A*Star launches advanced manufacturing joint labs with SMEs, with investment totalling over S$30 million

THE Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) on Friday (Nov 17) launched three advanced manufacturing joint labs with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with a combined investment of over S$30 million.

The joint labs will help the three Singapore companies – M8M, Mencast and Mirxes – leverage A*Star’s advanced manufacturing capabilities to co-develop new solutions and offerings in their respective industries.

This will better position each player in tackling business challenges and becoming more competitive within their own sectors, said A*Star. Each lab will operate for three years.

M8M is a solutions provider in the intra-logistics industry, Mencast is a regional engineering and maintenance, repair and overhaul solutions provider, while Mirxes is a Singapore-headquartered RNA technology company.

The three joint labs were launched by Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng at A*Star’s Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) at CleanTech Park.

On Friday, Dr Tan also officially opened A*Star’s new Innovation Factory @ SIMTech facility at CleanTech Park. The Innovation Factory @ SIMTech is a one-stop centre that helps local companies deepen their innovation capabilities, develop commercially viable products for their target markets, and expand into overseas markets. It is supported by Enterprise Singapore.

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The centre had its pilot launch in December 2020 at SIMTech’s old premises at the Nanyang Technological University.

Dr Tan noted that the Innovation Factory @ SIMTech has since grown its member base to more than 60 local enterprises, with 11 products successfully launched to market to date.

While the pilot centre supported companies in the precision engineering, industrial equipment, lifestyle and consumer sectors, the new facility will expand its scope of support by partnering companies with product ideas related to sustainability, healthcare and wellness.