Robotics and automation technologies are set to transform various economic sectors as well as how we work and live. Globally, the market for robotics is expected to grow rapidly to US$275B by 2025 comprising of service and industrial robotics . Beyond industrial robotics in manufacturing, robotics will also see increasing deployment in more nascent applications like healthcare and the built environment. In Singapore, the development of smart robotics technologies, systems and solutions through R&D help improve the quality of lives, increase productivity of workers and maintain Singapore’s competitiveness.
The vision of the Robotics Horizontal Technology Coordinating Office (HTCO) is to develop a globally-competitive robotics and automation hub within A*STAR that will bring about the development of technologies, solutions and talent in robotics that meet Singapore’s economic and societal needs. The Robotics HTCO aims to do so by orchestrating and championing a whole-of-A*STAR approach for:
- Growing core robotics capabilities
- Building a robust innovation ecosystem
- Enabling adoption of robotics and automation solutions in economic and public sectors
- Enhancing existing talent and pipelines in robotics
The Robotics HTCO works in partnership with the National Robotics Programme (NRP) and other public sector agencies to deliver robotics systems to address national imperatives, covering food, manufacturing, logistics, built environment, public security and healthcare. In addition, the Robotics HTCO also works with different types of companies from both the supply and demand sides, to catalyse novel research and development to address market needs.