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With demand for future-ready skills rising, Alcon’s Tan Bee Hong and Wong Chiak Wu talk about how a resilient, upskilled workforce is powering digital transformation – and helping meet national ambitions for medtech growth.
Clear vision isn’t just for products – it’s a workforce strategy too. As medtech manufacturing evolves rapidly, the focus is shifting from automation alone to the people behind the innovation.
For Alcon, building a future-ready workforce means equipping talent with agility, cross-functional skills, and the technical know-how needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape.
“Technology is only as effective as the people who bring it to life,” says Wong Chiak Wu, Vice President, Manufacturing Plant Management – Single Site at Alcon, affirming the company’s commitment to upskilling and workforce resilience.
In an industry where innovation and reliability are paramount, workforce strategy rises above mere support to become a decisive factor in achieving and sustaining competitive excellence.
Sitting down with Sarah Gideon, Wong and an Bee Hong, Director, Human Resources - Singapore, Alcon, share their perspectives on how Alcon Singapore is redefining smart manufacturing through a future-ready workforce and innovative talent strategies.
During his tenure leading manufacturing at Alcon, Wong has witnessed a significant shift in the skills demanded within a smart, AI-powered medtech environment. He notes the rising need for multi-skilled talent who combine strong technical execution with the ability to work alongside advanced technologies such as AI, robotics, and automation.
“As manufacturing becomes more digitalised, employees must be agile, tech-savvy, and ready to collaborate across functions."
Since opening its first manufacturing site in Singapore in 2005, Wong adds that the company has consistently invested in talent, technology, and infrastructure to stay ahead of this transformation. This includes nurturing future-ready skills and creating dynamic career pathways for associates, from advanced training programmes to cross-functional upskilling.
"This focus on future-ready skills enables us to deliver high-quality, high-volume output – safely, reliably, and at scale – to continue meeting the growing global demand for innovative vision care.”
With the company’s recent expansion into Tuas, Wong highlights the crucial interplay between technology and talent development in building a future-ready plant, emphasising the notion that technology is only as effective as the people who bring it to life. He also cites Singapore’s skilled workforce, strong infrastructure, and vibrant innovation ecosystem as key factors that make the location ideal for strategic investment.
The Tuas facility leverages advanced automation, real-time digital systems, and Industry 4.0 capabilities, yet is expected to create specialised roles across production, quality control, and distribution management – roles cited as critical to advancing the digital transformation of manufacturing processes.
“These specialised roles will play a key part in supporting the digital transformation of our manufacturing operations. Together, this combination of talent and technology ensures we are ready to meet future global demand efficiently and sustainably.”
Building on this premise, Tan explains how Alcon’s talent strategy closely aligns with Singapore’s national ambitions, including RIE2025 and the Industry Transformation Map. She notes Singapore’s role as a strategic anchor in the organisation’s global supply chain, with the expanded manufacturing and logistics (AML) facility reinforcing the country’s leadership in precision manufacturing and medical technology.
Through partnerships with local educational institutions and workforce development initiatives such as the Talent Advancement Programme and the Alcon Education Assistance Programme, the team works to nurture skills in precision engineering, biomedical sciences, and automation, and in turn, directly supporting Singapore’s goal of creating 13,400 new high-value manufacturing jobs by 2025 to build a medtech-ready workforce that is both future-focused and innovation-led.
To support these ambitions, Tan says the organisation is focused on building a culture rooted in learning, agility, and inclusivity. She emphasises Alcon’s ongoing commitment to attracting, developing, and retaining top talent in line with Singapore’s national priorities.
Tan also shares how Alcon works closely with institutions such as ITE and Republic Polytechnic to cultivate medtech-ready talent and strengthen its future workforce pipeline. The company is a Certified On-The-Job Training Centre (COJTC) with ITE from 2023 to 2027, and in 2024 launched the A.S.C.E.N.D. Programme – a cross-training initiative that equips production associates with skills across various platforms, departments, and functions.
Additionally, Alcon recently joined the Talent Advancement Programme, a collaborative effort involving local institutions, Republic Polytechnic, and the Biopharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Advisory Council (BMAC), supported by the Economic Development Board. Through these partnerships and initiatives, the company is actively preparing local graduates for meaningful and sustainable careers in medtech manufacturing.
Despite a strong foundation in talent development initiatives, Tan sheds light on the challenges of attracting and preparing talent for high-value roles in medtech.
"At Alcon, we believe that both attracting new talent and preparing existing associates are equally important in building a strong and future-ready medtech workforce.”
"These efforts reflect our deep commitment to nurturing talent at every stage of the career journey and have contributed to Alcon’s recognition as a top employer in Singapore and the region,” she adds.
As the conversation draws to a close, Tan stresses the importance of cross-functional collaboration in driving successful upskilling and reskilling. By working closely with manufacturing, HR, and external partners, Alcon aims to ensure that training programmes are targeted, relevant, and aligned with both operational needs and long-term strategic goals.
The company also fosters collaboration and engagement through company-wide initiatives under its diversity & inclusion, talent development, and social impact & sustainability (SIS) pillars, promoting inclusive teamwork and strengthening connections across departments to cultivate a culture where associates learn, grow, and succeed together.
This culture of co-creation and continuous growth continues to reinforce Alcon’s standing as a trusted and sought-after employer within Singapore’s medtech ecosystem.
"Taking an ecosystem approach that blends internal capabilities with external collaboration, we’re building a resilient, future-ready talent pipeline. It’s how we continue to raise the bar in advanced manufacturing while creating meaningful opportunities for the next generation of medtech professionals.”
To conclude, she shares a glimpse into the team’s spirit, revealing the anthem and the values that fuel their daily work:
“If our team had a theme song, it would likely be 'Stronger' by Kelly Clarkson, as it reflects the spirit of growth, resilience, and continuous learning that drives our work every day.
“At Alcon, we believe associates do their best work when they can be their true, authentic selves. We actively shape this environment through programmes like the Associate Experience Dashboard (AED), Development In Action (DIA), and associate-led engagement initiatives that promote team spirit, wellbeing, and leadership from within.
"These are more than just culture programmes; they’re how we activate our purpose of helping people See Brilliantly from the inside out.”
Lead image / Provided
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