Public-private partnerships launched at Singapore’s Global Additive Manufacturing Summit
October 21, 2024
The 13th Global Additive Manufacturing Summit (GAMS) took place from 15-16 October at the Singapore Expo Max Atria. The annual event, organised by the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC), is seen as the country’s flagship Additive Manufacturing business event, bringing together over 400 in-person and virtual delegates.
The summit welcomed Alvin Tan, Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Trade and Industry, as the Guest-of-Honour. Tan gave an opening address highlighting the opportunity to further advance the Additive Manufacturing sector by ‘growing green, growing with AI, and growing partnerships.’
At the event, Tan also launched local company Medairum’s ISO13485-certified Additive Manufacturing facility for medical products and custom foot orthotics, and witnessed the signing of several public-private partnerships that are expected to elevate Singapore’s Additive Manufacturing capabilities.
These collaborations intend to drive the development of new Additive Manufacturing applications across different industries, increasing the demand for services from local AM companies. They also look to accelerate the development of the Additive Manufacturing talent pool and the certification of Additive Manufacturing capabilities to further the growth of Singapore’s Additive Manufacturing ecosystem.
“These public-private partnerships will help to strengthen Singapore’s position as one of the leading international digital manufacturing hubs offering a strong pool of talent and a collaborative ecosystem. NAMIC will continue to help companies develop the necessary capabilities to pivot towards high value-added business activities such as digital design and innovation, while supporting the shift towards more sustainable manufacturing practices enabled by Additive Manufacturing,” said Dr Ho Chaw Sing, Chief Executive Officer of NAMIC.
The public-private partnerships
Following a recent move from Malaysia to Singapore, Eng Teknologi International Pte Ltd (Eng Tek) has partnered with NAMIC in an effort to develop the company’s Additive Manufacturing capabilities for the automotive, semiconductors and life science sectors.
The partners are also anticipated to establish an Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centre of Excellence (TCOE) in Singapore to better serve Eng Tek’s regional customers. The collaboration will prioritise training and upskilling local Additive Manufacturing talent, advancing industry-focused research and development in applications, materials, and processes, while also driving technology commercialisation and expanding market opportunities for the AM industry.
NAMIC is also partnering with SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) to review and authorise the National Additive Manufacturing Jobs-Skills Accreditation Framework (NAAF).
The NAAF maps existing Continuous Education Training (CET) Additive Manufacturing courses onto different proficiency levels for specific AM jobs. Additionally, the NAAF will be used to guide the development of new AM courses to plug existing skills gaps.
As well as these partnerships, NAMIC is launching the Digital Design Innovation Centre (DDIC) to co-fund the development of AM-ready digital parts. These digital parts will be channelled to local AM businesses for production, in an effort to stimulate manufacturing demand.
Located in Cleantech Three within the Jurong Innovation District, DDIC is a part of the advanced manufacturing ecosystem and is expected to benefit from JTC’s support in connecting with relevant companies.
DDIC and Jaringan Semangat Sdn Bhd (JSSB) will collaborate to create an inventory of digital AM parts that will be fabricated in Singapore. These parts are intended for use in the oil and gas sector by companies such as Petronas.
Metal AM magazine was a media partner for the Global Additive Manufacturing Summit. Delegates had the chance to pick up free copies of the latest issue of Metal AM magazine.
