Photonics is a key technology for Singapore, says Tjin Swee Chuan, Chairman and Co-Director at LUX Photonics Consortium & The Photonics Institute, Nanyang Technological University.
There are four national priorities for lasers and optics R&D in the state. They are integrated photonics and flat optics; imaging systems, metrology and sensors; lasers and fibre optics, and displays and lighting.
“The only natural resource we have in Singapore is human resource,” he said at the EPIC AGM, explaining the strong state focus on the sector. As Chairman of LUX Photonics Consortium, he has an informed perspective on the country’s drive to be a global photonics leader. The organisation was founded in 2015 with a government-sponsored mission to encourage collaboration and communication in the industry.
Eight of the top 10 life-science tool companies have operations in Singapore, while the country’s semiconductor sector contributes to ~20% of the global market.
5.6m people live in a country that is just slightly bigger than 720 square kilometres and manufacturing is a key pillar of its economic success story. There are more than 2,400 tech start-ups in the state, in part driven by strong government support. The 2020 Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is the world’s largest free-trade agreement, comprising of 15 economies, including China, and has also encouraged innovation and investment in the region.
