Good evening, Mr Iswaran, Minister in the Prime Minister s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs & Second Minister for Trade and Industry

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1 Speech by Dr Lim Ser Yong, Executive Director, SIMTech, at the SIMTech 20 th Anniversary Gala Dinner on Wednesday, 10 th July 2013, 7.15pm at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore Good evening, Mr Iswaran, Minister in the Prime Minister s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs & Second Minister for Trade and Industry Mr Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (or A*STAR) Dr Raj Thampuran, MD, A*STAR Distinguished guests, Valued Partners, Ladies and Gentlemen A very warm welcome to the 20 th Anniversary Gala Dinner of the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology. We are very honoured to have you joining our celebration tonight. BUILDING UP TO SERVE INDUSTRY 1. Although officially formed in 1993, the history of SIMTech dates back to 1985 when Grumman International Nanyang Technological Institute CAD/CAM Centre (or GINTIC) was set up to develop and assist industry in CAD/CAM technology. 2. Since its incorporation in 1993, SIMTech is committed to the mission of developing high value manufacturing technology and human capital to 1

2 enhance the competitiveness of the local manufacturing industry. In our 20- year R&D Journey for Industry, the Institute has traversed through phases of evolution and transformation. We have grown from being a research organisation that supports and assists the manufacturing industries to one which spearheads growth in higher-value manufacturing. 3. From 1993 to 2002, Gintic Institute of Manufacturing Technology was headed by Dr Frans Carpay as its founding Managing Director. During this building-up phase, much effort was devoted to establishing a world-class R&D Institute through international and local recruitment of a core team of research scientists and engineers and the development of industry-compatible research facilities and infrastructure. A strong culture of serving the industry was cultivated through continuous industry outreach and engagement. REALIGNMENT TO ENHANCE RESEARCH 4. In 2002, shortly after the formation of A*STAR and with the consolidation of research institutes under the A*STAR family, Gintic was renamed to Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology. Dr Lim Khiang Wee, who is with us tonight, was appointed as the Executive Director. While staying relevant and continuing to serve the manufacturing industry, the Institute underwent a realignment to enhance research with greater emphasis on upstream research through partnership with universities and other research organisations. More attention was given to quality research, training of research students, publication of research results in scientific journal, and filing of patents. 2

3 CONSOLIDATION 5. In the next phase of our R&D journey, SIMTech has grown up to be more proactive in bringing its research outcomes to serve the industry needs in capabilities development, technology, knowledge, and productivity. 6. To better serve the industry needs, we gather and analyse technology and industry intelligence to align our research investment with industry needs and boosted our efforts in developing new technologies for industry adoption. Our industry collaboration model shifted from company-specific to more multicompanies collaborative industry projects. For example, in our Supplier Development Programme, we have launched a number of collaborative industry projects to bring MNCs and SMEs together to jointly develop technologies and boost SMEs capabilities to serve their MNC customers. 7. Partnering with the Singapore Workforce Development Agency, SIMTech has developed a unique Case-study based Continuing Education Programme to bring the latest manufacturing technologies and knowledge to the Professionals, Managers, and Engineers in the industry. The timely sharing of critical knowledge, best practices and solutions enables our manufacturing workforce to keep up with the fast changing technology landscape in manufacturing. 8. Our relationship with the universities has also been strengthened through the setting up of joint research labs in strategic areas important to the manufacturing industry. 3

4 9. SIMTech has initiated two multi-disciplinary research programmes, bringing together our core competencies in all aspect of manufacturing from processes, automation, and systems, in a holistic approach to develop new manufacturing technologies to attract and establish future manufacturing clusters. The Microfluidics Manufacturing Programme aims to develop a complete manufacturing foundry to serve the emerging Microfluidics Industry. The Large Area Processing Programme leads our effort to develop competencies and technologies in roll-to-roll large area manufacturing, and prepares ourselves for innovations in complex functional film and printed electronics applications. Both programmes will provide total development support for companies from design and prototyping, to pilot production towards volume production. OUR IMPACTS 10. The impact of our 20-year journey of R&D is multifaceted. Our Technologies are deployed in manufacturing shop-floors and in end-user products, enhancing the competitiveness of our licensees. Our Assistance has helped many companies address their manufacturing challenges, reduce downtime and improve manufacturing productivity and efficiency. Our Knowledge is transferred to PMETs in the manufacturing sector through case study-based continuing education courses. Our alumni and graduates are well-placed in start-ups, SMEs, and MNCs, delivering impacts directly to the industry. MOVING FORWARD 11. In the next phase of our journey, we aim to fulfil our vision to be the R&D Lab for the Singapore Manufacturing Industry. First of all, we will expand our 4

5 industry outreach to serve more companies, especially the SMEs, by forging partnerships with industry associations to reach out to their members. We will deepen our research through our joint labs with the universities. We will enhance our capabilities integration through multi-disciplinary research programmes to attract and anchor new manufacturing clusters. Last but not the least, we will be broadening our manpower development programme with explicit industry immersion that includes industry internship opportunities for our staff and research students, and continuing education for PMETs. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Iswaran, our Guest-of- Honour; Mr Lim Chuan Poh, Dr Raj Thampuran, for your presence tonight and for your supports for SIMTech throughout the years. I would also like to thank all our valued partners and friends from the industry, research community and government agencies for your support and friendship throughout the 20 years of our R&D Journey and for being here tonight to celebrate with us our 20 th Anniversary. Our successes have been facilitated by the support and encouragement from A*STAR, Economic Development Board, SPRING Singapore, and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency; and we are grateful for their continued support. I would also like to thank the Nanyang Technological University and the National University of Singapore for their enthusiasm and confidence in us as we partner in joint research. 5

6 Thanks to the Association of Singapore Marine Industries and the Association of Aerospace Industries Singapore for their support in our outreach efforts to their members. On behalf of the SIMTech family, we are looking forward to more exciting journey with you ahead and many more decades of fruitful partnerships to come! Thank you and I wish you all an enjoyable evening. 6