ATTRACTING INVESTMENTS
Currently, the JID houses around 100 players across the entire advanced manufacturing value chain, including training providers, advanced manufacturers and institutes of higher learning.
The space is set to expand, with Bulim Square, one of the precincts within the district, to be completed by the second half of this year.
“With this new area, we will be able to attract even more Industry 4.0 activities and companies into JID,” said Mr Nelson Liew, group director of new estates at national industrial estate developer JTC.
“At the same time, we are also planning and implementing various infrastructure works across JID, so as to prepare the land (and) make it ready to welcome new investments in the medium and long term.”
When fully completed, the JID is expected to bring in about 95,000 new jobs in advanced manufacturing, innovation and research.
“The objective of Jurong Innovation District is for it to be a one-stop destination for technology development, where companies can come together to learn, to innovate, to test and to manufacture their products within the same estate,” said Mr Liew.
“When they are in the JID ecosystem, the companies can tap on the various sharing platforms that are available to them.”
Singapore-based battery manufacturing firm VFlowTech, for instance, relies on the nearby Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to fulfil half of its manpower needs.
“We are very close (in) proximity to NTU,” said Dr Arjun Bhattarai, the firm’s co-founder and chief technology officer.
“We have good access to professors, researchers (and) various labs, so it is much easier to just get access to them and get the support.”