SPRING is a government agency responsible for helping Singapore enterprises grow and building trust in Singapore products and services. We work alongside the EDB to ensure that local businesses, whether they are SMEs or micro-enterprises, can expand and reach revenue milestones. Though EDB is the lead agency for the country’s aerospace industry, we also work closely with them to support the growth of the industry.

What is the importance of the aerospace sector for SPRING?

While we assist businesses from different industries, we maintain a strong focus on growing the aerospace sector. Most of the entities that SPRING works with are precision engineering companies supporting the aerospace industry. There are currently 2,700 companies in this field, and we hope to move more companies into the industry as opportunities become more evident and relevant. We will continue to work with these companies to build up innovation and brand-ownership in SMEs, helping them to break into foreign markets and take their operations internationally.

What changes can we expect to see in the SME market segment in terms of digital manufacturing, Industry 4.0, and automation in the long term?

Disruptive technologies are fundamentally modifying the global business environment, and SPRING is investing heavily in digital manufacturing and automation to prepare the market for the future. We want to ensure that the gap experienced by SMEs is narrowed, and we are working with partners like A*STAR, private companies, and local solution providers to create more modular solutions that are cost-effective and relevant. SMEs that embrace new digital manufacturing technologies will be well positioned to meet future customer requirements.

What are SPRING’s key targets for the Aerospace Industry in the next 3-5 years?

Our key targets are to establish more brand and technology owners in the industry and to facilitate companies’ diversification towards the aerospace sector through capability development and facilitation of partnerships. We want to see more SMEs on-board with the build-up of digital manufacturing in Singapore, becoming Digital Champions to take the lead in this area. Working with a Singapore partner is also something we want to encourage to leverage our knowledge on the ground. We look forward to working with partners and SMEs from the aviation industry that share the common vision to grow Singapore into a world-class aerospace hub.