Refreshed industry map to support Singapore’s hub status in food manufacturing

DIM SUM provider Sin Mui Heng Food Industries has set its sights on expanding to countries such as the US and Ghana.

The company, which exports 20 per cent of its products overseas, also hopes to increase this share to 50 per cent within the next five years.

Such internationalisation efforts are among the key aims of the food manufacturing sector Industry Transformation Map (ITM) 2025, which was launched by Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, Tan See Leng.

The latest update to the 23 ITMs – that were launched between 2016 and 2018 – took place at the official opening of Sin Mui Heng Food Industries’ Bedok Food City factory on Wednesday (Dec 14).

In line with its expansion plans, Sin Mui Heng Food Industries is set to automate 80 per cent of its processes by 2023.

The move has seen an increase in the rate of production of up to 100 pieces of dim sum per minute per machine. This is well up from about 50 or 60 pieces previously, when there was a heavier reliance on manpower, said Johnson Tay, its operations director.

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Dr Tan said that the ITM outlines growth strategies for the sector, “to establish Singapore as a trusted food and nutrition leader, as well as the preferred launchpad into Asia for quality brands”.

The industry map sets out four key strategies: first, internationalisation and continuous innovation to drive growth; second, increasing Singapore’s attractiveness as a regional food hub; third, building resilient and sustainable companies by future proofing supply chains and pursuing sustainable goals; and fourth, pursuing job redesign, upskilling and reskilling to complement job transformation.

In tandem with the fourth strategy, the minister also launched the Jobs Transformation Map (JTM) for the food manufacturing sector at the event. It recommends strategies for businesses to enhance employees’ competitiveness and capabilities.

He expects 2,500 new jobs to be created in the short-term with the launch of the two new transformation maps.

Close to a quarter of the 22 job roles studied in the JTM will undergo some change and require job redesign, while the remaining will require upskilling, Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), Workforce Singapore and the Ministry of Manpower said in a joint media release.

Eight new or emerging roles in areas such as data analysis, novel foods, sustainability and digitalisation and automation have also been identified, they added.

The agencies will also strengthen their research and development capabilities, build cross-border partnerships to attract global investments, build capacity to scale manufacturing through technologies and assist companies with deepening consumer insights to help Singapore achieve regional hub status.

The ITM will also encourage companies to diversify their sources, stockpile key ingredients upstream and enhance production capabilities to become more resilient, while taking up green manufacturing practices such as reducing and optimising food waste and using sustainable food packaging.

Dr Tan added that the Singapore Food Alliance – which is made up of eight food-related trade associations – will develop a sustainability roadmap, with support from EnterpriseSG.

Since the launch of the first food manufacturing ITM, collaborations with local and overseas partners to establish new market entry models have led to domestic exports growing at a compound annual growth rate of 3.3 per cent from 2016 to 2019.

It had facilitated the launch of new innovative products, the creation of shared R&D and pilot production facilities and prompted growth in the startup ecosystem. The previous ITM also drove automation and talent improvement.

“Business and workforce transformation must go hand-in-hand,” Dr Tan said. “Businesses cannot transform unless their workers are capable of supporting new business models as well as job roles … At the same time, when businesses transform, workers will be more motivated to go for reskilling to seize new opportunities.”