to create a pathway towards high-volume production. Together, these collaborations strengthen Singapore's position as a hub for advanced packaging innovation and help accelerate the translation of next-generation semiconductor technologies into manufacturing.  

In silicon photonics, A*STAR and GlobalFoundries will deepen their R&D collaboration to develop next-generation technologies on 300 mm wafers in Singapore, supporting higher-volume manufacturing for high-performance computing and data communications. This will help bridge the gap between laboratory innovation and commercial-scale production, supporting growing global demand for high-speed, energy-efficient connectivity solutions.  

In MEMS sensing, Tacta Systems and A*STAR will develop intelligent sensing technologies for robotics, tapping A*STAR’s Lab-in-Fab platform, which brings together research and manufacturing capabilities for industry-relevant development, prototyping and validation. Tacta Systems has also opened its Singapore operations, strengthening its technology development activities here.  

The wider ecosystem represented by SG Semiconductor includes a new research collaboration between National Centre for Advanced Integrated Photonics (NCAIP), a national centre hosted at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Battery Age Minerals. The partners will explore germanium-based devices for data communications by combining NTU’s research expertise with Battery Age Minerals’ access to raw germanium, creating a potential pathway from upstream resources to higher-value semiconductor applications. The collaboration highlights how Singapore's ecosystem brings together partners across the global value chain to explore new opportunities and create future sources of semiconductor innovation.  

Convening semiconductor leaders at Innovate Together  

Now in its second year, Innovate Together has established itself as Singapore’s annual forum connecting public research and industry to advance semiconductor technologies. The event brings together local and international leaders from industry, academia and research for executive perspectives, panel discussions, technical talks and technology showcases. Senior leaders from Applied Materials, GlobalFoundries, KLA and STMicroelectronics discussed emerging industry trends and the pathways needed to bring new technologies to market.  

Held as part of the SSIA Summit, the event also showcased Singapore’s advances across advanced packaging, silicon photonics, power electronics, radio frequency gallium nitride (RF GaN), piezoMEMS and flat optics, and created opportunities for participants to explore new collaborations.