SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017 - MROs - OEMs - Engineering - R&D - Aviation - Satellites - A*Star

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SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017 - MROs - OEMs - Engineering - R&D - Aviation - Satellites - A*Star
SINGAPORE AEROSPACE
                       2017

MROs - OEMs - Engineering - R&D - Aviation - Satellites
SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017 - MROs - OEMs - Engineering - R&D - Aviation - Satellites - A*Star
Dear Reader,

This is the first time Global Business Reports has developed an        has been coupled with the presence of a growing base of both local
aerospace report on Singapore. We are pleased to have worked           and multinational aerospace suppliers such as RLC Engineering
with the team to showcase Singapore’s strength as an air hub and       and Singapore Aerospace Manufacturing (SAM).
the various industry players across the value chain within our
aerospace sector. As you read through the pages of this report, we     Many companies have cited Singapore’s strong manufacturing
hope that it not only gives you a better understanding of the sector   base, skilled manpower and focus on science and engineering
but also an idea of how Singapore can be your trusted location         as reasons for setting up manufacturing activities here. The
from which to write your Asia growth story.                            burgeoning aerospace R&D landscape in Singapore, that taps
                                                                       into our existing strengths in science and technology research
In the span of time since Changi Airport first opened in 1981,         capabilities, further allows companies to leverage industry-
Singapore has achieved a strong reputation as a Global Aviation        aligned research institutes and universities as well as a growing
Hub. With over 500 accolades, Changi Airport is widely                 pool of research talent to enhance their manufacturing and MRO
recognised as one of the world’s best international airports.          activities through innovation.
Singapore Airlines has likewise become a widely known brand.
Building on our strengths as an air hub, Singapore has developed       With the increasing adoption of disruptive technologies such
a leading aerospace industry that includes manufacturing,              as robotics and automation, additive manufacturing, digital
engineering, research and development (R&D), maintenance,              manufacturing and the emergence of new business segments such
repair and overhaul (MRO), and other aerospace-related services.       as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), Singapore is also looking
                                                                       to partner with companies to grow their innovation capability
Today, Singapore has one of the largest and most diverse               and develop new business models here. Notably, in 2016, Airbus
concentrations of aerospace companies in Asia with over 130            signed a memorandum of understanding with the Civil Aviation
aerospace companies making Singapore their home in the region.         Authority of Singapore to conduct UAS proof-of-concept trials
                                                                       in Singapore.
As a leading MRO hub in Asia offering nose-to-tail aftermarket
services, Singapore has built airframe maintenance, engine             These investments bear testament to Singapore’s status as
overhaul, structural and avionics systems repair, as well as           an established aftermarket services hub and a key aerospace
aircraft modifications and conversion capabilities. These core         manufacturing location that is innovation driven. Moving
competencies, coupled with our commitment to quality and               forward, Singapore will continue to expand and deepen our
safety, have made Singapore a recognised one-stop solutions            capabilities through supporting companies in building advanced
provider for airlines’ maintenance and repair needs. Aerospace         manufacturing and MRO capabilities, equipping our workforce
companies continue to regard Singapore as their trusted partner        with relevant skills and encouraging the adoption of advanced
in Asia and have invested in MRO capabilities for new generation       technologies to enhance competitiveness in our local aerospace
platforms that will allow them to seize opportunities in the rapidly   industry.
growing Asia aerospace market.
                                                                       As a third of all new aircraft is expected to be destined for Asia-
Leading aerospace OEMs and suppliers also offer a variety              Pacific, there is an increasing need for aerospace companies to
of other related services here, including fleet management,            provide timely in-region support for their customers. We are
component and spares distribution, logistics, aircraft leasing         confident that with Singapore’s comprehensive MRO base,
as well as pilot and crew training. These, added together, make        strong aerospace workforce and connectivity to the rest of the
Singapore the undisputed leading aftermarket hub in Asia.              Asia-Pacific, Singapore will continue to be a prime location
                                                                       for aerospace companies to capture the growth opportunities in
Beyond MRO and aftermarket services, Singapore is also looking         Asia-Pacific.
to support the global aircraft production ramp-up by working
closely with aerospace multi-nationals and local suppliers to build
manufacturing capacity and capabilities here. We have achieved                                                      Tan Kong Hwee,
good success in aero engine manufacturing with leading OEMs                     Director, Transport Engineering, Singapore Economic
including GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce. This                                                      Development Board
SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017 - MROs - OEMs - Engineering - R&D - Aviation - Satellites - A*Star
Exclusive                                                                                       Data and
Interviews                                                                                        Maps
  Leaders from both the                                                                        Quantitative data help
 private and public sector                                                                   readers better understand
delve into the nuances and                                                                   the position of Singapore,
nascent developments that                                                                      especially relative to its
 are shaping the industry.                                                                       global competitors.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Woodlands

     12, 28, 37                                                                                        3, 14, 20,
   and many more                                                                                        26, 27
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Seletar Airport

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Changi

                                                 Editorial                                                                               Capabilities
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Changi
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Singapore                                     Airport

                                                 Content                                                                                      &
                                                 Global Business Reports’
                                                journalists provide on-the-
                                                                                                                                          Directory                                            Jurong

                                                                                                                                          Companies' capabilities list                                          Clementi      Singapore
                                               ground analysis of the trends
                                               that are shaping Singapore’s                                                              and directory of Singapore’s
                                                    aerospace industry.                                                                      aerospace industry.
                                                                                                                                                                                      Jurong
                                               8, 15, 19, 24, 34, 41,                                                                         64-65, 66-71                            Island
                                                47, 54, 58, 61, 63

   8. The Singapore Aerospace Industry                   34. Growing the Landscape- From MRO                 58. Satellite and Telecommunication
                                                         to Manufacturing                                    Innovations
   12. Interview with Singapore Economic
   Development Board                                     36.   Interview with Thales in Singapore            60. Interview with Addvalue Technologies
   13. Interview with SPRING Singapore                   37.   Interview with Singapore, Rolls-Royce
   14. Facts and Figures                                 38.   Interview with ST Aerospace
                                                         39.   Interview with Jet Aviation Singapore
                                                         40.   Interview with JTC                            61. Solving an Age-old Problem that
                                                                                                             Vexes All Commercial Low Earth Orbit
   15. Cutting-Edge Research &                                                                               Satellites
   Development
                                                         41. Navigating the Skilled Labour                   62. Interview with Thales, Technical and
   17. A*STAR Aerospace Programme                        Shortages                                           Space Development
   Agency for Science, Technology and Research
   18. Association of Aerospace                          43. Interview with Hawker Pacific Asia
   Industries (Singapore)                                44. Interview with Excel Aerospace
                                                         46. Interview with Composite Technology             63. Conclusion
                                                         International

   19. Educational Institutions
                                                                                                             64. Table of Capabilities
                                                                                                             66. Directory
                                                                                                                                                                         Singapore at a Glance
   20. Locations of Educational Institutions             47. The Implementation of Industry 4.0                                                                          Population: 5,781,728 (July 2016 est.)
   21. School of Mechanical & Aerospace                  and New Technologies                                                                                            Land area: total: 697 km2                                                                This research has been conducted by
   Engineering, Nanyang Technological                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Alice Pascoletti and Elisa L. Iannacone
   University                                            49. Interview with Accuron Technologies                                                                         Official language(s):
                                                         51. Interview with Mitsubishi Electric Asia                                                                     Mandarin (official) 36.3%, English (official) 29.8%, Malay (official) 11.9%                           Edited by Mungo Smith
                                                                                                                                                                         Head of Government:                                                                      Graphic design by Gonzalo Da Cunha
                                                                                                                                                                         Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong (since 12 August 2004)                              Layout by Özgür Ergüney & Deniz Kutlukan
   24. Pushing Singapore’s Competences
   forward through Regional Competition                  54. Introduction to Space                                                                                       GDP: $296.6 billion (2015 est.)                                                         A Global Business Reports Publication
   26. Seletar Aerospace Park                            56. Interview with Singapore Space and
                                                                                                                                                                         Growth rate: 1.7% (2016 est.), 2% (2015 est.), 3.3% (2014 est.)
   27. Singapore Aerohub in figures                      Technology Association                                                                                          GDP per capita (PPP): $87,100 (2016 est.)                                                 For updated industry news from our
   28. Interview with ATR Eastern Support                57. Interview with Singapore Economic                                                                           Source: CIA Factbook                                                                  on-the-ground teams around the world,
   30. Interview with Boeing Southeast Asia              Development Board (EDB), Office for Space                                                                                                                                                            please visit our website at gbreports.com,
   31. Interview with JEP Precision Engineering          Technology and Industry (OSTIn)                                                                                                                                                                      subscribe to our newsletter by signing up
   32. Interview with Bombardier                                                                                                                                         Corporate Income Tax Rate: 17%                                                             to our VIP list through our website,
   33. Interview with Embraer Asia Pacific
                                                                                                                                                                         World Bank Global Ease of Doing business ranking 2017: 2                                 or follow us on Twitter: @GBReports

   Industry Explorations                                              SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017                                                 Global Business Reports
SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017 - MROs - OEMs - Engineering - R&D - Aviation - Satellites - A*Star
GBR • Industry Explorations • Singapore AEROSPACE 2017

                                                                        AN
                                                             INTRODUCTION
                                                              TO AEROSPACE
                                                                INDUSTRY IN
                                                                 SINGAPORE

                                                         “The industry is currently moving towards a SMART factory concept, adopting automation and data
                                                                                     driven systems to stay competitive in today’s challenging environment.”

                                                                                                                                         Soh Chee Siong,
                                                                                                                          CEO, JEP Precision Engineering.
Image: Composite Technology
SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017 - MROs - OEMs - Engineering - R&D - Aviation - Satellites - A*Star
EDITORIAL                                                                                                Global Business Reports   Global Business Reports                                                                                                            EDITORIAL

                                                                                                                                       “The government’s SPRING initiative also       represents 90% of the country's aerospace       its inception in 2007, SAP has established
                                                                                                                                       supports commercial companies that want        sector. The remaining 10% is devoted to         into a world class integrated aerospace hub
                                                                                                                                       to develop new capabilities. All of this       manufacturing activities. Advanced manu-        hosting a wide range of aerospace-related
                                                                                                                                       combined makes Singapore an ecosys-            facturing and engineering have been iden-       activities,” added Leow Thiam Seng.
                                                                                                                                       tem,” said Chow Kok Wah, general man-          tified as a key technological focus area,       The creation of the Rolls-Royce Seletar
                                                                                                                                       ager, Air Transport Training College.          which is why a record of S$19 billion           campus in 2012 has attracted local com-
                                                                                                                                       Both SPRING and the EDB operate as             (US$13.3 billion) will be invested in the       panies, such as JEP Precision Engineering,
                                                                                                                                       government agencies under Singapore’s          research and development of these topics        which makes engine casings and rings for
                                                                                                                                       Ministry of Trade and Industry. The former     over the next five years.                       Rolls-Royce Trent 900 and 1000 engines.
                                                                                                                                       seeks to support SMEs in their journey to      In an attempt to draw more investment and       The campus acts as the company’s titanium
                                                                                                                                       establishing themselves as strong leaders      solidify the presence of larger players in      wide-chord fan blade manufacturing cen-
                                                                                                                                       and larger businesses. “We look forward        the country, the Singapore Airshow, which       ter, as well as housing R&D, training and
                                                                                                                                       to working with partners and SMEs from         inaugurated in February 2008, was created       engine assembly operations. Rolls-Royce
                                                                                                                                       the aviation industry that share the com-      to encourage international partnerships         established the first plant in Asia to manu-
                                                                                                                                       mon vision to grow Singapore into a            and collaborations. According to the EDB:       facture commercial engines in Seletar. This
                                                                                                                                       world-class aerospace hub,” said John Lu,      “In 2012, Singapore Airshow saw more            cutting-edge facility possesses the ultimate
                                                                                                                                       director of manufacturing & engineering,       than US$31 billion worth of deals inked.        operational and environmental efficien-
                                                                                                                                       SPRING Singapore.                              The show attracted over 45,000 trade visi-      cies in the world, aiming to be a ground-
                                                                                                                                       Though these agencies work with compa-         tors from 128 countries to attend.”             breaking establishment. Like Rolls-Royce,
                                                                                                                                       nies across the industrial landscape, they     Figures continue to rise. Industry giants       many companies view having a presence
                                                                                                                                       have supported many companies operating        have found in Singapore a place to estab-       in SAP as a key achievement in their road-
                                                                                                                                       within the aerospace realm, particularly       lish their operations and build for the fu-     map. “Moving into Seletar Aerospace Park
                                                                                                                                       within the precision engineering section.      ture. Locations such as Seletar Aerospace       (SAP) will be a major milestone which al-
                                                                                                                                       Locally represented by the Singapore Pre-      Park (SAP) have enabled an aerospace            lows us to build upon our capabilities in the
                                                                                                                                       cision Engineering and Technology As-          ecosystem to emerge.                            MRO of aircraft interiors and expand into
                                                                                                                                       sociation (SPETA), precision engineering       Launched in 2007, SAP serves the aero-          new ones. Being closer to our partners will
                                                                                                                                       activities in Singapore started in the 1970s   space sector by increasing the number of        provide shorter turnaround time while pre-
8                                                                                                                                      to support the manufacturing investments       jobs in the country as well as continuously     senting a more comprehensive range of ser-                9
                                                                                                                                       in the country. There are currently ap-        attracting leading industry players such as     vices to business jet customers that choose
                                                                                                                                       proximately 2,700 companies operating          Rolls-Royce, Airbus Group, Bombardier           to use Seletar Airport for aircraft MRO ser-
                                                                                                                                       in the precision engineering sector, servic-   and Bell Helicopter. “This is exemplified       vices,” said Mr. Tan Chii Sin, president of
                                                                                                                                       ing a range of industries, from medical,       through the “Queen Bee” effect. The co-         Excel Aerospace.
                                                                                                                                       electronics and oil and gas to aerospace.      location of SMEs and MNCs in SAP cre-           Aside from physical company expansions,
                                                                                                                                       With a wide range of operations focusing       ates more opportunities for networking          new robotics and automation technologies
    Image: SPRING Singapore
                                                                                                                                       on the manufacturing of jigs and fixtures,     and business collaborations, thereby en-        are being developed and implemented in
                                                                                                                                       metal stamping, metal castings, precision      hancing competitiveness of the aerospace        Singapore to position the country as an in-
                                                                                                                                       machining, photonic and semi-conductor         industry,” said Leow Thiam Seng, group          novative technological expert, capable of

    The
                                Singapore has grown on the back of a need      positioned as a constantly evolving and                 equipment, among several others, this in-      director of Cluster Group, JTC.                 serving companies and clients with the latest
                                for survival since its independence from       leading regional hub for the aerospace in-              dustry segment plays an important role in      Founded in 1968, JTC is the lead govern-        trends in the market. Adopting Industry 4.0
                                Malaysia in 1965. Once a British colony,       dustry. The Economic Development Board                  the continued development of Singapore         ment entity in charge of developing indus-      cyber-physical systems to monitor and col-

    Singapore                   Singapore lost most of its market when         (EDB), the lead government agency that                  manufacturing capabilities.                    trial infrastructure in Singapore, as well as   lect data allows for the progressive decen-
                                it became an independent republic, yet         plans and executes economic develop-                    Developing new IP products and compe-          innovative space. They have worked on           tralization of certain decision-making pro-
                                retained the language and infrastructure       ment strategies for Singapore, has selected             tences through R&D and innovation is par-      projects such as Changi Business Park,          cesses in the workplace. Data analytics are

    Aerospace                   from the colonials. The United States' fear    aerospace as one of eight target industries             amount for the country’s continued growth      CleanTech Park and the Airport Logistics        also heavily relied on in order to improve
                                of communism spreading through SEA             to develop in upcoming years given their                and international leading position. “We        Park of Singapore. “Seletar Aerospace           operations and provide support for custom-
                                during the Vietnam War made it eager to        push for developing advanced technology                 want to establish more brand and technol-      Park (SAP) is one of JTC’s iconic develop-      ers. “It is important to work with the indus-

    Industry:                   enter the Singapore market and Singapore       and manufacturing. “The EDB’s aim is to                 ogy owners in the industry. To support this,   ments dedicated to the continued growth         try to help SMEs become Digital Champi-
                                found many opportunities to support the        continue positioning Singapore as a flag-               we aim to work with the industry to facili-    of Singapore as an aerospace hub. Since         ons to take the lead in this,” said John Lu.
                                                                                                                                       tate companies’ diversification towards the

                                                                                                                                                                                      “
                                British military during this time. As the      ship aerospace hub within the Asia Pacific
                                British withdrew their forces, this left the   region, becoming more competitive and                   aerospace sector through capability devel-
                                                                                                                                       opment and facilitation of partnerships,”
    An Evolving                 nation vulnerable so that creating its own
                                defense capability was paramount for
                                                                               innovating in MRO and manufacturing,”
                                                                               said Tan Kong Hwee, director of transport               added John Lu.                                     There is a clear indication that the centre of gravity for aerospace is moving
                                                                                                                                       Singapore has grown to host one of the         from the USA towards Asia now. Singapore is an excellent place to do business
    Landscape                   state security. The aircraft left behind by
                                the Empire were models after which Sin-
                                                                               engineering, Singapore Economic Devel-
                                                                               opment Board.                                           largest, most diverse concentrations of        and an ideal hub in terms of logistics, legal framework, safety, IP for R&D and IP
                                gapore could build and develop a thriving      The country now holds 10% of the global                 aerospace companies in Asia. With 130          protection. In terms of connectivity, one can fly all over Asia from here very easily.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    ”
                                aerospace industry.                            MRO market share and the government’s                   companies in the sector employing 20,000
    By Elisa L. Iannacone and   With an annual output of over S$8 bil-         aim is to increase Singapore’s production               employees, the country has now earned
    Alice Pascoletti            lion (US$5.6 billion), today Singapore is      capacity and IP by partnering with OEMs.                a quarter of Asia's MRO market, which          Ricardo Pesce, Managing Director, Embraer Asia Pacific
    Industry Explorations                  SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017                                          Global Business Reports   Global Business Reports                                   SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017                                               Industry Explorations
SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017 - MROs - OEMs - Engineering - R&D - Aviation - Satellites - A*Star
EDITORIAL                                                                          Global Business Reports   Global Business Reports                                                                                                         EDITORIAL

                                                                                                                                                                                           “
                                                                                  Implementing additive manufacturing for                   operational by the mid-2020s. The target is
                                                                                  the production of parts is also an important              to double passenger handling capacity to
                                                                                  aspect of the current R&D developments                    135 million per year. This region will be          The industry is currently moving to- wards a SMART factory concept, adopting
                                                                                  in the country. “We want to see more                      the economic center of gravity for at least    automation and data driven systems to stay competitive in today’s challenging

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ”
                                                                                  SMEs on-board, supporting the efforts to-                 the next 20 years as the potential of devel-   environment.
                                                                                  wards the build-up of digital manufactur-                 oping nations, such as Myanmar, Cambo-
                                                                                  ing in Singapore,” added John Lu.                         dia, Laos, Philippines, among others, is
                                                                                  “The industry is currently moving towards                 vast. Navigating a challenging landscape       Soh Chee Siong, CEO, JEP Precision Engineering
                                                                                  a SMART factory concept, adopting au-                     on the continent with the Himalayas and

                                                                                                                                                                                           “
                                                                                  tomation and data driven systems to stay                  other mountain ranges, a general lack of
                                                                                  competitive in today’s challenging envi-                  infrastructure and safety concerns such as
                                                                                  ronment,” said Soh Chee Siong, CEO of                     piracy and the South China Sea dispute,            We want to establish more brand and technology owners in the industry. To
                                                                                  JEP Precision Engineering.                                aviation is the main solution for mobility.    support this, we aim to work with the industry to facilitate companies’ diversification
                                                                                  JEP Precision Engineering is currently                    “If we attempt to go by sea, we have the       towards the aerospace sector through capability development and facilitation of
                                                                                  adopting automation technologies for ro-                  typhoon seasons and also piracy problems,

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ”
                                                                                                                                                                                           partnerships.
                                                                                  botic loading and unloading. Hoh Chee                     which we are trying to solve[...] The only
                                                                                  Siong added: “Keeping up with technol-                    way to move the masses feasibly is by air.
                                                                                  ogy is no longer a choice but our key to                  There is no driving or sea-route alterna-
                                                                                  survival in today’s competitive market.”                  tive,” said Liang Jerry, executive VP for      John Lu, Director of manufacturing & engineering, SPRING Singapore
                                                                                  With a 6.1% projected annual air traf-                    Excel Aerospace.
                                                                                  fic growth for Asia PAcific, demand for                   Although Singapore has found a way to          sociation is exploring the design and con-   play a role in the sector. Certainly, with the
                                                                                  skilled-labor will increase exponentially.                position itself as the regional hub in the     struction of micro- and nano- satellites,    country’s investment in smart technologies
                                                                                  The region will become the largest travel                 MRO and primarily civil aviation markets,      as well as Earth-observing and telecom-      as well as new space technologies, Singa-
                                                                                  market in the world in the next two de-                   the country has also established goals to      munications applications. With a solid re-   pore is positioned to maintain a leadership
                                                                                  cades and will own well over a third of the               play a niche role in the new space race.       mote-sensing department, Singapore will      position within the industry for many years
                                                                                  global fleet. “Singapore will capitalize on               The Singapore Space and Technology As-         continue to develop new technologies to      to come. ▬
                                                                                  the rapid growth in aviation activities in
10                                                                                Asia. This country is a key global player in                                                                                                                                                                    11
                                                                                  aerospace MRO, with an excellent seaport,
                                                                                  airport and infrastructure,” said Lee Swee
                                                                                  Meng, general manager of Composite
                                                                                  Technology International (CTIPL).
                                                                                  Singapore’s strategic geographical location
                                                                                  is one of the reasons that have drawn many
                                                                                  companies to base themselves in the coun-
                                                                                  try. Furthermore, in this 720 sq-km island,
                                                                                  all companies can be reached easily, mak-
                                                                                  ing it an ideal location for industry players.
                                                                                  Singapore is renowned for its ease of do-
                                                                                  ing business as well as possessing the nec-
                                                                                  essary infrastructure for a successful aero-
                                                                                  space industry. Changi Airport is widely
                                                                                  acknowledged as a world leader amongst
                                                                                  international airports and houses the Chan-
                                                                                  gi Airfreight Centre (CAC), a 24-hour Free
                                                                                  Trade Zone (FTZ) with simplified customs
                                                                                  for transfer and clearance of goods. The
                                                                                  nine airfreight terminals have an annual
                                                                                  capacity of 3 million tons per year. Ini-
                                                                                  tially using top-level customer service as
                                                                                  a calling card, Singapore Airlines has now
                                                                                  grown to establish itself as one of the lead-
                                                                                  ing airlines in the world, comprised of a
                                                                                  modern 104 aircraft fleet with cutting-edge
                                                                                  fuel efficiency.
     Image: Bell Helicopters

                                                                                  New developments for the 1,080 hectare
                                                                                  Changi East are underway, where a third
                                                                                  commercial runway and Terminal 5 will be

                               Industry Explorations   SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017                                   Global Business Reports   Global Business Reports                                  SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017                                             Industry Explorations
SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017 - MROs - OEMs - Engineering - R&D - Aviation - Satellites - A*Star
INTERVIEW                                                                                                                     Global Business Reports   Global Business Reports                                                                                                     INTERVIEW

                                                                                                                                                                                                       SPRING Singapore operates as a gov-           working with partners like A*STAR, pri-
                                                                                                                                                                                                       ernment arm alongside EDB to support          vate companies and local solution provid-
                                                  How important is the aerospace industry        expand on this and why you believe it                                                                 the growth of various Singapore indus-        ers to create more modular solutions that
                                                  for the country’s global standing in the       is important?                                                                                         tries. Could you expand on SPRING’s           are cost-effective and relevant. Modularity
                                                  region and what are your key objectives        The EDB works in collaboration with its                                                               relationship with the EDB and the gov-        is paramount given the necessary transi-
                                                  for the aerospace industry for the next        sister agency, A*STAR (Agency for Sci-                                                                ernment?                                      tion into digital manufacturing. Opera-
                                                  few years?                                     ence, Technology and Research), on tech-                                                              SPRING is responsible for helping Singa-      tions must be interlinear so that they can
                                                  Aerospace is a strategic sector for Singa-     nology innovation. Together we coordinate                                                             pore enterprises grow and building trust in   link up at various stages of the production
                                                  pore given our focus on advanced technol-      the strategic technological investments                                                               Singapore products and services. Though       chain. SMEs that are on-board with new
                                                  ogy and manufacturing. The EDB’s aim is        Singapore must make in order to keep our                                                              the EDB is the lead agency for the coun-      digital manufacturing technologies, will
                                                  to continue positioning Singapore as a flag-   lead in aerospace. We are currently looking                                                           try’s aerospace industry, SPRING works        be well positioned to meet future customer
                                                  ship aerospace hub within the Asia Pacific     at the application of robotics, automation,                                                           alongside them to ensure that local busi-     requirements.
                                                  region, becoming more competitive and          data analytics and additive manufacturing.                                                            nesses can expand, whether they are SMEs      Technology is progressing at a rapid pace.
                                                  innovating in MRO and manufacturing.           In the nearer term, we are focused on in-                                                             or micro-enterprises. The organization        In three to five years, cutting-edge opera-
                                                  Singapore holds 10% of the global mar-         novations and technology that would make                                                              also works alongside businesses to help       tions today might be obsolete or modified
                                                  ket share in MRO. If we look at the strong     Singapore more competitive. This could in-                                                            them reach revenue milestones and em-         then, even for emerging capabilities such
                                                  growth in traffic and demand in the region     clude adapting existing technology to aero-

     Tan Kong                                                                                                                                                John Lu
                                                                                                                                                                                                       bark on their journeys to becoming large      as additive manufacturing. The new indus-
                                                  in upcoming years, we are in a strong po-      space application. In the longer term, the                                                            enterprises and international players.        try trends will be a bit volatile in upcom-
                                                  sition to capture that growth in MRO and       vision is for Singapore to gain the capabil-                                                                                                        ing years and we have to learn to manage

     Hwee
                                                  manufacturing. We need to work in collab-      ity to design and engineer new products and                                                           What is the importance of aerospace           it. Each enterprise will have a different
                                                  oration with OEMs that have the technol-       solutions for the market. We are encourag-                                                            sector for SPRING?                            risk appetite, but as a government agency,
                                                  ogy to set up operations in our part of the    ing our research institutions to collaborate                                                          Although SPRING assists businesses            SPRING has to continue encouraging and
                                                  world to raise our production capacity and     with companies to do that. Technologies                                                               from different industries across the board,   pushing companies to be at the forefront
                                                  productivity in the supply chain. We have      of interest to Singapore include predictive                                                           we maintain a strong focus on growing         of the race. Pushing growth is paramount
                                                  made substantial investments in technol-       maintenance, Unmanned Aircraft Systems                                                                the aerospace sector. Most of the enti-       for Singapore’s goal of positioning itself as
                                                  ogy and innovation which are paramount         (UAS), and aircraft electrification.                                                                  ties that SPRING works with and assists       a regional aerospace hub. Being frontrun-
                                                  to Singapore maintaining its leadership in                                                                                                           are precision engineering companies sup-      ners means taking some risks. Investment
12                                                the region.                                    What is the future for UAV’s in the                                                                   porting the aerospace industry. There are     in stages is the way forward. If SMEs wait                13
                                                                                                 country?                                                                                              currently 2,700 companies in this field.      for technology to mature, it will be too
     Director Transport Engineering                                                                                                                          Director Manufacturing & Engineering
                                                  What are the EDB’s key targets with            UAVs are potentially disruptive and as a                                                              Though not all are focused on aerospace,      late. We must create balance between get-
     Singapore Economic                           Changi Airport T5 and Seletar Aero-            country we should try to facilitate their use
                                                                                                                                                             SPRING Singapore
                                                                                                                                                                                                       we hope to move some into the industry        ting on-board early and taking it in stages.
     Development Board                            space Park?                                    as long as they are safe to residents, air traf-                                                      as opportunities become more evident and
                                                  Changi Airport T5 is part of Singapore’s       fic and property. We will certainly see more                                                          relevant. Singapore has a strong existing     What are SPRING’s key targets over
                                                  long-term development strategy. There are      of them flying in upcoming years by many                                                              base of companies which could develop         the next 3-5 years for the Aerospace In-
                                                  currently three terminals at Changi. With      agencies, for surveillance, parcel deliveries,                                                        into aerospace suppliers and product own-     dustry?
                                                  the fourth one opening in 2018, together       inspection and so on. We will learn how to                                                            ers. SPRING will continue to work with        We aim to establish more brand and tech-

     “
                                                  with T5, our passenger capacity should be      deal with challenges and risks posed by fly-                                                          the companies to capture opportunities to     nology owners in the industry. To support

                                                                                                                                                                  “
                                                  at 135 million/year, more than double the      ing UAVs through some test trials. Our Civ-                                                           build up innovation and brand-ownership       this, we aim to work with the industry to
                                                  amount today. We aim to take advantage         il Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS)                                                             in SMEs. This will help them to break into    facilitate companies’ diversification to-
                    Technologies of interest to   of the growth of commercial aviation and       has signed a MoU with Airbus to experi-                                                               foreign markets and take their operations     wards the aerospace sector through ca-
                  Singapore include predictive    increasing wealth in the region to grow the    ment with delivery drones. This project is                                                            internationally.                              pability development and facilitation of
             maintenance, Unmanned Aircraft       aerospace industry as well.                    partly driven by Airbus’ R&D team in Sin-                      Singapore has a strong existing base                                                 partnerships.
                  Systems (UAS), and aircraft     Land has been allocated within the new         gapore. The CAAS is interested in under-                           of companies that could develop    Which trends and changes can we ex-           We want to see more SMEs on-board
                                                  airport for an industrial zone which will      standing the risks posed by the use of these                  into aerospace suppliers and product    pect to see in the long term within the       with efforts towards the build-up of digi-
                               electrification.
                                                  be launched in the mid-2020s. Until then,      UAVs, the benefits they can bring and how                                                   owners.   SME market segment in terms of digital        tal manufacturing in Singapore. It is im-
                                                  Singapore will continue to use Seletar         we should adapt our regulations, which is

                                           ”
                                                                                                                                                                                                       manufacturing, Industry 4.0, and auto-        portant to work with the industry to help

                                                                                                                                                                                                ”
                                                  Aerospace Park as the location for both        why they are also partnering with the EDB                                                             mation?                                       SMEs become Digital Champions to take
                                                  runway-dependent and non-runway-de-            on this process. The EDB’s interest is in en-                                                         Disruptive technologies are fundamen-         the lead in this. Working with a Singa-
                                                  pendent aerospace industrial operations. To    couraging innovation and remaining at the                                                             tally modifying the global business envi-     pore partner is also something we want
                                                  date, 60% of Seletar’s 160 hectares of in-     forefront to capture economic opportunities                                                           ronment and SPRING is investing heav-         to encourage, in order to leverage on our
                                                  dustrial land have been committed. The de-     that might arise from UAVs. Experiment-                                                               ily within the digital manufacturing and      knowledge on the ground. Most SMEs are
                                                  velopment of the Park and the new Changi       ing and understanding are the first steps                                                             automation realm in order to prepare the      present in regional markets and we want
                                                  T5 underscores our strong commitment to        towards the eventual adoption of technolo-                                                            market for the future. Certainly large mul-   them to continue excelling both locally
                                                  growing the aerospace industry.                gies. If companies are interested in carrying                                                         tinationals are taking measures to become     and internationally.
                                                                                                 out trials and development activities here,                                                           frontrunners in these areas, but we want to   We look forward to working with partners
                                                  The EDB has a strong push for imple-           the EDB would be interested in talking to                                                             ensure that the gap experienced by SMEs       and SMEs from the aviation industry that
                                                  menting more robotics and automa-              them. We will work closely with CAAS to                                                               is narrowed. SPRING has a strong role to      share the common vision to grow Singa-
                                                  tion within the industry. Could you            make sure safety is not compromised.                                                                  play, not just by providing support, but by   pore into a world-class aerospace hub.

     Industry Explorations                                   SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017                                              Global Business Reports   Global Business Reports                             SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017                                              Industry Explorations
SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017 - MROs - OEMs - Engineering - R&D - Aviation - Satellites - A*Star
FACTSHEET                                                                                                                                                                          Global Business Reports    Global Business Reports                                                                                                           EDITORIAL

                                                                 Facts and Figures                                                                                                                                         Cutting-Edge Research
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          turing processes,” said Prof. Louis Phee,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          chair, School of Mechanical & Aerospace
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Engineering, NTU.

                                                                          Asia’s Aerospace Outlook
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           & Development                                                                                  The research hub combines NTU’s leading
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          infrastructure, cutting-edge engineering
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          and science research, and internationally
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          recognized faculty with Rolls-Royce’s in-
                                     Growing Economy                          Growing Air Travel                                                                    Growing Fleet Size
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           By Elisa L. Iannacone and Alice Pascoletti                                                     dustrial capabilities, leading engineering
                                       66%                                        6.1%                                                                                     1/3                                                                                                                                            services and international reach. The Brit-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          ish aircraft engine manufacturer is also
                                     of the global middle                       projected annual air                                                              of global aircraft deliveries                                                                                                                           exploring power and control technolo-
                                         class by 2030                        traffic growth for APAC                                                              over the next 2 decades                                 As a part of the National Research, Inno-       aerospace industry. On a larger scale, ST      gies with NTU’s School of Electrical and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           vation & Enterprise 2020 Plan, a record         Aerospace has acquired leasing aircraft,       Electronic Engineering, and software de-
                                4th                                       Largest                                                                                       37%                                                S$19 billion (US$13.4 billon) are to be         which can then be converted from pas-          velopment with the School of Computer
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Science and Engineering. “Rolls-Royce
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           invested in the Singapore Research and          senger to freighter, and ultimately used for
                              Largest                                          travel market in the
                                                                               world within the next
                                                                                                                                                                    of global fleet by 2034,
                                                                                                                                                                     nearly double that of                                 Development (R&D) sector over the next          parts at the end of their life-cycle.          invested £1.2 billion (US$1.5 billion) on
                                      ASEAN’s economy                              two decades                                                                        next largest market                                  five years, with the aerospace industry as      Rapid changes in the aerospace landscape       R&D in 2015, and has established a net-
                                       globally by 2050                                                                                                                                                                    one of the eight key targets for funding.       are forcing companies to innovate and cre-     work of 31 University Technology Centres
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           With a strong aim to diversify the heav-        ate alternate sources of revenue. With new     worldwide,” said Bicky Bhangu, director
                                                                          Source: Economic Development Board, Singapore
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           ily MRO-prevalent market, advanced              generation air fleets entering the market,     Singapore, Rolls-Royce.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           manufacturing and engineering have been         the need for MRO services will diminish        NTU also has a S$5 million (US$3.5 mil-
                                                                       Singapore’s Aerospace Industry                                                                                                                      targeted as key technological fields to fo-     in frequency. “The trend of the MRO is         lion) partnership with Leonardo for heli-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           cus on. Tay Kok Khiang, chairman of the         going to be driven by the increase in the      copter aerodynamics. “These major in-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Agency for Science, Technology and Re-          new generation aircraft, which will dou-       ternational players see great potential in
 10,000               Value Added                20-year CAGR:                                                       Total Output                                              Total Employment                            search (A*STAR), Singapore’s lead public        ble every three years. The impact will be      Singapore and know that our infrastructure
                                                 ~8%
     8,000            Output
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           agency heading R&D processes for the            strongly felt given that maintenance needs     is cutting-edge. I would like investors to
     6,000

     4,000
                                                                                                              >S$8B                                                        20,000                                          advancement of scientific discovery and         have diminished significantly for these air-   recognize this great potential,” added Prof.
14                                                                                                           Amongst the largest in Asia;                                    Pool of highly skilled &                      technological innovation, said: “We col-        craft. The 787 needs maintenance every 12      Louis Phee.                                              15
     2,000                                                                                                    mix of 90% MRO & 10%                                                   industry                              laborate with partners in both the public       years, whereas older models needed it ev-      With 30 researchers, the NTU Satellite Re-
        0                                                                                                          manufacturing                                           aligned talent; 80% Locals                      and private sectors and catalyze research       ery six years,” said Lim Serh Ghee, presi-     search Center, which sits under the School
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           in the industry through joint innovation.”      dent, ST Aerospace.                            of Electrical and Electronic Engineering,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           With 5,400 staff, A*STAR plays a strong         Rolls-Royce has collaborated with Nan-         is also pushing Singapore’s space R&D to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           role in advancing the country’s work-           yang Technological University (NTU) by         the forefront. NTU’s focus on communi-
           P         Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO)                                                                       Number of Aerospace Companies
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           force through a series of scholarships and      making a S$75 million (US$53 million)          cation payload started years ago alongside
           P         Engine MRO
                                                                                                                                                          130                                                              talent development programs. The en-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           tity also runs a Research Consortium for
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           investment for continued R&D at the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Rolls-Royce@NTU Corporate Lab. “It is
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          the University of Surrey. After building the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          XSAT, their first satellite, Singapore Tech-
           P         Aftermarket Services
                                                                                                                                             One of the largest, most
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Aerospace-focused R&D, which includes           a major long-term partnership where we         nologies Satellite Systems was created
                                                                                                                                             diverse concentrations of
           P         Manufacturing
                                                                                                                                           aerospace companies in Asia                                                     15 lead commercial aircraft and engine          have set up three large research centres       as the country’s first commercial satellite
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           manufacturers, specialized aviation ma-         over a five year plan […]. We are focusing     company. NTU currently holds and moni-
           P         Research & Development
                                                                          Source: Economic Development Board, Singapore
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           terials companies and enterprises such as       on manufacturing and re-manufacturing          tors seven satellites in space.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Airbus, Boeing, Safran, Bombardier, GE,         instead of throwing away used aircraft         Singapore is highly interested in the de-
                               Annual Growth in Industrial Production Index                                                           GDP Share of Manufacturing                                                           Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, Honey-            parts, to save costs and improve manufac-      velopment of small satellites to position

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           “
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           well, SIA Engineering and ST Aerospace.
              %                                                                                       %                                                                                                                    “Launched in 2007, the consortium under-
     35                                                                                         35                                                                                                                         takes pre-competitive research to address            A*STAR is globally unique given that
                                                                                                30                                                                                                                         challenges in the Aerospace Industry,”
     30                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    it operates like a government funded
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           added Tay Kok Khiang.
                                                                                                25                                                                                                                                                                         University. They have capabilities in almost
     25                                                                                                                                                                                                                    The consortium has carried out over 100
                                                                                                20                                                                                                                         projects to date. A*STAR’s private-public       every industrial sector, invest heavily in
     20
                                                                                                15                                                                                                                         Advanced Remanufacturing & Technol-             R&D, and develop collaborations with
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           ogy Centre (ARTC) focuses on R&D for            international companies. They leverage
     15                                                                                         10
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           surface enhancement, repair and restora-        their technical infrastructure and couple
     10                                                                                           5                                                                                                                        tion and product verification. The goal is to   it with world class R&D capabilities, and
                                                                                                  0                                                                                                                        develop processes that can be immediately       bring together leading industry players in
       5                                                                                              2001    2002    2003     2004     2005     2006     2007   2008   2009   2010   2011   2012   2013   2014     2015
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           adopted by the industry at large. Finding a     collaborative initiatives.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ”
       0                                                                                                                                                Manufacturing Industry                                             second life for products that have reached
           2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
                                                                                                       Source: The Department of Statistics Singapore
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           their natural end-of-life is a strategy being
      -5                                                                                                                                                                                                                   developed by many companies within the
                Source: The Department of Statistics Singapore                                                                                                                                                                                                             Tom Gentile, CEO, Spirit AeroSystems
             Industry Explorations                                            SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017                                                                                          Global Business Reports    Global Business Reports                                    SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017                                             Industry Explorations
SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017 - MROs - OEMs - Engineering - R&D - Aviation - Satellites - A*Star
EDITORIAL                                                                                                                   Global Business Reports   Global Business Reports                                                                                                            INTERVIEW

                                                                           “                                                                                                    Tay Kok                                                                                         “
                          itself as an expert in niche space technolo-
                          gies. Though the young space industry in
                          the country does not have the capacity to             Whereas regulation was initially a driving force behind the industry, we are

                                                                                                                                                                                Khiang
                          become a leader in all-things space, it has      now facing a situation where rules or regulatory frameworks have to catch up with                                                                                                                   A*STAR Aerospace Research Consortium
                          the cutting-edge technology capabilities         technology. This will continue to be the trend in the future. The fundamental driver                                                                                                               was launched in 2007, and undertakes pre-
                          and necessary infrastructure to position         for these technologies to be developed is cost. Roughly, half of the investment                                                                                                                  competitive research to address challenges in
                          itself as a highly specialized leader within     budget in our industry goes into reducing cost. VR can, for example, assist by                                                                                                                  the aerospace industry. Through this platform,
                          the space market. Thales in Singapore has        omitting physical presence, whether it means maintenance training or airport                                                                                                                     members can leverage on A*STAR’s research
                          established a Space Centre of Excellence         familiarization, and so help reducing classroom, travel and other costs.

                                                                                                                                                                     ”
                          for Research and Technology (R&T) and                                                                                                                 Chairman
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            resources and state-of-the-art infrastructure.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             ”
                          has partnered with NTU to create S4TIN                                                                                                                A*STAR Aerospace Programme
                          (Smart Small Satellite Systems), a joint lab                                                                                                          Agency for Science,
                          for the development of nano-satellites that
                                                                           Tom Vandendael, Senior VP, Regional Management, Lufthansa Systems
                                                                                                                                                                                Technology and Research
                          leverages on CINTRA, another joint lab
                          between NTU, Thales and CNRS. Their              Industry leaders have taken an active role   development of a heavy fuel diesel engine
                          focus is on nano-electronics and nano-           in the development of R&D programs to        for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
                          photonics. “We are always on the lookout         ensure Singapore can maintain its leading    The Singapore government’s push to de-
                          to develop collaborations with other re-         position as an R&D hub in the region. SIA    velop new technologies, national IP and
                                                                                                                                                                                Could you describe A*STAR’s core focus         Aerospace Program, and the flagship for this     improvement on the current off-line period-
                          search institutions and organizations,” said     Engineering, ST Aerospace, and DSO Na-       innovations for the aerospace industry is
                                                                                                                                                                                and operations in Singapore?                   effort is the A*STAR Aerospace Research          ic checks, is another example. In coatings,
                          Dr. Erick Lansard, vice-president for Tech-      tional Laboratories joined forces with the   paving the way for a bright and success-
                                                                                                                                                                                The Agency for Science, Technology and         Consortium. Launched in 2007, the Consor-        we research super-hydrophobic materials
                          nical and Space Development, Thales.             Department of Mechanical Engineering         ful future for the country. Singapore plays
                                                                                                                                                                                Research (A*STAR) is Singapore’s lead          tium undertakes pre-competitive research to      as well as ice-phobic coatings. There is an
                          Thales in Singapore has also established         at the National University of Singapore      host to the headquarters and R&D func-
                                                                                                                                                                                public agency that spearheads economic-        address challenges in the aerospace indus-       interest in Direct-Write technologies, which
                          the first regional Thales Innovation Hub in      (NUS) to launch the Centre for Aero-         tions of many lead international industry
                                                                                                                                                                                oriented research to advance scientific        try. Through this platform, members can le-      will allow for efficient and cost-effective
                          the country to create innovative disruptive      space Engineering (CAE) in 2013. With        players. This is positioning the country as
                                                                                                                                                                                discovery and develop innovative technol-      verage on A*STAR’s research resources and        health monitoring of modern aircraft. We
                          solutions. “The target is not only to fly pro-   aerospace-focused research, education        an aerospace R&D hub. With the increase
                                                                                                                                                                                ogy. With 5,400 staff, research is largely     state-of-the-art infrastructure.                 undertake research to improve internet con-
                          totypes, but also to develop new industrial      and outreach activities, CAE provides in-    in manufacturing and space activities in
                                                                                                                                                                                organized under two entities: the Science      The consortium engages in all aspects of         nectivity and capacity to meet the needs of
                          systems that could be manufactured lo-           novative solutions for the industry. Their   the country, as well as the aim to maintain
                                                                                                                                                                                and Engineering Research Council and the       aerospace R&D from advanced materials,           modern society.
16                        cally in partnership with local actors, and      research projects range from the study of    a leadership position in the aerospace in-                                                                                                                                                                       17
                                                                                                                                                                                Biomedical Research Council. The research      manufacturing processes and automation,
                          new applications and services,” added Dr.        surface manipulation for drag reduction      dustry, the R&D sector will only continue
                                                                                                                                                                                entities are primarily located in Fusionopo-   information and communication, inspection        What are your views on the regulatory
                          Lansard.                                         and composite damage and repair, to the      to grow. ▬
                                                                                                                                                                                lis and Biopolis respectively.                 and non-destructive testing, computational       framework which supports the aero-
                                                                                                                                                                                We collaborate with partners in both the       modeling and dynamics. Starting with just        space industry?
                                                                                                                                                                                public and private sectors and catalyze re-    four founding members, the consortium            The aerospace industry, from an engineer-
                                                                                                                                                                                search in the industry through joint innova-   now has 15 members, which includes many          ing and MRO perspective, is highly regu-
                                                                                                                                                                                tion. The science and engineering research     of the leading commercial aircraft and en-       lated and international in nature. Although
                                                                                                                                                                                entities conduct research within clusters      gine manufacturers, component and special-       there are country to country nuances, most
                                                                                                                                                                                such as Electronics, Chemicals, Marine and     ized aviation materials companies, and lead-     of the Western World practices are regu-
                                                                                                                                                                                Offshore, MedTech, Biologics and Aero-         ing local enterprises. To-date, the A*STAR       lated under the Federal Aviation Adminis-
                                                                                                                                                                                space. Our research focuses on creating        Aerospace Program has undertaken more            tration (FAA) and the European Aviation
                                                                                                                                                                                economic growth and jobs, and enhancing        than 100 multi-disciplinary projects.            Space Agency (EASA), and the two are
                                                                                                                                                                                lives. We work closely with the Economic                                                        largely similar in requirements.
                                                                                                                                                                                Development Board of Singapore to sup-         Could you outline some of the projects           Work done in Singapore has to meet the
                                                                                                                                                                                port the industry in Singapore and collabo-    that have been undertaken by A*Star?             requirements of the Civil Aviation Authori-
                                                                                                                                                                                rate with global partners. A*STAR plays a      Some of the projects include research into       ties of Singapore (CAAS) and, depending
                                                                                                                                                                                key role in nurturing and developing a ro-     new materials, ranging from the treatment        on the market where the work is intended
                                                                                                                                                                                bust and diverse innovation workforce for      of pipelines to prevent coking, to new mate-     for, it usually has to meet the FAA’s or the
                                                                                                                                                                                Singapore’s research, innovation and en-       rials with special properties useful for avia-   EASA’s requirements as well as the coun-
                                                                                                                                                                                terprise ecosystem through our scholarship     tion. This includes conductive composites,       try requirements of the end-user. These
                                                                                                                                                                                and talent development programs.               which may one day replace the current ap-        requirements relate more to engineering
                                                                                                                                                                                                                               proach of protecting composite structures        developments and MRO. Certification
                                                                                                                                                                                What is the importance of the aerospace        of the latest generation aircraft against        would be done at the product development
                                                                                                                                                                                sector for A*STAR and what is the vision       lightning strikes.                               stage. To facilitate recognition of work
                                                                                                                                                                                for the sector moving forward?                 In electronics, we are innovating designs        done in Singapore, for example, the CAAS
                                                                                                                                                                                The aerospace sector is an important sec-      for harsh environments, such as high-tem-        has a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement
                                                                                                                                                                                tor for Singapore which has seen a steady      perature packaging, in order to meet the         (BASA) with the FAA which outlines a mu-
                                                                                                                                                                                growth of 8.6% CAGR over the last 20           future needs of "more-electric aircraft”,        tual acceptance of design and production
     Image: Rolls-Royce

                                                                                                                                                                                years and employs some 20,000 staff, 90%       for which current designs are inadequate.        certifications. Companies which have work
                                                                                                                                                                                of which are skilled jobs. A*STAR collabo-     Smart sensors that enable continuous and         certified through the CAAS might benefit
                                                                                                                                                                                rates with the aviation industry through its   on-line monitoring of engine oil levels, an      from this cross-recognition.

                          Industry Explorations                                      SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017                                         Global Business Reports   Global Business Reports                                   SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017                                               Industry Explorations
SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017 - MROs - OEMs - Engineering - R&D - Aviation - Satellites - A*Star
INTERVIEW                                                                                                                     Global Business Reports   Global Business Reports                                                                                                          EDITORIAL

                                                                                                                                                             Educational Institutions
                                                   Could you outline the main objectives of        world’s major OEMs have also chosen to                                                                                                                   Bachelor degree programs in mechanical
                                                   the association?                                make Singapore their significant base for                                                                                                                and aerospace engineering, as well as a
                                                   The Association of Aerospace Industries is      addressing the Asian market.                                                                                                                             range of graduate programs. With a rate of
                                                   13 years old and we have about 130 mem-         A growing sector is advanced manufactur-                                                                                                                 130 graduates per year, MAE is also the
                                                   bers. Our membership comprises OEMs,            ing. Rolls-Royce assembles and tests Trent                By Elisa L. Iannacone and Alice Pascoletti                                                     home of the Air Traffic Management Re-
                                                   MROs, small and medium-sized enterprises        engines in Singapore. Both Rolls-Royce                                                                                                                   search Institute, which was created along-
                                                   and a full range of service providers. It is    and Pratt and Whitney also manufacture fan                                                                                                               side the Civil Aviation Authority of Singa-
                                                   a reflection of the composition of the aero-    blades here. The supply chain around these                                                                                                               pore, to continue positioning the country
                                                   space industry in Singapore. Our mission        activities is creating a positive spin-off lo-            With a projected growth of three times the       able. With over 40 years operating in the     as a strong location for Air Traffic Man-
                                                   is to promote Singapore as a leading aero-      cally, as well as, to other countries in our              current air fleet by 2031, countries across      country, the Singapore Institute of Aero-     agement (ATM). The school is currently
                                                   space hub, for the benefit of all our mem-      neighborhood.                                             Asia are racing to establish strong educa-       space Engineers also decided to found a       developing Air Traffic Control (ATC)
                                                   bers and their business competitiveness.                                                                  tional institutions to fill the projected gap    training school for the industry in 1999,     regulations for UAVs. “We are now devel-
                                                   What we do can be summarized in three           What is the advantage of operating in                     in the relevant skills. With over 1,700          which is how the Air Transport Training       oping the necessary R&D to ensure we lay
                                                   points: Firstly, we serve as the voice of in-   Singapore as opposed to other markets                     aerospace graduates per year, the Singa-         College (ATTC) emerged. The ATTC has          proper ATM laws for the future, delineat-
                                                   dustry and play a role in policy advocacy.      in the Asia-Pacific Region?                               pore government is investing heavily in          established a training complex at Seletar     ing airways and placing adequate no-fly-
                                                   We also work with the government on di-         The strong advantages for Singapore have                  developing the professionals of the future,      Aerospace Park with a full hangar that        zone boundaries,” said Prof. Louis Phee,
                                                   rections for the future development of the      been our trusted brand, open economy, lo-                 and has a strong relationship with the aero-     has access to the Seletar Airport runway.     chair, School of Mechanical & Aerospace

     SIA Kheng                                     industry we represent. The second point is      cation, connectivity, industrial base, com-               space industry and country’s educational         “In these 17 years we have trained more       Engineering, NTU.
                                                   about developing the aerospace community,       prehensive aerospace cluster and skilled                  institutions. “This tripartite relationship is   than 40 MBA students, over 300 bachelor       Singapore will continue working along-

     Yok
                                                   because we believe there are many oppor-        talent. Our government invests very heavily               the cornerstone of decades of harmonious         degree students, 300 diploma students and     side the aerospace industry to develop
                                                   tunities to collaborate and draw synergies      in education and research and development,                industrial relations in Singapore,” said SIA     over 4,000 certificate students,” said Chow   the necessary curricula to train gradu-
                                                   from one another. Thirdly, we facilitate        in support of industry. We also have a very               Kheng Yok, chief executive, Association          Kok Wah, general manager, ATTC.               ates who can work to the highest stan-
                                                   businesses through organizing overseas          strong OEM presence that differentiates us                of Aerospace Industries, Singapore.              The School of Mechanical and Aerospace        dards and remain at the forefront of the
                                                   missions, exhibitions and helping with mar-     from others. The EDB estimates we com-                    Singapore has world-class universities,          Engineering (MAE) at NTU offers two           sector. ▬

                                                                                                                                                                                                              “
                                                   ket connections.                                mand a quarter of the regional MRO mar-                   such as Nanyang Technological Univer-
                                                                                                   ket. Our hope would be to continue to grow                sity (NTU) and the National University
                                                   What kinds of members does the Asso-            and extend our market reach.                              of Singapore (NUS), as well as various               We believe that getting involved with partnerships with universities and
18                                                 ciation look for and how can they join?                                                                   polytechnics that are investing in strength-     research institutions will help nurture talent and inspire the next generation of                     19
                                                   We welcome members who can contribute           Singapore’s manpower can often be a                       ening their facilities. The Singapore Poly-
     Chief Executive                                                                                                                                                                                          future engineers and scientists. This strong link with the local institutions will help
                                                   as well as benefit from being a part of the     challenge to operations given the incred-                 technic has a four-story Aero Hub that
     Association of Aerospace                                                                                                                                                                                 potential engineers understand how their academic excellence can be applied in the
                                                   AAIS community. The core membership re-         ible demand and constant turn-over of                     houses an aircraft hangar with a Hawker
     Industries (Singapore)                        mains anchored by aerospace OEMs, MRO           employees. How does the country aim to
                                                                                                                                                                                                              workplace. We take around 100 interns every year into our Singapore workforce.
                                                                                                                                                             HS125-700A, King Air B90, A4SU Super

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       ”
                                                   and suppliers. But we are also open to mem-     navigate this roadblock?                                  Skyhawk and a Bell UH-1H Helicopter.
                                                   bers who provide services to the industry.      In terms of growing the country’s skill-base              They have also created laboratories and an
                                                   More recently, this also includes companies     and manpower, there is a very strong spirit               R&D center to assist the students receiv-        Bicky Bhangu, Director, Singapore Rolls-Royce
                                                   with expertise in applying technology to        of cooperation between government, em-                    ing a diploma in Aeronautical Engineer-

     “                                                                                                                                                                                                        “
                                                   aerospace – in fields such as data analytics,   ployers and unions. This tripartite relation-             ing (DARE) and a diploma in Aerospace
                                                   digitization, robotics and Industry 4.0.        ship is the cornerstone of decades of harmo-              Electronics (DASE). The R&D Center has
                                                                                                   nious industrial relations in Singapore. The              a flight simulator that can recreate an F16           I have concerns about the airline industry in SEA going too fast. The training
               Singapore’s aerospace industry      Which are the current trends you have           industry and the educational institutions                 cockpit, Boeing 737 cockpit and F1 race-         of pilots and aircraft maintenance cannot keep up given that the business has grown
            structure is quite unique, with the    observed in the Singapore Aerospace             also work very closely together to ensure                 car cockpit. It also has an Airbus 320 flight    too fast.[…]Singapore is well placed to provide the training facilities required to
              heaviest concentration of MRO        market and which segments do you an-            we develop industry-ready graduates. This                 simulator and maintenance trainer. They          meet this demand for engineers and technicians. But the region is still falling short
                                                   ticipate to experience strong growth?           has resulted in a very responsive and far-                are also focused on the development of           experiencing fast growth with insufficient technical education infrastructure to
                 activities in Asia-Pacific. The

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       ”
                                                   Singapore’s aerospace industry structure is     sighted education system that anchors our                 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehi-       support it.
           Singapore Economic Development
                                                   quite unique, with the heaviest concentra-      competitiveness as a country. Education                   cles, intermeshing and co-axial Unmanned
             Board (EDB) reports that MRO          tion of MRO activities in Asia-Pacific. The     and training opportunities do not just stop               Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and hybrid rocket
               comprises 90% of the industry       Singapore Economic Development Board            upon graduation from school. There is a                   propulsion systems.                              Lim Yeow Khee, President, Singapore Institute of Aerospace Engineers
                                        output.    (EDB) reports that MRO comprises 90%            now a framework and system that enables                   Temasek Polytechnic invested S$30 mil-
                                                   of the industry output. This has arisen from    everyone to be re-skilled and upgraded

                                           ”                                                                                                                                                                  “
                                                                                                                                                             lion (US$21 million) to create the 6,000
                                                   Singapore’s traditional role as an air trans-   throughout his/her working life, in order to              sqm Temasek Aviation Academy (TAA),
                                                   port hub giving rise to two major domestic      adapt to changes in the workplace. It is not              as an addition to the School of Engineer-
                                                   MRO players - ST Aerospace, with roots          correct to say that there is a constant turn-                                                                   The main roadblock to the private aviation’s operations is the huge lack of
                                                                                                                                                             ing, making it the largest dedicated avia-
                                                   in the defense sector, and SIA Engineering      over of employees. The aerospace industry                                                                  information sharing within the industry segment. WOA provides a platform where
                                                                                                                                                             tion training facility in the country. The
                                                   Company (part of the Singapore Airlines         in particular, is known for its ability to re-            TAA has an aircraft hangar with a Hawker
                                                                                                                                                                                                              pilots, operators and owners can collaborate and share information about crossing

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        ”
                                                   group). ST Aerospace is now ranked one          tain its employees and provide good career                Siddeley 700A private jet, a closed-loop         borders or receiving support.
                                                   of the world’s largest third party MROs         opportunities. In fact it is the sector with              wind tunnel and a VR studio. The poly-
                                                   and SIA Engineering Company has an ex-          one of the highest percentages of local em-               technic also acquired full-flight simulators
                                                   tensive network of 26 joint ventures. The       ployees – around 80%.
                                                                                                                                                             and the latest training equipment avail-         Yeow Meng, Managing Director, WingsOverAsia
     Industry Explorations                                    SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017                                             Global Business Reports   Global Business Reports                                     SINGAPORE AEROSPACE 2017                                           Industry Explorations
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