Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) will spend more than S$45 million over the next three years to help manufacturers put artificial intelligence to work, under a new initiative called Catalytic AI Solutions, Minister of State for Energy, Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang announced on Wednesday (21 October).
The announcement was made at the Industrial Transformation Asia-Pacific (ITAP) 2026 event. The programme targets advanced manufacturing and forms part of Singapore’s National AI Strategy.
Lowering the barriers for SMEs
EnterpriseSG said smaller manufacturers often hold back on enterprise-grade AI because of development costs, a shortage of solutions built for their sector and uncertainty over whether projects will pay off. To tackle this, the agency is working with solution providers, system integrators and trade associations and chambers to assemble a suite of ready-made AI tools, and will co-fund eligible companies that adopt them.
The initial suite spans five areas: speeding up product and component design; automating the preparation and processing of request-for-quotation documents; machine processes, inspection and quality control; energy optimisation through real-time monitoring; and production scheduling and predictive maintenance. Some of the solutions come from the Sectoral AI Centre of Excellence for Manufacturing (AIMfg). The suite is expected to grow as more needs are identified.
Companies can approach the Singapore Manufacturing Federation or the Singapore Precision Engineering and Technology Association for help pinpointing operational gaps and connecting with vendors, while the Skills and Workforce Development Agency will support AI training.
“We want to help more manufacturers embed AI into their core operations,” said Wong Zeng Yi, EnterpriseSG’s assistant managing director for manufacturing.
AIMfg enters next phase
Ms Gan also said AIMfg, set up in 2024 by A*STAR and the trade ministry, is moving into its next phase under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2030 plan. According to reports of her speech, the centre has worked with 30 manufacturers in sectors such as aerospace, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and energy, and completed 23 projects in which AI solutions were deployed. It will now take on more complex use cases and extend its reach to a wider base of firms, including local SMEs.
She also launched the Singapore Embodied AI Challenge for Manufacturing, organised by the National Robotics Programme, A*STAR and NTU’s PINE Lab. Its first edition features a semiconductor manufacturing use case from chipmaker Micron.
What’s next
EnterpriseSG is developing versions of Catalytic AI Solutions for the logistics and wholesale trade sectors, with details to be announced later. Manufacturing is one of four sectors under the National AI Missions, alongside connectivity, finance and healthcare.
