20/09/2017
Electronics Industry Transformation Map - Building The Electronics Industry Of Tomorrow
Mr S Iswaran, Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry), launched the
Electronics Industry Transformation Map (ITM) today at the opening of
JTC nanoSpace @ Tampines. Developed by a multi-agency team together with
industry partners, unions and trade associations, the ITM maps out
strategies that will build the electronics industry of tomorrow. Through
the ITM efforts, the industry is expected to achieve a manufacturing
value-add of S$22.2 billion and introduce 2,100 new PMET jobs by 2020.
The Singapore Electronics Industry – A Key Sector of Growth
The electronics industry is a key sector of growth for Singapore’s
economy and is poised for continual growth. Starting out with
labour-intensive system assembly of consumer products in the 60s,
Singapore’s electronics industry has since transformed to the
manufacture of high-value components, such as RF filters and
semiconductor integrated circuits. In 2016, electronics manufacturing
contributed 4.4% to Singapore’s GDP, accounting for close to S$90
billion in manufacturing output, and employing about 70,000 workers.
The emergence of new applications areas such as autonomous vehicles,
artificial intelligence and healthcare, which are enabled by
electronics, has brought about new growth opportunities for the
industry. These new applications will drive greater diversity of demand
for electronics and advancements in hardware. To tap into these
opportunities, companies are embracing open innovation as a means to
co-innovate and co-develop system solutions with their partners.
To prepare Singapore to tap into these global trends and opportunities,
the ITM has identified a two-pronged strategy to ensure the continual
growth of the electronics industry – firstly, to diversify into new
growth markets, and secondly, to transform the existing base of
electronics manufacturing and attract new investments in high-value
components. The ITM will also focus on growing a strong pipeline of
local talent, and upgrading the industry associations to better support
the industry.
Diversifying into New Growth Markets
The Government will strengthen the innovation ecosystem to harness new
growth opportunities and support companies in developing new
capabilities. Singapore will convene multi-party innovation platforms to
create new solutions and shorten innovation cycles. This will bring
together MNCs, SMEs and public agencies, to collaborate and develop new
solutions.
One example is the Nanyang Polytechnic’s IoT Open Innovation Community, a
network that was set up in 2015 with SPRING’s support to enable SMEs to
connect with technology and commercialisation partners, research
institutions and other industry players for co-innovation. Today, there
are more than 150 members on this platform coming together to jointly
develop new IoT solutions. More technology platforms will be set up to
help companies bring ideas into products.
To better support enterprises, the Government will foster collaborative
projects between MNCs, SMEs and startups. They are encouraged to
leverage the Partnerships for Capability Transformation (PACT) scheme
for knowledge transfer, capability upgrading and co-development of new
solutions. To enable enterprise growth, support is available to
incubators and accelerators through the Startup SG Accelerator programme
by SPRING to catalyse growth opportunities for IoT and electronics
startups. (Please refer to Annex A for more information initiatives by
SPRING.)
Transforming and Growing Electronics Manufacturing
Singapore will continue to transform the industry to attract high
value-add activities and capture new growth areas. The provision of
future-ready infrastructure is key to enabling companies to make
investment decisions quickly and JTC nanoSpace is a prime example of
this. The facility, developed in close consultation with the industry,
is strategically located within Tampines Wafer Fab Park. It offers a
plug-and-play, quick-start space solution that meets the stringent
operational requirements of semiconductor manufacturers. JTC will
continue to invest in next-generation infrastructure solutions and
innovative spaces to support the growth of local and global companies.
(Please refer to Annex B for more information on JTC nanoSpace.)
The Government will also work with companies to improve their
manufacturing efficiency and adopt advanced manufacturing technologies.
This will bring about an increase in manufacturing productivity by
reducing operating costs and optimising resources. The ITM targets for
100% of manufacturing plants in Singapore to be best-in-class compared
to their global operations. Advanced manufacturing will also bring about
new skilled job roles in manufacturing such as system engineers and
automation technicians.
Ensuring Good Jobs for Singaporeans
The transformation of the electronics industry is expected to bring about 2,100 new PMET jobs by 2020. To equip Singaporeans with the necessary skills to take on these jobs, SSG, WSG and the economic agencies, together with industry stakeholders such as employers, industry associations, unions, and education and training institutions have launched the Skills Framework for Electronics.
The Skills Framework identifies two career pathways – the technical and
engineering track, and the management track – covering 29 job roles,
which individuals can explore career growth along or across. It also
provides key information on the sector, and lists the 58 skills and
competencies required, that include emerging skills and competencies,
and the relevant training programmes for them. Emerging skills and
competencies identified include those in the areas of Artificial
Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things, Data Analytics, Robotics and
Automation. The local workforce would need to ready themselves with
these skills to meet upcoming challenges facing the industry. (Please
refer to Annex C for more information on Skills Frameworks.)
The Skills Framework also informs of other key initiatives which support
those in the electronics industry on their skills and career journey.
These include the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme, Enhanced
Internship, Singapore Industry Scholarships and Professional Conversion
Programmes (PCPs).
As part of WSG’s Adapt and Grow initiative, PMETs can tap onto the PCPs
to help them reskill and transit into a new industry. To support the
shift towards higher value jobs, two new PCPs for the Electronics
industry were launched today to prepare Singaporean PMETs with the
necessary skills and also concurrently reskill talent from other
sectors. The PCP for Electronics Engineer and the PCP for Electronics
Assistant Engineer are in addition to four existing PCPs rolled out in
2016 to reskill PMETs for the Wafer Fabrication and Assembly & Test
sectors. The four existing PCPs have since benefited close to 130 PMETs.
(Please refer to Annex D for more information on PCPs.)
EDB and WSG will be co-organising an Adapt and Grow Career Fair for the
electronics sector on 26 September with 20 companies offering more than
600 job vacancies. (Please refer to Annex E for more information on the
Adapt and Grow Career Fair.)
Trade Associations and Chambers as a Key Partner
Taking a broader industry perspective, the Government will partner with
Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) such as the Singapore
Semiconductor Industry Association (SSIA) to transform the industry. In
support of the ITM, SSIA has set out a three-year plan to transform its
charter and expand its resources to better support the industry. SSIA
has already taken an active role in key industry programmes such as
serving as the administrator of WSG’s PCP. The association has also
embarked on a leadership programme to jointly groom the next generation
of local leaders for the industry. (Please refer to Annex F for media
release by SSIA.)
Annex A: Initiatives by Spring
Annex B: JTC Nanospace @ Tampines
Annex C: Factsheet on Skills Framework by SkillsFuture Singapore
Annex E: Factsheet on Adapt and Grow Career Fair for Electronics on 26 September 2017
Annex F: Media Release by Singapore Semiconductor Association (SSIA)