JTC welcomed Shimano Inc to the Jurong Innovation District at the groundbreaking ceremony of the company’s new Factory of the Future (FoF) today. The bicycle components heavyweight will join the District’s growing advanced manufacturing ecosystem.
The Industrial Estate of Tomorrow
Manufacturing is becoming smarter and more complex. With the emergence of technologies such as Internet-of-Things, robotics, big data and smart sensors, new industrial districts will have to meet the demands of the transforming manufacturing landscape.
The Jurong Innovation District will play a key role in this transformation. First announced in 2016 by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, the 600-hectare Jurong Innovation District covers the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), JTC’s CleanTech Park, as well as the Bulim, Bahar and Tengah areas. It is envisioned to be a workplace of the future that will be home to researchers, students, innovators and businesses.
The District will play host to factories of the future and companies at the forefront of key growth sectors such as advanced manufacturing, urban solutions and smart logistics. It will serve as a living lab for innovations, where companies will be able to house their full value chain of activities within the District, and bring ideas from laboratories to prototyping, test-bedding, production and distribution.
Master planned and developed by JTC, the District will be developed over 30 years and is estimated to create 100,000 new jobs when fully completed.
Reimagining the future of manufacturing and production
Shimano Inc’s new FoF, which will be managed by Shimano Singapore Pte Ltd (Shimano), will have a redesigned manufacturing floor with cell manufacturing concepts to ensure full integration and connectivity within a singular process and installation of numerous pilot lines. It will make use of real-time analytics to allow for self-optimisation based on output data.
Shimano will also be placing heavy emphasis on digitalisation and real-time monitoring system to achieve a high level of prescriptive and predictive production. In addition, they will incorporate robots and autonomous guided vehicles in its production processes where possible to increase employee productivity and reduce reliance on labour.
JTC’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ng Lang, said, “Shimano Singapore’s presence fits our vision for the Jurong Innovation District – an advanced manufacturing ecosystem where companies can conduct research, design, prototype and develop innovative ideas all within one integrated district. Their new facility is a hallmark of innovation and we are happy to have Shimano join our journey to create this industrial district of the future.”
Creating new Smart Jobs, and Large Capital and Operational Investments
The FoF will be a R&D hub that will develop innovative products at competitive prices for users who incorporate cycling as part of their lifestyle. The facility will cater for studies and test-bedding of first-of-its-kind solutions such as integrating wearable technology with bicycles and use of special materials on cycling apparels.
These will be made possible with their $115 million fixed investment in the initial years. By 2021, the cumulative fixed investment would increase by more than 30%.
“We are delighted that Shimano has chosen Singapore to establish its Factory of the Future, which will be the company’s first intelligent plant in Southeast Asia,” said Ms Thien Kwee Eng, Assistant Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board. “With the Factory of the Future, Singapore will become Shimano’s integrated, end-to-end development and manufacturing location. It will also play a key role training and upskilling its existing pool of local engineers to operate effectively in an IoT-enabled environment.”
Shimano will also continuously develop and equip their staff at the FoF with the necessary skill sets to operate in the smart manufacturing environment. The facility will see existing staff undergoing structured training, and an additional 25% increase in researchers, scientists and engineers from its current strength of 44 skilled staff over the next four years.
Shimano Inc.’s President, Mr Yozo Shimano, said, “Singapore is an outstanding choice for the establishment of our Factory of the Future because of its strategic location, excellent infrastructure, quality work force, and political and social stability. With our most advanced manufacturing facility yet, to be constructed in the Jurong Innovation District, we look forward to creating new innovative and exciting solutions for our customers, which will in turn strengthen our presence as a value creating company.”
