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HardwareZone celebrates Singapore\u2019s 61st birthday with a series of articles showcasing local tech brands that have helped build our nation and put us on the world stage. In this final part of the series, we focus our lens further and acknowledge the international brands that may not have had their start in Singapore, but have been no less impactful in our nation\u2019s history of technological innovation and progress.<\/p>\n
(This article is <\/i>one of 7 parts in our National Day Tech Special series.<\/i>)<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p>\nTable of Contents<\/p>\n
<\/default:svg><\/button><\/p>\n\n1. Apple<\/li>\n 2. Dyson<\/li>\n 3. GlobalFoundries<\/li>\n 4. Google<\/li>\n 5. HP<\/li>\n 6. Infineon Technologies<\/li>\n 7. Seagate<\/li>\n 8. Sony<\/li>\n Other stories in this series<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/section>\n1. Apple<\/h2>\n\nApple CEO Tim Cook visits the first Apple Developer Center in Southeast Asia. He meets Singaporean Swift Student Challenge Winner Jiang Tongyu, and gives Tongyu\u2019s rhythm game, Tambourine Story, a spin. April 2024.<\/p>\n
Photo: Brooks Kraft\/Apple Inc.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
From a small circuit-board factory in Ang Mo Kio to a regional campus and iconic flagship stores, Apple\u2019s 40-year journey in Singapore charts the evolution of both a tech giant and a nation built on innovation.<\/p>\n
In 2021, Apple celebrated \u201c40 years of innovation, education and progress,\u201d highlighting its 3,500 staff and over 55,000 ecosystem jobs. A 2024 campus expansion further cemented Singapore\u2019s strategic importance in the Asia-Pacific.<\/p>\n
Initially focused on manufacturing Apple II boards, Apple shifted to R&D, services, software, and ecosystem enablement as Singapore developed. By 2021, its operations hosted over 50 nationalities, supporting local developers like Mighty Bear Games, reflecting Singapore\u2019s tech hub ambitions.<\/p>\n
Apple\u2019s retail presence includes flagship stores like Apple Orchard Road (2017) and Apple Marina Bay Sands (2020). These stores are not just sales outlets but community hubs for \u201cToday at Apple\u201d sessions and creative workshops, signifying a deeper investment beyond commerce.<\/p>\n
Beyond business, Apple collaborates with local schools on iPad-based teaching and Swift coding. In sustainability, Apple was Singapore\u2019s first company powered entirely by renewable energy (2015), using solar panels on 800+ rooftops. New campuses and stores aim for LEED Gold certification and 100% renewable energy.<\/p>\n
The 2024 US$250 million campus expansion in Ang Mo Kio will consolidate buildings, support AI, hardware-software integration, and services, making Singapore a critical hub for Apple\u2019s Asia-Pacific strategy. This expansion builds on 40 years of partnership, seeing Singapore as an innovation, education, jobs, and community partner.<\/p>\n
For Singapore, Apple\u2019s presence signifies high-value activities: early manufacturing and R&D, regional operations and ecosystem jobs, and future advanced campus functions, AI, services, and sustainability. The flagship stores serve as public interfaces for this journey. Singapore\u2019s talent, stability, infrastructure, and sustainability focus align with Apple\u2019s global priorities.<\/p>\n
2. Dyson<\/h2>\n\nProfessor Chong Tow Chong\u00a0of SUTD and Sir James Dyson at\u00a0the opening of the Dyson-SUTD Innovation Studios, 25th November 2022.<\/p>\n
Photo: James Dyson Foundation<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Dyson\u2019s global headquarters in Singapore, located at the old St James Power Station, has almost doubled its headcount to 2,000, with nearly half being engineers and scientists. Singapore\u2019s skilled workforce, strong in hardware and software, enables Dyson to explore new technologies like robotics, AI, and high-speed electric motors. The company has invested in Singapore\u2019s future by hiring over 150 recent graduates, fostering innovation.<\/p>\n
Teams in Singapore develop and manufacture Dyson Hyperdymium motors for global products. The X020, the pioneering generation of these motors, was developed here in 1999 due to James Dyson\u2019s dissatisfaction with existing motor technology. Manufacturing began in 2004, and Dyson continues to develop these core technologies in Singapore.<\/p>\n
In 2012, Dyson opened its Singapore Advanced Manufacturing (SAM) centre to develop next-generation motor technologies. SAM has since expanded from two to eight production lines, with 300 autonomous robots producing a Dyson motor every 2.6 seconds. To date, Dyson has produced approximately 100 million motors in Singapore.<\/p>\n
The James Dyson Foundation, Dyson\u2019s charity arm, is also heavily invested in Singapore\u2019s design, engineering and STEM education through collaborations with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and local tertiary institutions such as the Singapore University of Technology and\u00a0Design (SUTD) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU).<\/p>\n
3. GlobalFoundries<\/h2>\n\nThe WEF recently designated GlobalFoundries\u2019 300mm fab in Singapore as part of the Global Lighthouse Network of advanced manufacturers.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
GlobalFoundries (GF), a 2009 AMD spin-off, acquired Chartered Semiconductor in Singapore, later selling one of its five fabs there by 2019, retaining 200mm and 300mm processes. In 2023, GF opened a S$5 billion expansion fab in Singapore, creating 1,000 jobs, 95% technical. This 23,000m2<\/sup> facility will boost Singapore\u2019s annual wafer capacity to 1.5 million (300mm equivalent) at full production.<\/p>\nTan Yew Kong, SVP and GM, APAC Manufacturing and Singapore site, GlobalFoundries, highlights Singapore\u2019s critical role in GF\u2019s global supply chain flexibility and security. With manufacturing sites across Asia, the U.S., and Europe, GF ensures the timely delivery of semiconductor chips.<\/p>\n
GF Singapore spearheads Industry 4.0 solutions like AI, Machine Learning, and generative AI for wafer defect recognition and predictive tool maintenance, reducing human hours and maximizing efficiency. These solutions are scalable across GF sites, modernising jobs and attracting younger talent.<\/p>\n
Another Singapore-developed highlight is the Factory Control Tower (FCT), a virtual system monitoring global production processes, performance, and tool uptime, providing 24\/7 remote support.<\/p>\n
4. Google<\/h2>\n\nBen King, Managing Director, Google Singapore at the Safer with Google 2025 event.<\/p>\n
Photo: Google<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Since 2007, Google Singapore has expanded from 24 to over 3,000 employees, establishing an engineering team in 2016, reflecting Singapore\u2019s tech innovation hub role. Google localises products for Singaporean culture.<\/p>\n
In 2009, Singapore became the first country with public transport and real-time traffic on Google Maps, and Google Street View arrived, later documenting hawker centres and offering AR experiences with the Singapore Tourism Board. In 2016, Google introduced Android Pay, making Singapore the first in Asia to offer mobile payments, followed by Google Pay. In 2020, Singapore became the first in Southeast Asia to offer the new all-in-one Google Pay (and soon integrated it with local banks via PayNow).<\/p>\n
Google\u2019s first Singapore data centre opened in 2013, the first in Southeast Asia. Now with four facilities, Google\u2019s total investment is US$5 billion, delivering AI benefits. Launched in 2020, Skills Ignition SG, a joint program with the Singapore government, and Google Career Certificates help jobseekers develop digital skills, with 13,000 scholarships extended to 29 organisations.<\/p>\n
5. HP<\/h2>\n\nHP Chief Commercial Officer Mr Dave McQuarrie speaking at the tech company’s Singapore office during the launch of Garage 2.0, an initiative by HP to support AI start-ups, Oct 6, 2025.<\/p>\n
Photo: HP Singapore<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
HP, celebrating its 55th anniversary in Singapore in 2025, began operations in 1969 with a regional office and opened its first factory in 1970 for computer core memories. A 1975 factory produced calculators, semiconductors, and magnetics.<\/p>\n
In 2017, HP\u2019s Ink Supplies Operations established the Smart Manufacturing Applications and Research Centre (SMARC) in Singapore.<\/p>\n
In 2022, HP partnered with SkillsFuture Singapore as a SkillsFuture Queen Bee to enhance sustainable manufacturing and procurement skills in the industry. Collaborating with the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM), HP launched 15 new courses. HP mentors local SMEs, assisting with business transformation and Proof-of-Concept creation, fostering community innovation. To date, as a SkillsFuture Queen Bee, HP has supported over 55 enterprises and 800 learners, developing talent for Singapore\u2019s resilient workforce.<\/p>\n
6. Infineon Technologies<\/h2>\n\nFile Photo: The Infineon Technologies building in Kallang, 1 Dec 2020.<\/p>\n
Photo: The Straits Times<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Established in Singapore since 1970, its IC Design Centre, opened in the early 1990s, now employs over 300 research scientists and engineers, and 200 IC designers. In 2005, Infineon opened its Asia Pacific Headquarters in Kallang, employing approximately 2,350 staff.<\/p>\n
Key initiatives driven from Singapore include: transforming production through advanced manufacturing and up-skilling workers since 2011; fostering a vibrant local ecosystem via the Infineon Co-Innovation Program and its first Co-Innovation Space for start-ups; and transforming work processes by incorporating AI into all functions, especially non-manufacturing, since 2020.<\/p>\n
Infineon aims for productivity gains in backend manufacturing, bucking the trend of shifting labour-intensive work to low-cost areas. By challenging and up-skilling its workforce, Singapore has become a hub for advanced manufacturing innovations scaled globally.<\/p>\n
Infineon also seeks new use cases in a dynamic market. Its co-innovation program helps start-ups achieve quicker time to market, enhanced performance, and reduced costs and size using Infineon\u2019s semiconductor solutions. Start-ups benefit from Infineon\u2019s global resources, network, and product ramp-up experience.<\/p>\n
Infineon has broadened its AI and ML application to include supply chain, finance, and HR, focusing on digital transformation and data-driven decision-making using AI and Gen AI.<\/p>\n