Singapore Investing $30M in 3D Printing

Singapore’s Prime Minister and the country’s Economic Development Board (EDB) announced that Singapore will set aside $30M of its $500M “Future of Manufacturing” fund to create a new 3D Printing center.

Housed at the country’s Nanyang Technological University the new $30M center will be a hub of innovation for students and industry alike. According to initial reports, the 300 sq. meter (984sq. ft) facility will be home to direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) machines as well as bio-printers.

While off the shelf machines will be available for prototyping immediately, NTU researchers will have the opportunity to use the center to develop new materials and processes in collaboration with local industry.   

To help support this effort, NTU will be spearheading a new PhD program to train engineers in state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques. Additionally, the university will be adding a new specialization to its Precision Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Manufacturing Systems and Engineering Masters Programs that will focus on Additive Manufacturing.

To create awareness and get students involved with the new Additive Manufacturing Center, the University is hosting a 3D printing competition that will see top prize winners take home $10,000 each.

Given the finely tuned and extremely savvy business environment of Singapore, I can only imagine that Singapore’s new initiative could make the island nation a hub for the future of manufacturing.

Image Courtesy of Nanyang Technological University