Speech at 15th Global Additives Manufacturing Summit 2026

Mr Shawn Huang, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower, Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre

Professor Lim Keng Hui, Assistant Chief Executive, A*STAR Science Engineering and Research Council

Dr Ho Chaw Sing, Executive Director, A*STAR SERC, Chief Executive Officer, NAMIC

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning.

1 Coming back to NAMIC brings back many vivid moments and memories for me.

2 I still remember during COVID-19, when I was at Temasek, Singapore faced a very different world. Supply chains were disrupted, access to critical supplies was constrained, and we very quickly realised that there were some things we simply had to do and be able to make for ourselves.

3 Nasopharyngeal swabs were one such example. Stocks were low and access was restricted. So, we worked with NAMIC and our partners to ask a very practical question: Can we build this capability here in Singapore, and can we do it quickly? And we did.

4 We developed local solutions, worked to onshore manufacturing capability, and strengthened our resilience. To me, that was NAMIC at its best: bringing together innovation, engineering and industry, not simply to demonstrate what technology could do, but to solve an urgent national problem.

5 I also want to especially recognise Chaw Sing. During that period, he was very much my brother-in-arms. We worked side by side through some very difficult and uncertain moments, and I remain deeply grateful for your partnership and friendship.

6 Those days reinforced something I continue to believe strongly today: for a small country like Singapore, technological capability is not just about competitiveness. At critical moments, it is about resilience and survival.

Building resilient industries in a shifting world

7 Today, that world feels less predictable. Trade tensions are reshaping supply chains, new technologies are emerging quickly, and competition is tighter for good jobs and investments.

8 This year's Summit theme, Building Resilient Industries with Additive Manufacturing and AI, speaks directly to this moment. For a small and open economy like Singapore, adaptability is essential. What matters is not the technologies our businesses adopt, but how quickly our companies and workers can adapt together.

9 Across Singapore, additive manufacturing is already delivering real-world impact in multiple sectors. As this sector moves toward higher value and more complex production, jobs will evolve along with the skills workers need to perform them.

Growing our people alongside our industries

10 New roles such as additive manufacturing technicians, design engineers and materials specialists are emerging. Some will build on capabilities that workers already have, while others will require workers to acquire new skills. The priority is to ensure that workers are equipped to take on these new opportunities.

11 Technology adoption is not an end in itself. As companies adopt additive manufacturing and AI, they should redesign work at the same time, so that these productivity gains translate into better jobs, stronger skills and a more sustainable career progression.

12 People must remain at the heart of this transformation. Technology can only reduce routine or repetitive tasks, while workers are equipped to exercise greater judgement, solve more complex problems and contribute at a higher level. This requires businesses to invest in their people early, and workers to continually build the skills needed for these emerging roles.

13 Training must therefore be closely connected to industry needs and job opportunities. The Skills and Workforce Development Agency, or SWDA, helps to align training provision more closely with industry and workforce needs, strengthening the link between skills and jobs. For example, SWDA works with training providers and industry partners to identify emerging skills needs and translate them into relevant training opportunities.

14 Employers also have a key role to play here by recognising these demonstrated skills, developing their existing workforce and creating pathways for workers to move into new and higher-end roles.

15 Since 2022, NAMIC has already helped train more than 1,000 professionals through their courses and workshops to take on these emerging roles, and this number will only grow as adoption widens.

16 To help workers identify the capabilities needed for emerging roles, while giving employers greater confidence that training translates into workplace performance, NAMIC developed the National Additive Manufacturing Jobs-Skills Accreditation Framework, or NAAF.

a For professionals, NAAF points technicians and engineers to suitable courses for upskilling in a current role or reskilling for a new one. Those who complete the recommended courses receive a NAAF certificate, signifying that their training meets a national reference. For employers, NAAF provides one clear reference for developing staff and for hiring. The Singapore Armed Forces is one example. As it builds its in-house additive manufacturing capabilities, it has chosen NAAF-recognised courses to upskill its engineers.

b As technology advances, NAAF will advance with it. Working with training providers, NAAF will update existing courses and develop new ones where training gaps appear, so that our workforce keeps pace.

17 This is the kind of practical partnerships that we need: industry identifying the capabilities that matter, training providers building relevant programmes, and employers recognising and deploying these skills in the workplace. When these pieces come together, workers gain clearer career pathways and businesses gain the capabilities they need to grow for the future.

Strengthening our ecosystem through partnerships

18 Upskilling our workforce takes more than training alone. It also requires strong partnerships.

19 Yesterday, at the Industrial Transformation Asia-Pacific stage, NAMIC signed an MoU with Bavaria Makes, a non-profit association dedicated to the industrialisation of additive manufacturing in Bavaria, Germany. The partnership will support knowledge and talent exchange across Singapore and Bavaria.

20 Later today, two more MoUs will be announced, each strengthening a different part of our ecosystem.

a First, a collaboration between A*STAR Additive Innovation Centre, ATC Globe Holdings, Forefront Additive Manufacturing and GD Precision will connect our public research capabilities with the operational strengths of our local enterprises, so that together they can offer more complete solutions to their end customers.

b The second deepens NAMIC's strategic partnership with ASTM International to advance standards, qualifications and trusted digital data frameworks. Started in 2018, this partnership has delivered four international standards and three accredited training programmes, benefiting over 120 individuals. These programmes are now recognised under NAAF, giving professionals here a structured pathway to build their careers.

21 Strong partnerships such as these contribute to an ecosystem that builds up the skills and expertise of our people, and strengthens the resilience of our enterprises and the overall industry.

Closing

22 Let me close by congratulating NAMIC on organising this year's Summit, and thank our industry, research and government partners for the hard work behind these collaborations.

23 There is an old proverb that says the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, and the second-best time is today. Building a resilient manufacturing sector works much the same way. As technologies evolve, we must invest in our people to ensure they develop and grow together. What we do, starting today, will define how ready we are for the future and what comes next.

24 Thank you.