Singapore on Friday, 25 September 2026, launched SG Semiconductor, a national branding initiative to market its chip research, manufacturing and talent to global investors as one coordinated hub. Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Tan See Leng announced the brand at an A*Star industry forum, alongside new and expanded partnerships with chip firms including Applied Materials, GlobalFoundries and KLA, The Business Times reported.
Tan said the brand would serve as “a common national identity, reflecting our coordinated approach to partnering industry and advancing Singapore’s semiconductor sector.” Explore more on our business hub and Singapore hub.
Key takeaways
- SG Semiconductor, developed by A*Star and the Economic Development Board (EDB), will first promote public-sector chip R&D across seven technology areas.
- A*Star announced new or expanded tie-ups with Applied Materials, GlobalFoundries, KLA and Stats ChipPac, among others.
- Tan said Singapore makes about one in 10 of the world’s chips and one-fifth of global chipmaking equipment.
What SG Semiconductor covers
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) and EDB developed the brand, which will initially be used to promote public-sector research. It spans seven areas: advanced packaging, silicon photonics, power electronics, radio frequency gallium nitride, piezoelectric micro-electro-mechanical systems, flat optics and integrated circuit design, according to The Business Times.
EDB managing director Jermaine Loy described the brand as a gateway to Singapore’s ecosystem, while A*Star chief executive Beh Kian Teik said it signals a long-term commitment to anchoring high-value R&D and manufacturing in the country.
Why it matters for Singapore’s economy
In his speech at the forum, held as part of the Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association (SSIA) Summit, Tan noted that Singapore produces about one in 10 of the world’s chips and one-fifth of global semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Manufacturing as a whole accounts for about 20% of gross domestic product. “We must not take this position for granted,” he said.
The new industry partnerships
Applied Materials is expanding its joint lab with A*Star over five years, which Tan described as one of the US equipment maker’s largest R&D investments in Singapore to date. The work will cover hybrid bonding for three-dimensional chiplet integration, high-density interposers and advanced substrates. The partnership dates back to 2011, and Applied Materials has since launched more than 10 manufacturing tools developed in Singapore through it, The Business Times said. Over the past five years, the lab has also involved about 50 companies, including nine local small and medium-sized enterprises, in projects worth S$46 million in industry funding.
GlobalFoundries and A*Star will deepen their work in silicon photonics, developing next-generation technologies on 300-millimetre wafers for high-performance computing, data communications and potentially quantum applications. KLA will begin a three-year collaboration with the A*Star Institute of Microelectronics on process control tools that catch defects early and improve yields.
Stats ChipPac will license advanced packaging solutions for co-packaged optics developed by the institute, aiming for high-volume production for AI and data-centre uses. Robotics startup Tacta Systems will work with A*Star on micro-electro-mechanical sensors for robots.
Talent and international links
Tan said developing and attracting talent is also a priority. Over the past five years, 14 semiconductor companies have joined the Industrial Postgraduate Programme, producing close to 100 graduates. The Singapore Institute of Technology will pilot a “2+2” undergraduate model from September 2027, in which students spend two years on campus followed by almost two years of workplace immersion.
Separately, SSIA signed a memorandum of understanding with the Brabant Development Agency, which covers the Brainport Eindhoven high-tech region in the Netherlands, to link Dutch advanced manufacturers with Singapore suppliers. SSIA will send a delegation to Dutch Precision Week from 16 to 20 November, The Business Times reported.
