TRANSFORMING LANDSCAPES, IMPROVING LIVES..THE SINGAPORE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD’S(EDB) 50 TH ANNIVERSARY Standing at the concourse just beyond the Salon. Welcome to the exhibition “Transforming Landscapes, Improving Lives” which tells the story of the Singapore Economic Development Board(EDB) through its 50 years from 1961. My name is “xxx” and I am a volunteer guide with the Friends Of the Museum. This walkthrough will take about 40 minutes. This way please... Walk visitors to the framed Chinese calligraphy, near the exit of the history gallery. This story of EDB mirrors the story of Singapore who gained independence on 5 June 1959. What we see here is a piece of Chinese Calligraphy written by Singapore‟s President Mr Nathan. The four characters say “自强不熄” (Zi Qiang Bu Xi) which loosely translated means “One‟s strength is never extinguished”. President Nathan was then working for the National Trade Union Congress and helped EDB by gaining the trust and cooperation of the unionised workers. The story is chronologically demarcated by three main parts – Pioneering Spirit in the 1960‟s and „70s Dare to Dream in the 1980‟s And Future Ready, the 1990‟s to present day There is also an area on the second level for us to write our good wishes for Singapore‟s future! 00 direct jobs and 30. This is when the indomitable spirit came into play and young leaders like Goh Keng Swee led the way. This team drew up the economic blueprint for Singapore. This withdrawal would mean a loss of 40.get me a roster of new plants to open every day for the next 3 months” Although EDB did not have 90 factories. . they very cleverly devised ceremonies for every milestone of a factory – the signing of an agreement. half of which was illiterate.4 per annum and the double-digit unemployment rate was to be compounded with the imminent withdrawal of the British Troops. Tang. He had the help of a team from the United Nations comprising Dr Albert Winsemius and Mr I.Walk visitors to the far-end table. nearest the exit of the History Gallery. the Finance Minister of Singapore in the „60s taking a very active role in shaping Singapore‟s future by attracting investments in the manufacturing sector. They produced steel-reinforcing rods for the construction industry. We see here Dr Goh Keng Swee.. the laying of a foundation stone to signify the start of building the factory..000 indirect jobs.6 million. Such opening ceremonies were important publicity events to bolster the confidence of investors and Dr Goh ordered the EDB officers to “. So the EDB story begins shortly after Singapore obtained full internal self rule on 5 June 1959. a study of the organisational culture of EDB: “The EDB and the government of Singapore assumed that the only way it could fulfil its vision of development was to learn from others and its own experience. and to continuously innovate in dealing with whatever problems were discovered to stand in the way of achieving the vision” And this is how EDB set forth right from the beginning. not even 9 then .F. Let us look at an example of this spirit: Display: Photo of Dr Goh at the laying of the foundation stone for the National Iron and Steel Mills in the newly opened Jurong Industrial Estate. Singapore faced many challenges as a selfgoverned country. the celebration of the completion of a building. It had a population of 1. the birth rate was 4. Professor Edgar Schein of MIT wrote in his book Strategic Pragmatism. and so on. In the 1960s. the EDB offered them Pioneer Status Display: Pioneer Certificate The pioneer certificate was an important tool EDB used to attract new investors to Singapore.Each factory opening meant employment for some 80 more people. the very nature of which reflects the direction in which the authorities are trying to steer economic development. technical services.It was a time when EDB cannot afford to be choosy about what type of factories wanted to set up in Singapore. plastic flowers and hair wigs EDB worked hard to establish factories in Singapore to bolster the job market. the employment opportunities and the general conduciveness to Singapore economic activity. The current rate of corporate income tax is 17% (18% in 2009). and even hair wigs. “Pioneer Status” exempted companies from paying taxes for a number of years. The government plays a key role in driving Singapore economic development through the granting of fiscal incentives. engineering services. Shell was the first company to receive Pioneer Status. These factories started filling up the Tanglin Halt Industrial Estate. the export potential. A company designated pioneer status is entitled to the following fiscal benefits:Profits are fully exempted from corporate income tax for a period of up to 15 years. The allocation of an incentive depends primarily on such considerations as the amount of investment involved. Display: Mosquito coils. These generous terms were given to encourage job creation in Singapore. joss sticks. plastic flowers and joss sticks. including those producing mosquito coils. The EDB attracted all types of investors. Pioneer status is would be given to high-tech companies which introduce high-tech skills to the economy. High-tech companies include business entities engaged in computer based information services. . Later. the development or production of industrial designs and other computer related services. The Government of Singapore provides a comprehensive package of tax concessions and incentives to businesses. the technical output. all labour intensive industries! This is an all-out attempt to reduce the double-digit unemployment rate in the „60s. To further seal the commitment of these investors. The Jurong Industrial Estate became home to industrial factories such as National Iron and Steel Mills (NISM) and Sugar Industry of Singapore (SIS). .The Oral interviews here with the late Dr Goh Keng Swee and Mr S. South East Asia‟s only TV assembly plant was born! Coffee packers and graders . Hence SETRON(Singapore Electronics) Limited. The company‟s investment marked a milestone in the development of the precision engineering sector. Heng Guan‟s 600 coffee graders and packers suddenly had no jobs! EDB worked closely with this trading company to find another labour-intensive project which was TV assembly. Rollei also contributed to the development of a skilled labour force in Singapore. Throughout its 10-year stay during the 1970s. EDB. Danabhalan then a young officer with the Admin Service brought into EDB. with the help of its investors started to upgrade the skills of its workers. with little or no education . Display: TV Footage of Minister of Finance Dr Goh Keng Swee AND Mr S. It entered into a joint venture with EDB to establish the Rollei-Government Training Centre (RGTC). In the 1970s. Display: Rollei camera and Bullets Black Rollei XF35 rangefinder cameras These cameras were the world-renowned 35mm rangefinders that had been manufactured in Singapore by Rollei This is an example of precision engineering.000 Singaporeans in precision engineering skills. Danabhalan attests to this „can-do” attitude of EDB and is best demonstrated with the story of Heng Guan Limited.000 workers. many of whom went on to join new Small and Medium Enterprises(SMEs) or started their own companies. became semi-skilled and skilled assembly line workers. Display: picture of SETRON TVS and Worker Did you know this worker assembling a TV was not too long ago a coffee bean grader? It started with a company called Heng Guan Limited dealt in Indonesian produce. Rollei did more than just bring German production excellence to Singapore. a German company making was one such company and here we see 2 Rollei Cameras that were made in Singapore. Because of the Indonesian Trade embargo. This enabled the creation of jobs for 4. it opened a S$39 million manufacturing plant in Singapore. Rollei had also helped to train about 5. Rollei. Through its factories and the Rollei-Government Training Centre. Rollei was a German camera and optics company renowned for its technical know-how and its highly-skilled employees. Today. There is also another Japanese precision engineering company that found success in Singapore called Nippon Miniature Bearings(NMB).And also bullets made in the „60s and „70s by the Chartered Industries of Singapore(CIS). Singapore‟s skilled workforce was a key driver in its success within the precision engineering industry. ST Engineering. . Seiko Instruments Singapore today employs 900 staff and continues to contribute to Singapore‟s economic well-being. related movement and parts. In 1976. Singapore built a critical pool of skilled craftsmen. Known as ST Kinetics today. The story goes that after three years of fervent engagement with EDB. It did not feel comfortable having to buy arms from another country to defend itself. and tools and dies in Singapore. including small arms and munitions.56 mm Ball and 5. Over the years. Singapore was then the first tropical country with bullet manufacturing activities.56 mm Tracer CIS started in 1967 to produce ordnance for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). the company is part of a global integrated engineering group. the first fully integrated watch movement plant in Singapore. through training and hard-earned experience. Display:10 rounds of 5. Seiko‟s management was finally persuaded to visit Singapore. Display of Seiko mechanical stopwatches made by Singapore Time and Lee Kuan Yew’s Seiko Watch We see here the first Seiko mechanical stop watches and also a Seiko watch presented by Seiko to Mr Lee Kuan Yew as appreciation for his support. wrist-watches. Former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew‟s visit to the Seiko factory in Japan also finally convinced Seiko of Singapore‟s interest and commitment to the company. The plant manufactured stopwatches.NMB sells precision miniature bearings to US defence companies with special sanction from the Pentagon. it even manufactures the M16 rifles under licence and many other types of army vehicles which it exports to the US. the Seiko Group opened Singapore Time. EDB went on a mission to bring in globally recognised leaders in precision engineering and courted the Japanese watch maker Seiko for some years. It designs and manufactures military products for the SAF. Singapore shifted its focus towards skills-intensive businesses and EDB was asked to be more selective in awarding Pioneer Certificates to investors. HP‟s investment in Singapore was successfully secured and it continued its operations into the following decades in many other areas. All these were absorbed into the Nanyang Polytechnic in 1992. . an ex-Rollei employee speaks of his encounter with the German philosophy of perfection – “Bitte Langsam” or “please slowly” means the thinking is to go over a job many times to attain perfection. to attain “Meister” status. With that.Chong Shin Chuan. EDB requested for an exception. The petition went through on the condition that it would be the last project of its kind EDB would support. Moving into the Eighties By the late 70‟s Singapore had a much lower unemployment rate and workers were more educated and skilled. This came as a challenge during the negotiations on an electronics assembly investment proposal with Hewlett-Packard. Talks with Motorola also fell through. In this footage. Convinced that HP was an important investor. This would be the real competitive edge for Singapore.Singapore missed out on other companies like Intel that went on to become the world‟s top semiconductor company. Hence there were technical institutes of training set up.To wrap up the Pioneering days we note that is was increasingly important Singapore has an educated and skilled workforce. like the German-Singapore Institute French-Singapore Institute Japan-Singapore Institute. and not be in a hurry to move on to another thing which the Rollei employers noticed with Singapore trainees! DISPLAY: TV Footage of ITE Employee and Rollei ex-employee. . It summarised the recommendations of the study team to make a long term investment in Singapore due in no small part to its work force. CEO and President of Hewlet Packard. MNCs such as Hewlett-Packard (HP). such as the HP Thinkjet. HP‟s investment in Singapore was successfully secured and it continued its operations into the following decades in many other areas. By the 2000s.Moving to the next table DARE TO DREAM Overall. EDB requested for an exception. With that. The petition went through on the condition that it would be the last project of its kind EDB would support. Higher value products were manufactured in Singapore over time. the electronic industry has remained a key pillar in Singapore‟s economy. Throughout its evolution. who led the Hewlett Packard study team on Singapore as a location for its overseas division Singapore‟s investment in training its workers bore fruit as borne out by this memo addressed to Bill Hewlett. STMicroelectronics and Seagate had established high value-added manufacturing operations in Singapore. Singapore shifted its focus towards skills-intensive businesses and EDB was asked to be more selective in awarding Pioneer Certificates to investors. the EDB story of the „60s and 70‟s was one of indomitable spirit. perseverance. Display:HP Thinkjet. innovation and sacrifice and we will now go on to see how these qualities are laid the groundwork for the „80‟s and beyond. This came as a challenge during the negotiations on an electronics assembly investment proposal with Hewlett-Packard. By the 1990s. Electronics Evolution Singapore had come a long way since its Setron TV set days. HP first established its base in Singapore in 1970. HP DeskJet 1000C The HP Thinkjet was the first Hewlett-Packard (HP) printer that was manufactured in Singapore in the 1980s while the HP Deskjet 1000C was the first A3-sized printer that was designed and developed in Singapore in 1995. Micron Technology.Singapore missed out on other companies like Intel that went on to become the world‟s top semiconductor company. Standing by the copy of the memo that was prepared by John Doyle. Convinced that HP was an important investor. Talks with Motorola also fell through. HP had begun using Singapore as a location to design and develop products such as the HP DeskJet. which was manufactured in Singapore in the 1980s. EDB set an ambitious target of establishing at least 25 wafer fabrication plants in Singapore. TECH Semiconductor was set up in 1991 as a joint venture wafer fabrication plant between Texas Instruments. Singapore experienced its first disk drive wave. the hard disk industry grew into a billion dollar industry. We now examine two wafer discs which have to be produced with the purest waters(Newater actually!). and supply chain management. product development. In 1984. and the EDB to manufacture DRAM semiconductor memory chips. Seagate was the first hard disk drive company to set up in Singapore.During the 1980s. and research institutes. Tampines and Woodlands as wafer fab parks. Singapore produced 40% of the world‟s hard disk drives. TECH is wholly owned by Micron Technology. manufacturing. Singapore also set its sights on the semiconductor wafer fabrication industry. . A host of government agencies worked together to designate areas in Pasir Ris. Over the years. wafer fabrication sites. the company opened the Seagate Science Park. it has become the company‟s single largest wafer manufacturing facility in the world and the role and operations of STMicroelectronics have also strategically expanded to fully integrate research and development.Today. Today. Inc. Hewlett-Packard. sales and marketing. At its peak. The conversion was the first of its kind worldwide.. chip assembly and test plant. The facility was responsible for the development of the U Series hard disk drive. employing over 6. Canon. physically stable (no vibration) settings and other extremely stringent conditions. Display:Micron Technology 12-inch wafer This 300-millimetre (mm) (12-inch) wafer contains the first memory chip produced by TECH Semiconductor after the company converted its two existing 200-mm plants on the fly into a state-of-the-art 300mm plant in 2006. and it more than doubled TECH‟s capacity. These industrial parks helped build a vibrant ecosystem of integrated circuit design companies. one of the world‟s largest semiconductor memory companies.700 workers in Singapore. Display: STMicroelectronics 5-inch wafer This historic 5-inch wafer from STMicroelectronics was the first ever to be fabricated in Singapore when the company set up the first wafer fabrication plant here in 1984. Launched in 1999 for desktop PCs. generating a multitude of new inventions and patents in the process. which created jobs for research scientists and engineers. designed and developed at the Seagate Science Park Design Centre in Singapore. Singapore workers were by then relatively well paid with the employer and employee‟s Central Provident Fund(CPF) contribution at 50% of the worker‟s wage.5” and 5. the U Series sold more than 100 million units worldwide. 3. The National Wages council recommended a wage freeze which lasted for 2 years and an adjustment to the CPF contributions which currently stands at 36%. This paved the way for Singapore to become the global business city it is today. Seagate‟s research and development initiatives in Singapore can be traced back to 1984 when the Science Park was first set up. In the June 2001 issue of Storage Newsletter. but he also found love in Singapore and has made Singapore his home. So the Singapore companies found themselves uncompetitive in the times of recession with high overheads. the company‟s first outside the United States. This increase in wages was not matched by value added improvements in the companies. Standing by the TV footage of Philip Yeo After two decades of steady growth.25” drives. Singapore‟s disk drive industry contributed almost 50% of the world‟s 32 million unit output of 2. In 1991. Display: TV Footage of STMicroElectronics Mr Sirtori We see a happy Mr Sirtori who is not only successful with STMicroElectronics. It was a downturn that took place in Silicon Valley US. It recommended the promotion of the manufacturing and services sector as the “twin engines of growth. Singapore was considered “the world‟s disk drive factory”. enabling Singapore to play a dominant role in the global disc drive industry over the decades. The Economic Committee was formed to address the recession. Singapore experienced its first recession in 1985.Display: Seagate U Series 3. The vision was to present Singapore as a country with boundless economic opportunities. .5”.5-inch hard disc drives These U Series hard disc drives were conceptualised. We see here footage of Philip Yeo a former chairman of EDB(1986 -2001) who talked about the recession of 1985 and the course of action the Singapore government took. In the same year. evaluate and incorporate regional food materials into new products for the Asian market. In 2005. the manufacturer of Abbott and BRANDS. Ltd. have also engaged in nutritional research. Nestle‟s presence benefited small and medium enterprises in Singapore. Teriyaki and at the bottom. The city of Noda was chosen as the main base owing to its ideal location near the Edo River. Japan. Nestle opened its R&D centre in Singapore in the early 1980s. Kikkoman Corporation. (Photo) Visitors at the official opening of Kikkoman’s Singapore plant at Senoko Crescent We see here a range of food products for adults and children. is the world's largest producer of soy sauce. which has served as a convenient transportation route to and from Tokyo for centuries. Other companies such as Cerebos. headquartered in Chiba. Kikkoman Corporation partnered with the National University of Singapore (NUS) to open the Kikkoman Singapore R&D Laboratory Pte. Food & Nutrition In the 1990s Singapore placed increasing emphasis on research activities in industries such as the food and nutrition industry. Kikkoman celebrated its 25 anniversary in Singapore. Brand‟s research centre was established to study the effectiveness of nutritional products on consumers. In 2010. At that time. high quality food for the Chinese market. . Kikkoman began brewing soy sauce more than 300 years ago in the small town of Noda. Such a shift was reflective of the evolving socio-economic landscape in Singapore. Its mission was to source. Let us start with the three types of Kikkoman sauces namely: Sukiyaki. as they tapped on the company‟s research expertise and technical services. Soya Which are100% naturally brewed and wholly made in Singapore. it has a lot to do with popular food items you and I encounter in our everyday life. it was one of the largest food research centres in the world. In 2010 Abbott opened its Asia-Pacific Nutrition R&D Centre with the objective of creating science-based nutritional products for various age groups. The centre aims to develop safe.EDB are not only involved with companies that make “hardware”. hence. with operations in more than 100 th countries. In 2010. young children and mothers. The company undertakes research as a key priority in order to create effective products which are scientifically proven. more than 17 generations later. Brand‟s brain research centre was established in Singapore to study the effects of nutritional products on health and brain performance. Cerebos is also well known for its iodised salt. a new type of soy sauce blended with Chinese herbal medicine was released – herbal soy sauce with ginseng and herbal soy sauce with honeysuckle flower. Both companies work towards delivering solutions which address the critical nutritional needs and challenges for infants. Pediasure. The milk for these products come in a powdered state. Similac and Milo (all nutritional products) Many mothers rely on S26 when their infants are weaned off breast feeding and mothers return to work! Nutrition companies like Abbott Nutrition and Pfizer Nutrition conduct product development. And food flavourings. It is then refined and blended with other ingredients in Singapore. is a key brand of Cerebos. well-known for its Essence of Chicken. Food flavour is enhanced thanks to the complex aroma of Chinese herbal medicine and the scent of soy sauce. Kikkoman is still owned and operated by descendants of this early entrepreneur and the naturally brewed soy sauce is sold in over 100 countries. Display: Brand’s Essence of Chicken Every Singapore child sitting for his examinations will be given Brands Essence of Chicken as a boost to brain power!! Brand‟s.Today. These products need strong intellectual property protection and the hence the final products are made here because Singapore is a trusted location for intellectual property rights. In 2007. . This unprecedented product line blends and balances Chinese herbal medicine with soy sauce. Display: S26 Promil. as well as manufacture nutritional powder in Singapore. Yang Sheng Le is a range of concentrated herbal soups. and first launched in Singapore in 2008. with a total production of 87. Milo aims to nurture Singaporean athletes into national sports heroes. aimed at fulfilling consumers‟ needs for natural products and authentic traditional foods. but without compromising on taste and nutritional value. Through sponsorship of various sports events with key institutions. Companies like Nestle keep abreast of the changing lifestyles and food tastes of its consumers hence: Display:Yang Sheng Le As seen here. Milo has been championing youth sports development in Singapore.000 tonnes of Promalt every year. and Singapore has since won the accolade of being the single largest Protomalt (Milo‟s key ingredient) manufacturing plant worldwide. one of Singapore‟s promising young swimmers. The product was conceived through collaboration between Nestle and Singapore-based traditional Chinese medicine company. producing 30% of the world‟s malt extract supply. The Milo tin on display here features Tao Li. It is packaged as an easy to prepare product. There is always a MILO van at sports meets dispensing ice-cold Milo in cone cups! Production of Milo in Singapore started in 1984. Since the 1950s. . Promalt is a key ingredient in the Milo beverage. Nestle‟s operations in Singapore is the world‟s largest malt producer.Display:Milo Another product children in Singapore grow up with is Milo. Eu Yan Sang. .Carpentier-Edwards Perimount Pericardial Bioprosthesis 2.A high-density chip . EDB Chairman 1986-2001 and Yong Hwee Yee. as well as a dedicated upgrading programme with the Employment and Employability Institute(part of the National Trade Union congress – NTUC) and the Workforce Development Agency for medical device manufacturing.BD Unijet Syringe 3. moving anticlockwise: 1. This type of biological valve utilizes biological tissue to make leaflets that are sewn into a metal frame.A drug to treat cancer .To recap so far. then brought to Singapore for processing and sewing. It opened in 2005 and has a significant local workforce. a world leader in manufacturing heart valves. came out stronger from the financial crisis of the 80‟s and we now have to be even more innovative and invest more to attract the best of the biomedical industry to set up home in Singapore! Display: TV Footage of Phillip Yeo. And here are a range of specialised products produced in Singapore and „‟firsts” in the world. The company‟s plant in Singapore is the first in Asia. These are from your left. This tissue is typically harvested from the Pericardial Sac of either Bovine (cows) or Equine (horses). The leaflets are flexible and durable and do not require the patient to take blood thinners for the rest of their life.Fluidigm Dynamic array 96.96 4. „Brainpower‟ remains key and the Singapore government and EDB nurtures talent by awarding scholarships – the EDB-Glaxo scholarship and the A* Scholarship both focussed on the sciences.Avastin I will highlight two of these: Display: Carpentier-Edwards Perimount Pericardial Bioprosthesis This is a heart valve made in Singapore by Edwards Lifesciences. we have overcome the challenges of the 60‟s and 70‟s.A Heart Valve product . Glaxo-Smith Kline Scholarship recipient 1991.The valves come from cattle slaughtered in Australia. As you can see it is a disposable product hence does not run the risk of infection. and to simplify procurement and distribution logistics. including major players such as ST Aerospace and Goodrich. In 2000 BD set up its production plant in Singapore. Rolls-Royce. ·Compact size—for easy transport and disposal. Singapore is also expanding into aerospace design and manufacturing. With over 100 aerospace companies. The company aims to distinguish itself in Asia with its groundbreaking operational and environmental efficiency. Aerospace Singapore is recognised as one of the most comprehensive aerospace maintenance. repair and overhaul (MRO) sites in Asia. easy-to-use. manufacturing Uniject devices for the global market. which were considered too costly for public-sector health programmes two decades ago. The Uniject device was designed with the following features in mind: ·Single dose—to minimize wastage and facilitate outreach to individual patients.Display:BD Uniject syringe The BD Uniject is a pre-filled. tetanus and other vaccines today. ·Non-reusable—to minimize patient-to-patient transmission of bloodborne pathogens. and is light. . Other specialised products we see here are: Heart stents and printed batteries REC cell and wafer The heart stents are developed by the school of Material Science and Engineering at Singapore‟s Nanyang Technological University(NTU) and the wafers produceclean energy from sunlight. The Singapore Uniject syringe today provides a low-cost solution to global immunisation programs for hepatitis B. a major supplier for aircraft engines. one of the world‟s largest integrated solar manufacturing plants. ·Easy-to-use—to allow self-injection and use by health workers who do not normally give injections. Singapore‟s aerospace industry makes up a quarter of the Asian MRO market. has opened an advanced plant in Seletar Aerospace Park to manufacture engines for large aircrafts. and to facilitate use in emergency situations. ·Prefilled—to ensure that the correct dose is given. single-dose syringe that is designed and developed by Becton Dickinson (BD) Singapore. says Rolls-Royce's chief operating officer for its Singapore aerospace division John Horsburgh. with its existing facility at Derby producing another 250 engines a year. . The engine assembly and test facility. SOURCE:Air Transport Intelligence new s DATE:02/03/11 Rolls-Royce's Singapore facility to begin production in mid-2012 ―Rolls-Royce aims to begin Trent engine assemblies at its new facility in Singapore's Seletar Aerospace Park in mid-2012.5 million) in the Seletar facility.000 blades a year. It is the first such facility outside the UK. Trent 1000s and Trent XWBs.000 blades a year by 2018. which will produce wide chord fan blades for the three engines. This will manufacture 6. which will produce Trent 900s. the first WCFB factory to be located outside the United Kingdom. It could eventually produce up to 9.(Object) Hollow Titanium Wide-Chord Fan Blade This hollow titanium wide-chord fan blade (WCFB) is pioneered by Rolls-Royce. Another Rolls-Royce factory in Seletar. The fan blade will be manufactured at the Rolls-Royce Seletar Campus located at the Seletar Aerospace Park in Singapore. It is manufactured through a proprietary process of diffusion bonding and super plastic forming. was first announced by Rolls-Royce in 2007. which would create 500 new jobs. will also begin operations in mid-2012.‖ Rolls-Royce has said it was investing more than S$700 million ($550. creating the hollow yet rigid 3D aerodynamic shape of the blade. Rolls-Royce estimates that the Singapore plant will meet half of the engine manufacturer's annual engine demand. and expects it to produce up to 250 powerplants a year. Singapore commenced on a massive project to reclaim and amalgamate seven southern islands in 1995.A sponge. . Jurong Island is among the world‟s top 10 petrochemical hubs with over 90 global companies. Singapore was able to achieve economies of scale with the co-location of companies from various stages of the chemical value chain. Due to the petrochemical boom in the 1980s.. Singapore‟s petrochemical industry contributed to more than 30% of the sector‟s global manufacturing output. to create a “chemical island” to further develop the industry in Singapore. an important chemical raw material. Lycra Spandex Yarn and a lycra garment 2. is produced in Singapore every year. then EDB Chairman. 1. Esso and Singapore Refining Company. light brown. Singapore had four refineries then: Shell. yellow. with the first pioneer certificate awarded to Royal Dutch Shell Company. Mobil. pale yellow and clear) to jet fuel! 8. Asia received a lot of attention from global petrochemicals companies. green. Today. The Island hosts research and development activities as well. Jurong Island is an integrated chemical hub. We see here many products and by-products from the refining processes of energy companies like Shell. These knowledge-intensive activities are conducted at the Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences (ICES).Bitumen for road surfacing 9. equipped with holistic infrastructure to support different chemical processes. to 7.3 million barrels of crude oil are refined every day and 4 million tonnes of ethylene. By the late 1970s. These are: 1. This inspired Mr Philip Yeo.The Origins of Jurong Island The chemical industry first began in the 1960s. Test tubes of petrol of various grades ranging from crude oil(dark brown. Obi-Wan Kenobi Lightsaber replica. games and visual effects. Today. part of the One-North cluster. Singapore has established Mediapolis. game and online media content design. It will house creative agencies and media companies like MediaCorp.And last but not least. we move into A Creative Chapter: Interactive & Digital Media The Interactive Digital Media (IDM) sector is increasingly popular among youths today. IDM courses were also introduced to tertiary institutions such as Temasek and Republic Polytechnics. Lucasfilm has an in-house apprentice programme. There are opportunities for Singaporeans to undergo training in interactive and digital media. as a hub for media content creation. For the first time. Singapore has also welcomed leading media companies such as Lucasfilm. playfully named the Jedi Masters Programme (JuMP) that trains artists. For example. . Darth Vader Lightsaber replica Lucasfilm established its first overseas production studio in Singapore in 2005. Lucasfilm Singapore has contributed significantly to Lucasfilm‟s lineup of blockbusters and hit TV shows – including work on Rango. KOEI and Double Negative to set up studios in Singapore. (Objects) Darth Vader Mask replica. and Star Wars: The Clone Wars Animated TV Series. Singapore brought in speciality schools such as the DigiPen Institute of Technology to groom aspiring artists in broad areas of film. Many other companies also have on-thejob training programmes for local tertiary graduates. Iron Man II. the studio has a multinational team working on TV and feature film animation. I wish you a good day! st Bibliography: HEARTWORK by Chan Chin Bock YAHOO WEBSITE for FOM-NMS RESEARCH TEAM EDB 50 Anniversary Website:www.com th EDB –―Transforming Landscapes. Home and Objects. We have come to the end of the 50-year journey of EDB. Play. The „80s saw Singapore becoming the hub for precision engineering. EDB with the help of the Singapore government and a network of government agencies will no doubt have to keep many steps ahead to ensure Singapore‟s well.being.Standing at the foot of the escalators.EDBis50. platform area. disc-drive manufacturing. Improving Lives‖ Teacher’s guide STRAITS TIMES ON-LINE FOOTNOTE: RED HIGHLIGHTS are LINKS or attempts at! YELLOW for ROUTING ITALICS for OBJECTS DISPLAYED(to state the obvious) . It will continue to transform landscapes and improve lives! Let us proceed upstairs where you may wish to write what you want for Singapore‟s future in the areas of Work. The 21 century sees Singapore moving into Biomedical Sciences. starting with the Pioneering years when labour-intensive manufacturing brought much needed employment for Singapore. micro-electronics. and creative media technologies. At the top of the Escalators.