\n<\/p>\n
At FoodPlant, Ms Chong has observed that food companies often develop and refine products in Singapore before assessing how and where to scale. This positions the country as an innovation and capability hub that is especially important at the pilot stage, even as manufacturing becomes more regionally distributed.<\/p>\n
What this means for jobs is that higher-value functions \u2013 product development, process design and regional management \u2013 are likely to stay in Singapore, she said.<\/p>\n
Barry Callebaut\u2019s global innovation centre, for instance, will host more than 30 specialised roles including AI engineers, with plans to double that number. Developing products suited to Asia’s climate and consumer preferences \u2013 such as chocolate that does not melt as easily in tropical heat \u2013 is among its priorities.<\/p>\n
EnterpriseSG’s Ms Tay pointed to other examples. Kwong Cheong Thye, which has been brewing soy sauce in Singapore for over 130 years, trained two production workers as data control specialists to monitor production data and optimise manufacturing processes. Dim sum maker Lim Kee Food Manufacturing, which makes all its products in Singapore, has trained 11 employees for higher-skilled roles such as in quality assurance to support R&D.<\/p>\n
As the firm digitalises, it is shifting from “passive manual” tasks to “reactive real-time” work, said business services head Ang Shu Min.<\/p>\n
Customer service jobs have been redesigned as data analytics jobs to clean and push data to relevant departments for better real-time operational planning, for example.<\/p>\n
Redesigning jobs also allows the company to attract local and younger talent.<\/p>\n
“With the generally tougher working environment and stigma towards manufacturing factories that there is limited room for personal development and career progression, this results in the recruitment of locals to be comparatively challenging,” said Ms Ang.<\/p>\n
Some companies lag behind on digital adoption, typically due to a lack of in-house capabilities or awareness of available solutions, said EnterpriseSG’s Ms Tay. To address this, EnterpriseSG and the Infocomm Media Development Authority are working with trade associations and SME centres on targeted outreach.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An upcoming internship programme will also connect computing and IT students with food manufacturers to support digital integration.<\/p>\n
At Tee Yih Jia’s two-year-old Senoko facility, operations are highly automated, though labour remains a key constraint.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are ongoing challenges in hiring for shift-based roles, as night shift positions tend to be less attractive to the local workforce,” said Ms Goi. \u201cCoupled with foreign manpower quota limitations, this has made it difficult to build our production workforce to optimal levels.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The firm is now expanding roles in areas such as IT, R&D, quality assurance, regulatory and compliance, engineering and regional business development.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis reflects a broader transition in the industry \u2013 while automation reduces reliance on manual labour, it also drives demand for higher-skilled roles that support innovation, governance and growth,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the firm continues to identify as a Singaporean company.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe pride ourselves to be part of the food manufacturing landscape in Singapore,\u201d said Ms Goi.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n