Singapore launches process industry initiatives

Singapore’s Association of Process Industry (ASPRI) has signed a Private-Public Partnership (PPP) memorandum of understanding (MOU) with several key government agencies and institutes of higher learning (IHLs) in order to accelerate Singapore’s growth as the regional hub for the process industry, thereby attracting more international investment dollars. Already, over S$10 billion worth of investments are projected for the country’s process industry in the next three to five years.

The MOU, which addresses key industrial issues and strategies that will enhance the enterprise capabilities of Engineering Service Providers (ESPs), was signed with EDB, SPRING Singapore, IE Singapore, ITE, NUS and WDA.

ASPRI President James Goh: “Our vision is to transform the industry into a highly-competitive, knowledge-based and world class player that will value-add to the global arena within the next decade. ASPRI LIUP – Enterprise Capability and Markets Development will help us to realize this vision.”

Rapid developments

The process industry has been experiencing rapid developments in Singapore in recent years with the chemical industry overtaking the electronics sector to become the top contributor to manufacturing output in 2006, generating S$74.7 billion (US$51.6 billion), or 33 percent of total manufacturing output.

In the petroleum sector, Singapore is one of the top three oil refining centers in the world, and in the specialty chemical sector, Singapore is home to eight of the world’s top 10 flavors and fragrances companies.

To meet this huge surge in demand, ASPRI is taking a proactive role in upgrading the enterprise capabilities of its members by adopting a three-pronged approach through industry profiling, manpower enhancement and skills upgrading.

One of the first initiatives is the integrated Project Scheduler (iPS) jointly developed by ST Electronics (Info-Software Systems) and the National University of Singapore. This project management tool offers effective planning and scheduling solutions that allows engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance (EPCM) companies to minimize uncertainties and constraints and improve productivity by up to 30 percent.

Another is ProcessCEM Asia, the process industry’s first international exhibition and conference in the areas of plant construction, engineering and maintenance. The inaugural event is set to take place at Suntec Singapore from 22 to 24 October 2008.