Singapore’s research drive shows gains in marine tech, quantum and health

Singapore launched its first Research, Innovation and Enterprise roadmap in 2010, backed by $16.1 billion, and is preparing an RIE2030 plan with a new budget of $37 billion. The National Research Foundation is expected to publish an RIE2025 report covering progress from April 2021 to March 2026.

Mencast Marine worked with Enterprise Singapore and A*STAR in 2023 to bring AI and 3D-printing into marine propeller production. Its automated additive manufacturing process increased productivity by up to 30 per cent, shortened propeller production from up to a month to just two weeks, and cut the carbon footprint of a 200kg propeller by 36 per cent, or 1,743kg of CO2.

Horizon Quantum, founded in 2018, developed tools that let software developers build quantum applications without specialist physics expertise. The start-up raised US$18.1 million in 2023, launched Singapore’s first commercial quantum computer for hire in January, and was listed on Nasdaq in March with a market capitalisation of US$567 million.

Health-focused initiatives are also expanding. PRECISE is advancing precision medicine through genome mapping and plans to enrol between 400,000 and 450,000 patients under Phase 3, while PREPARE is a five-year, $100 million effort to strengthen epidemic readiness through work such as advanced respiratory tissue models.