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A look at how Siemens, Fujifilm, Henkel, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Roche have grown alongside Singapore
Ahead of National Day this year, we featured five MNCs–Makino Asia, Proctor & Gamble, Shimano, Thales, and Applied Materials–that marked milestones in Singapore in the first half of 2023 and how they have contributed to our local ecosystem.
As we round up 2023, we take a look at other companies that have partnered Singapore for growth and their impact on our economy.
Above, from left: Teiichi Goto, President and CEO, Representative Director of FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation; Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director, EDB; and H.E. Hiroshi Ishikawa, Ambassador of Japan to Singapore.
Full page ad by Fujifilm published in The Straits Times, dated 17 March 1996. Photo: Newspaper SG (National Library Board) and SPH Media’s The Straits Times
In 2004, Fujifilm Singapore and PictureWorks, a Singapore-headquartered digital imaging solutions provider, developed the Ezpic Machine. It was Singapore’s first digital imaging self-service kiosk accepting multiple modes of payment — from cash to Cash Cards. Photo: Newspaper SG (National Library Board) and Mediacorp’s Today Newspaper
ABOUT FUJIFILM: Japanese corporation with business interests in healthcare, imaging, and materials for the semiconductor and display industries
IN SINGAPORE SINCE: 1983
THEIR STORY: Fujifilm’s modest beginnings in Singapore started with its factory in Tuas in 1983, which continues to function as the company’s Asia-Pacific manufacturing site. The factory produces proprietary chemicals used in the fields of photofinishing, medical X-ray, graphic arts, and printing.
The company continues to tap Singapore’s strategic location at the heart of Southeast Asia to export these products to key ASEAN markets, and China, India, Australia, and New Zealand.
In 1996, the company inaugurated the Fujifilm Building at 10 New Industrial Road. In a full-page ad published in local broadsheet The Straits Times (shown in image carousel above), Minoru Ohnishi, former President of Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd Japan, remarked: “We will rely more heavily on Singapore to gain access to the growing Southeast Asian markets. And I am very confident that Fujifilm Singapore will lead the way for all Fujifilm offices and distributors in Southeast Asia as its regional centre.”
Fujifilm marked its 40th anniversary of incorporation in Singapore this year. It has used its base in Singapore to move into new areas of growth. Noting a decline in demand for film, Fujifilm focused its efforts on developing digital solutions so that it could pivot into adjacent sectors in medical imaging and semiconductor materials.
Today, the company’s healthcare and materials division has risen to become a large core focus, tapping into Singapore’s vibrant biomedical industry and research ecosystem.
Above, from left: EDB’s Vice President and Head of Consumer, Fong Pin Fen, Henkel Singapore’s President, Thomas Holenia, and Henkel’s Executive Vice President Finance (CFO), Purchasing and Global Business Solutions, Marco Swoboda.
In 2016, Henkel’s Global Supply Chain Hub opened in Singapore at the PSA Building in Alexandra Road. Today the German multinational corporation (MNC)’s 160 employees in Singapore are split between its Global Supply Chain Hub and Global Adhesive Operations (AO) Digital team.
ABOUT HENKEL : German MNC focusing on adhesive technology and consumer goods
IN SINGAPORE SINCE: 1983
THEIR STORY: Over the past four decades, Henkel has used Singapore as a springboard to expand in the Asia-Pacific region.
Henkel Singapore’s President, Thomas Holenia, noted that Singapore was chosen for its excellent logistics capabilities, supply chain talent, and its position in the heart of Asia.
Henkel’s Global Supply Chain Hub and Global Adhesive Operations (AO) Digital team are housed in Singapore, while its purchasing, production and logistics processes across its adhesive technologies and consumer brands are split between the Republic and Amsterdam.
Through its operations in Singapore, the German company was able to establish best practices in supply chain talent management, sustainability, and digitalisation, which have been progressively implemented in other locations.
For instance, the Singapore hub’s Industry 4.0 processes and smart systems have also been implemented across the manufacturer’s Asian plants. The Global AO Digital team has also boosted Henkel’s operations through cloud-based solutions. Singapore’s robust digital infrastructure has facilitated the company’s efforts to engineer and enhance interconnectivity of its plants in the region.
In Singapore, the company has found a capable and skilled workforce that is able to support the company’s strategic functions — the business currently employs up to 160 staff.
It has also partnered with local universities like the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to continue to meet its talent needs.
Aside from its business pursuits, the manufacturer also actively contributes to Singapore’s environmental initiatives. It supports Singapore’s OneMillionTrees movement by the National Parks Board, which seeks to restore nature in Singapore through planting of a million trees throughout the island.
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat (fifth from left) officiated at Thermo Fisher Scientific’s ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of its Sterile Fill Finish Facility.
ABOUT THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC: American manufacturer of scientific analytical instruments, laboratory consumables and chemicals.
IN SINGAPORE SINCE: 1973
THEIR STORY: This year, Thermo Fisher Scientific marked its 50th year of operation in Singapore and launched its Sterile Fill-Finish Facility.
This cutting-edge facility marks a major advancement in Singapore and the Southeast Asian region's capabilities for producing vaccines and biologics and contributing to its ability to address future health crises. It features a high-speed, fully automated aseptic fill-finish line that enables end-to-end production of critical healthcare products.
Today, the company employs over 2,000 employees in Singapore across multiple sites , including commercial offices, manufacturing plants, and distribution centres. These sites accommodate teams involved in manufacturing, commercial operations, research and development (R&D), and scientific applications.
Singapore’s robust R&D ecosystem is a strong pull factor for companies like Thermo Fisher Scientific, that see the value in tapping into partnerships to uncover new innovations. The American manufacturers has contributed to the ecosystem as well – in 2014, Thermo Fisher Scientific announced plans to sponsor both short term and multi-year research grants in the areas of life sciences along with support for NUS’s collaborative efforts in the sector, such as its joint symposium for scientific knowledge exchange in the biological and physical sciences.
Singapore is also home to one of the company’s Centres of Excellence globally for instrument manufacturing. It was the Singapore team that produced Thermo Fisher's cloud-enabled scientific instrument. The same team has also continued to develop and launch other instrument models.
Above, from left: Roche Singapore’s Patient Journey Partner in Women’s Health, Paulo Caoile; Roche Group’s CEO, Dr Thomas Schinecker; Jaga-Me’s CEO, Sapphire Tham; and Jaga-Me’s Commercial Lead, Morris Lee.
Key highlights and milestones from Roche Singapore’s history.
Key highlights and milestones from Roche Singapore’s history.
Key highlights and milestones from Roche Singapore’s history.
ABOUT ROCHE: Swiss biotech company with interests in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics.
IN SINGAPORE SINCE: 1973
THEIR STORY: Over the past 50 years, Singapore has become a significant market for the Swiss company – and it also holds a special place in the heart of its CEO, Dr Thomas Schinecker.
Dr. Schinecker’s parents lived here for more than 30 years while he was growing up. He spent 12 years in Singapore – watch as he recounts his memories of being a youth in Singapore:
Roche’s presence in Singapore started with a small office space in Shenton Way in 1973. Three years later, the Swiss company’s footprint grew to include a new warehousing facility and diagnostic lab. Today, Singapore houses two of its strategic business units in Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics — employing over 1,000 people across four divisions in pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, diabetes care and manufacturing.
The company’s two biologics manufacturing plants established here in 2009 are now merged under Roche Singapore Technical Operations, producing a substantial amount of oncology and ophthalmology drug substances annually.
Singapore’s strategic location in Asia and connectivity to the rest of the region led Roche Diagnostics — the healthcare giant’s diagnostics arm — to open its Asia Pacific Headquarters and Centre of Excellence here in 2015. The S$8.4 million facilit y, comprising laboratories and offices, is a training site for the company's technical staff and serves as a support centre for its regional customers.
Together with Diabetes Singapore, a charity organisation, Roche also hosts yearly seminars to educate people with diabetes and caregivers on blood glucose control, and the disease’s effects on eye and mental health.
Roche is also part of a collaborative project with the Singapore Translational Cancer Consortium (STCC) to sequence the cancer genomes of 5,000 Singapore patients. This data will go towards developing a national genomic database which will help healthcare providers make better care decisions.
Singapore also functions as Roche’s APAC base for its global digital health innovation accelerator, Startup Creasphere, which started in 2020. The accelerator has since supported four Singapore-based enterprises.
Above: Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat (fifth from left) at Siemens’ 115th anniversary celebration event in 2023.
Above, standing in foreground, from left: Siemens Components’ Managing Director, Mr Jakob Heigl; and Jurong Town Corporation’s former General Manager, Mr Francis Mak. This photo was taken at the groundbreaking ceremony of Siemens’ S$30 million Kallang plant in April 1991. At the time, the plant was expected to produce about 80 per cent of the German company’s global Integrated Circuit Chip output when construction is completed. Photo: Newspaper SG (National Library Board) and SPH Media’s The Straits Times
ABOUT SIEMENS: German industrial company
IN SINGAPORE SINCE: 1908
THEIR STORY: This year, as it marked its 115th anniversary in Singapore, Siemens unveiled a €2 billion (S$2.91b) global investment strategy, with around €200 million (S$291.3m) going towards a new high-tech factory in Singapore. This new factory will enable the German conglomerate to serve growing demand from burgeoning Southeast Asian markets.
Singapore’s extensive network of foreign trade agreements with other countries makes it an ideal investment destination for Siemens as it continues to drive and expand its production network and research and design capabilities in Asia.
The facility will integrate Siemens' cutting-edge digital twin and intelligent hardware technologies and is expected to be able to support highly automated manufacturing processes. This expansion will create over 400 jobs and leverage Singapore's trusted hub status and strong advanced manufacturing capabilities.
Siemens was the first German industrial company to establish a presence in Singapore and today, its technology is embedded in many facets of Singapore’s economy and landscape, from our MRT system to NEWater plants — which produce Singapore’s purified reclaimed water — and the Republic’s smart grids.
As one of anchors of the Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (ARTC), Siemens also participates actively in R&D projects related to the management of Industry 4.0-ready production lines and integration of additive manufacturing workflows.
Through Singapore’s SkillsFuture Queen Bee programme, Siemens is also collaborating with training companies and partners to deliver courses in additive manufacturing, digital twinning, automation, and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Over the next three years, these training programmes are expected to enhance the skills of about 1,000 workers and co-develop 150 proof-of-concepts and pilot Industry 4.0 powered solutions.
