Balance technology with human potential: Singapore Manufacturing Federation

Source: SMF. From left: Nigel Lee, Singapore GM, Lenovo Singapore; Christanto Suryadarma, Sales VP, Zebra Technologies; Terry Gao, MD, Huawei; Lennon Tan, President, SMF; Alvin Tan, Singapore Minister of State for Trade and Industry; Albert Chan, VP, Inkjet Supplies & Ink Operations, HP Singapore; and Tony Kang, Business VP, Secure Power, Singapore and Brunei Cluster, Schneider Electric during the signing ceremony for the MNC-SME Alliance.

To maintain transformation momentum in its manufacturing sector and realise its goals of becoming a global advanced manufacturing hub, Singapore must navigate the disruptions of technologies like AI and learn to balance the intersection of technology with human potential, said participants of Manufacturing Day Summit 2025, SMF's flagship conference.

Themed Smart Collaboration: Humanising the Future of Manufacturing in the Age of AI, Manufacturing Day Summit 2025 showcased the transformative role of AI in manufacturing while emphasising that human creativity is indispensable.

“The future of manufacturing is not about replacing humans with machines, but about creating a powerful synergy between human ingenuity and AI capabilities,” said Lennon Tan, President, Singapore Manufacturing Federation.

“Through strategic partnerships and knowledge sharing, we are building a smarter and more resilient manufacturing ecosystem that empowers our workforce, drives innovation, and strengthens Singapore’s position as a global manufacturing hub. This collaborative approach is essential as we look towards the next 60 years and beyond.” 

Key highlights at the event included the launch of the MNC-SME Alliance with SMF as the key facilitator and orchestrator. The alliance aims to support Singapore’s Manufacturing 2030 goals by driving innovation, enhancing supply chain competitiveness, and accelerating the adoption of advanced manufacturing practices, and is designed to create business opportunities between MNCs and SMEs, while facilitating knowledge sharing, capability building, and co-development opportunities.

Applied Total Control Treatment (ATC), Lenovo, Zebra Technologies, Continental and IBM are alliance members, together with ecosystem partners A*STAR Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (A*STAR SIMTech), UOB and the Singapore Institute of Technology’s Innovation Leadership Programme.

Lenovo shared their work with ST Logistics, one of the largest logistics and warehousing providers in Singapore, to streamline processes and enhance operational efficiency through AI, automation and robotics. The joint case study featured Industry 5.0 applications and will pave the way towards a smarter and more innovative manufacturing future. 

In his speech Minister Tan elaborated on Industry 5.0. "If 'Industry 4.0' was about generating greater value through automation and data technologies, then the future is about recentring the human into the process – in other words, 'Industry 5.0'," he said.

"Beyond the mechanical precision and automation of smart machines, it is the distinctly human abilities – creativity, problem solving, adaptive reasoning – that form the backbone of an innovative and thriving manufacturing sector. These very quintessential human abilities cannot be replaced by AI.

"Rather than being replaced by automation, workers can and have indeed become valued partners in the manufacturing process, to drive continuous improvement and innovation. We can now increasingly use human-robot collaborations, to further push the frontiers of manufacturing."

According to Minister Tan, Industry 5.0 can only become a reality if various steps are taken. "First, we must continue to strengthen the ecosystem. Our strength lies in (an) ecosystem of which manufacturing is a key part, but finance, professional services, startups, fintech and the likes, come together. The ecosystem is our strength and building this ecosystem is key," he said.

According to Minister Tan, a strong culture of innovation is also needed, as are good people, "not just with the right skills, but also with the right mindsets and behaviour".

At the event, HP, Huawei, Lenovo, Schneider Electric and Zebra Technologies were awarded Honorary Gold certifications under the Green Excellence for Manufacturing (GEM) Mark programme, part of SMF’s Chief-Sustainability-Officer-as-a-Service (CSOaaS) initiative. This certification recognises organisations that have achieved advanced sustainability levels and demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainable operations.

The SMF Centre for Corporate Learning (SMF-CCL) also announced that SMF-CCL and Duke Corporate Education (Duke CE) are working on an initiative to empower enterprises to lead a sustainable future amid the climate crisis. Leveraging Duke CE's global leadership expertise, the collaboration will culminate in an e-learning platform with curated sustainability programmes to equip organisations with the knowledge to tackle complex manufacturing and supply chain challenges, foster innovation and drive sustainable, scalable impact for long-term success.

To further support the growth and development of manufacturing SMEs, SMF and NTUC U SME also inked an MoU to create awareness of training available for SMEs to transform their workforce. With SMEs representing 99% of all businesses in Singapore, SMF and U SME want to encourage SMEs to adopt new technologies; support workers’ training and development; and facilitate harmonious labour-management relations.

Beyond upskilling the existing workforce, SMF is also focused on nurturing the next generation of manufacturing talents. The association inked an MoU with Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Flexspeed Technology to enhance workforce development in Singapore’s manufacturing sector. The five-year collaboration, supported by factory automation specialist FANUC, will promote upskilling and technology adoption of robotics automation through customised training programmes, workplace learning initiatives, and technology development projects.

“Sustainability and talent development are twin pillars of a resilient and forward-looking manufacturing sector,” said Dennis Mark, CEO, Singapore Manufacturing Federation. 

“We hope that initiatives and collaborations like these will not only drive innovation and environmental responsibility but also ensure the industry is well-equipped with the talent and capabilities needed to grow Singapore into an advanced manufacturing hub.”