Singapore Announces SG Semiconductor To Strengthen Its Role In The Global Semiconductor Ecosystem
National brand provides a clearer gateway to Singapore’s capabilities, partners and talent, alongside new and expanded industry collaborations
SINGAPORE, 25 SEPTEMBER 2026 – Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Dr Tan See Leng today announced SG Semiconductor, a national identity for Singapore’s semiconductor sector, at Innovate Together 2026. Organised by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), the annual forum connects public research and industry to advance semiconductor technologies.
Jointly developed by A*STAR and the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), SG Semiconductor will raise the global visibility of Singapore’s sector-wide strengths and make it easier for companies and talent to understand what the country offers and engage its ecosystem. The branding effort will focus on public sector R&D as its first course of action.
Singapore has built a substantial semiconductor industry over nearly six decades, spanning chip design, wafer fabrication, assembly and testing, equipment and materials development and manufacturing, and research and development (R&D). It now accounts for one in ten global chip output and one-fifth of global semiconductor manufacturing equipment production. As applications become more sophisticated and place greater demands on semiconductor performance, Singapore is building on this foundation through closer research-industry collaboration and talent development, supported by the latest S$800 million investment from 2026 to 2030 through the RIE Flagship in Semiconductors.
Trusted location for semiconductor innovation and manufacturing
SG Semiconductor brings together Singapore’s capabilities across R&D, advanced manufacturing, infrastructure, industry partnerships and talent. Its work spans seven technology areas: advanced packaging, silicon photonics, power electronics, radio frequency gallium nitride, piezoelectric micro-electro-mechanical systems (piezoMEMS), flat optics and integrated circuit design. Across these areas, Singapore is developing capabilities to address growing needs in artificial intelligence and advanced computing, high-speed and energy-efficient data communications, electrification, sensing and intelligent systems. By connecting research expertise with industry-grade infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities of industry partners, Singapore can develop, validate and scale new semiconductor technologies for global markets.
“Singapore’s strength in semiconductor innovation has been built through decades of sustained investment and close partnership across public research, universities and industry. SG Semiconductor brings this collective endeavour under a national identity. It signals our commitment to build frontier capabilities, translate them into industry outcomes and anchor high-value R&D and manufacturing in Singapore for the long term,” said Mr Beh Kian Teik, Chief Executive, A*STAR.
“As semiconductor technologies become more complex, companies are increasingly seeking trusted locations where innovation, manufacturing and talent come together. SG Semiconductor provides a gateway to Singapore’s ecosystem, enabling companies to develop, scale and commercialise next-generation technologies from Singapore.” said Mr Jermaine Loy, Managing Director, EDB.
Accelerating innovation through new industry partnerships
Demonstrating SG Semiconductor in action, Innovate Together 2026 also saw the announcement of new and expanded partnerships spanning several key semiconductor technology areas. These collaborations connect research expertise with industry-grade platforms and manufacturing capabilities to develop, validate and scale emerging technologies.
In advanced packaging, Applied Materials and A*STAR will embark on Phase 4 of their longstanding collaboration, significantly expanding the joint laboratory’s infrastructure, equipment and headcount to develop technologies for AI and advanced computing. A*STAR and KLA will establish a new process control collaboration framework to explore ways to improve manufacturing reliability and yield, while A*STAR and STATS ChipPAC will collaborate in co-packaged optics to create a pathway towards high-volume production. Together, these collaborations strengthen Singapore's position as a hub for advanced packaging innovation and help accelerate the translation of next-generation semiconductor technologies into manufacturing.
In silicon photonics, A*STAR and GlobalFoundries will deepen their R&D collaboration to develop next-generation technologies on 300 mm wafers in Singapore, supporting higher-volume manufacturing for high-performance computing and data communications. This will help bridge the gap between laboratory innovation and commercial-scale production, supporting growing global demand for high-speed, energy-efficient connectivity solutions.
In MEMS sensing, Tacta Systems and A*STAR will develop intelligent sensing technologies for robotics, tapping A*STAR’s Lab-in-Fab platform, which brings together research and manufacturing capabilities for industry-relevant development, prototyping and validation. Tacta Systems has also opened its Singapore operations, strengthening its technology development activities here.
The wider ecosystem represented by SG Semiconductor includes a new research collaboration between National Centre for Advanced Integrated Photonics (NCAIP), a national centre hosted at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Battery Age Minerals. The partners will explore germanium-based devices for data communications by combining NTU’s research expertise with Battery Age Minerals’ access to raw germanium, creating a potential pathway from upstream resources to higher-value semiconductor applications. The collaboration highlights how Singapore's ecosystem brings together partners across the global value chain to explore new opportunities and create future sources of semiconductor innovation.
“These partnerships demonstrate Singapore’s ability to bring together world-class research, industry-grade platforms and advanced manufacturing capabilities to move emerging technologies from concept to commercialisation. SG Semiconductor will strengthen this advantage by giving companies a clearer path to translate innovation into globally competitive products and scale them for international markets,” said Professor Yeo Yee Chia, Deputy Chief Executive (Innovation & Enterprise), A*STAR and Executive Vice President of the RIE2030 Flagship in Semiconductors.
More information on the collaborations can be found in Annex A.
Convening semiconductor leaders at Innovate Together
Now in its second year, Innovate Together has established itself as Singapore’s annual forum connecting public research and industry to advance semiconductor technologies. The event brings together local and international leaders from industry, academia and research for executive perspectives, panel discussions, technical talks and technology showcases. Senior leaders from Applied Materials, GlobalFoundries, KLA and STMicroelectronics discussed emerging industry trends and the pathways needed to bring new technologies to market.
Held as part of the SSIA Summit, the event also showcased Singapore’s advances across advanced packaging, silicon photonics, power electronics, radio frequency gallium nitride (RF GaN), piezoMEMS and flat optics, and created opportunities for participants to explore new collaborations.
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Enclosed:
ANNEX A – Details of Collaborations Announced at Innovate Together 2026
About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore's lead public sector R&D agency. Through open innovation, we collaborate with our partners in both the public and private sectors to benefit the economy and society. As a Science and Technology Organisation, A*STAR bridges the gap between academia and industry. Our research creates economic growth and jobs for Singapore, and enhances lives by improving societal outcomes in healthcare, urban living, and sustainability. A*STAR plays a key role in nurturing scientific talent and leaders for the wider research community and industry. A*STAR’s R&D activities span biomedical sciences to physical sciences and engineering, with research entities primarily located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis.
ANNEX A – Details of Collaborations Announced at Innovate Together 2026
Applied Materials and A*STAR expand their advanced packaging collaboration
Applied Materials and A*STAR will expand their longstanding collaboration for another five years in advanced packaging under Phase 4 of the Applied Materials–A*STAR Centre of Excellence in Advanced Packaging. This expansion includes the joint laboratory’s infrastructure, equipment and headcount, increasing its capacity to develop technologies for artificial intelligence, machine learning and high-performance computing.
The collaboration combines Applied Materials’ expertise in semiconductor equipment and materials engineering with the research and process-development capabilities of the A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics (A*STAR IME), A*STAR Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (A*STAR IMRE), and A*STAR Institute of Advanced Intelligence and Computing (A*STAR IAIC). The partners will work on areas including hybrid bonding for three-dimensional chiplet integration, system-technology co-optimisation, high-density interposers, advanced substrates, and metrology and computational techniques.
Building on their collaboration since 2011, Phase 4 will support the development and validation of next-generation semiconductor equipment and packaging technologies. It will also expand access to industry-grade R&D capabilities and support talent development through student attachments and research projects, strengthening Singapore’s advanced packaging ecosystem.
“For over a decade, our collaboration with A*STAR has helped transform pioneering research into technologies that address the semiconductor industry's evolving needs. Building on this strong foundation, Phase 4 will accelerate the development of next-generation advanced packaging solutions, expand our innovation capabilities in Singapore, and strengthen the ecosystem needed to advance AI and high-performance computing," said, Dr Mukund Srinivasan, Group Vice President and General Manager, Technology Solutions Group, Applied Materials
GlobalFoundries and A*STAR deepen their silicon photonics collaboration
The collaboration aims to advance silicon photonics technologies that can support high-performance computing, data communications and, potentially, quantum applications, combining A*STAR’s research and technology-development capabilities with GlobalFoundries’ semiconductor manufacturing expertise and global reach. The partnership will focus on next-generation photonics integration and devices including non-linear materials.
Silicon photonics integrates optical and electronic functions on semiconductor chips, enabling data to move at high speeds with greater energy efficiency. By connecting research capabilities with manufacturing expertise, the collaboration will strengthen Singapore’s silicon photonics ecosystem and support growing global demand for high-speed, energy-efficient connectivity.
“Silicon photonics is essential to next-generation AI infrastructure and a key pillar of GF’s roadmap as a holistic technology provider,” said Gregg Bartlett, Chief Technology Officer of GlobalFoundries. “Singapore’s robust semiconductor ecosystem and strong government support for R&D are crucial in enabling us to develop and scale these innovations. We are excited to build on our longstanding collaboration with A*STAR, combining its deep research expertise with our established silicon photonics leadership and manufacturing scale to meet global market demand.”
KLA and A*STAR develop process control solutions
KLA and A*STAR IME will establish a three-year collaboration to explore enhanced process control solutions for advanced packaging and silicon photonics. The collaboration aims to improve the detection and understanding of defects and process variations that can affect manufacturing reliability and yield.
The collaboration will explore synergies amongst A*STAR IME’s open R&D platforms, test vehicles and process environments, complemented by KLA’s expertise in inspection, measurement and data analytics. The partners will study areas including hybrid-bonding defects and their relationship with manufacturing yield, die-placement accuracy and measurement methods for silicon photonics structures.
As semiconductor packages become more complex and integrate multiple high-value components, manufacturers need more advanced methods to identify defects and control production processes. The collaboration aims to provide data and insights that can potentially support the development of improved process control solutions while strengthening the capabilities available to Singapore’s semiconductor ecosystem.
"This collaboration will bring together complementary expertise to address increasingly complex advanced packaging challenges and help accelerate innovation from R&D into manufacturing," said Wee Teck Chia, Vice President and General Manager, Global Customer Organization, KLA.
Tacta Systems and A*STAR develop intelligent MEMS sensing technologies for robotics
Tacta Systems and A*STAR will partner to develop intelligent micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) sensing technologies for robotics. The partnership will combine Tacta Systems’ expertise in custom MEMS tactile sensing with A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics’ (A*STAR IME) MEMS research and process-development capabilities.
MEMS technologies integrate microscopic mechanical and electronic components to sense and respond to physical inputs. For robotics, these technologies have the potential to enable more precise tactile sensing and interaction with the physical environment.
The partnership will tap A*STAR’s Lab-in-Fab platform, which brings together research and manufacturing capabilities to help companies develop, prototype and validate technologies in an industry-relevant environment. Tacta Systems will use these capabilities to develop and validate its intelligent sensing technology for robotics.
Tacta Systems has also opened its Singapore operations, strengthening its presence and technology development activities here.
"Tactile sensing is the foundation of everything we build at Tacta, and getting those sensors to production volume is as much a semiconductor challenge as a robotics one. Working with A*STAR IME gives us a Lab-in-Fab platform to develop and validate that technology in a real manufacturing environment, which shortens the path from prototype to volume production. That is a big part of why we established operations in Singapore. The MEMS expertise and precision manufacturing base here are what a sensor-dense product like ours requires," said Vikram Pavate, Co-Founder and CEO of Tacta Systems.
STATS ChipPAC and A*STAR advance co-packaged optics
STATS ChipPAC and A*STAR IME will collaborate to advance packaging technologies for co-packaged optics. The collaboration aims to create a pathway for technologies developed through R&D to progress towards high-volume manufacturing.
STATS ChipPAC will license proprietary advanced packaging solutions developed by A*STAR IME and combine them with its packaging and manufacturing capabilities. The partners will work to improve the manufacturability of silicon photonics packaging technologies and support their integration into industry-relevant production processes.
Co-packaged optics brings optical and electronic components into a closely integrated package, enabling data to move at higher speeds while consuming less energy. By connecting A*STAR IME’s technologies with STATS ChipPAC’s manufacturing expertise, the collaboration could shorten product-development cycles and support the wider adoption of co-packaged optics for artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and data-centre applications.
“With demand for higher bandwidth and energy efficiency continuing to grow, co-packaged optics are increasingly important for the semiconductor industry's next phase,” said Li Zheng, CEO of STATS ChipPAC. “We’re investing heavily in these areas, and working with A*STAR IME builds upon a shared focus on applied innovation—bringing together STATS ChipPAC’s strengths in advanced packaging and high-volume manufacturing with their expertise in silicon photonics to develop technologies that drive performance and efficiency across the industry.”
NTU-National Centre for Advanced Integrated Photonics (NCAIP) Singapore and Battery Age Minerals develop germanium-based optical interconnect technology
The National Centre for Advanced Integrated Photonics (NCAIP), a national photonics research centre hosted at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), will embark on an initial 12-month research collaboration with Battery Age Minerals Ltd, an Australian-based mineral exploration company focused on battery and critical minerals for semiconductors and electronics, such as zinc, lead, gallium and germanium, to develop next-generation optical interconnect technology. Led by NCAIP Co-Director Professor Tan Chuan Seng, the project will develop Germanium-based Optical Waveband Interconnect (GLOW) technology, drawing on a portfolio of germanium-related patents from his research group. NCAIP will contribute its photonics research expertise, while Battery Age Minerals will bring its access to germanium resources. The project aims to demonstrate key proof-of-concept milestones for germanium-based optical interconnects, with potential applications in AI data-centre infrastructure and consumer imaging electronics. It also supports Battery Age Minerals’ strategy to expand downstream from germanium mining and production into higher-value technology applications.
“GLOW demonstrates how strong public–private partnerships can translate advanced research into technologies with real-world impact. By bringing together industry-defined challenges and our capabilities in advanced photonics and integration, we are developing Ge microdevices and scalable integration technologies with the potential to enable new solutions for AI data centres and next-generation consumer imaging electronics. This collaboration under NCAIP is an important step towards turning promising research into commercially relevant technologies and creating new growth opportunities for industry,” said Professor Tan Chuan Seng, Co-Director, National Centre for Advanced Integrated Photonics (NCAIP), School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, NTU Singapore.
“GLOW creates a strong foundation for Battery Age Minerals to expand its germanium focus into high value Ge application technologies. Drawing on Professor Tan's expertise in germanium heterogeneous integration and NCAIP's capability in advanced photonics, the collaboration allows us to jointly develop new Ge-based optical devices and connect upstream germanium resources to end markets such as AI data-centre interconnects and consumer imaging.” said Dr David Pevcic, Chairman, Battery Age Minerals Ltd.
