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To continue attracting investments that create good jobs, EDB will partner companies to accelerate transformation of manufacturing plants into best-in-class operations.
Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB) secured investment commitments in 2025 that are expected to create 15,700 jobs over the next five years, even as companies globally contend with geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, and rapid technological change. Human Resources Online attended EDB’s 2025 Year in Review, which outlined how Singapore will continue to position itself as a trusted hub for business and talent.
Jobs driven by services, manufacturing, and innovation
Job creation in 2025 was led by the services sector, which accounted for 40% of committed roles, followed by manufacturing at 37%, and R&D and innovation at 23%. The majority of these positions are professional, manager, executive, and technician (PMET) roles.
About two-thirds of the jobs committed are expected to offer a gross monthly wage above S$5,000.
In services, roles are increasingly shaped by trends such as automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and sustainability. New positions include Product Manager, Data Scientist, and Sustainability Specialist, as well as roles such as Strategic Planning & Operations Manager and Business Analyst.
Manufacturing continued to offer clear career pathways as Singapore attracted advanced manufacturing facilities producing high-value products across industries. Roles coming onstream include Manufacturing Technician, Test Engineer, Process Engineer, Production Supervisor, and Quality Assurance Manager.
R&D and innovation roles spanned activities from research to product development and commercialisation. These included positions such as AI Research Scientist, Robotics Engineer, UI/UX Designer, and Process Innovation Consultant.
Investment commitments held steady amid global volatility
In 2025, EDB secured investment commitments that were broadly in line with recent years, even as businesses faced a volatile global environment.
As companies looked for stable and well-connected hubs to manage disruption and support long-term growth, EDB worked with other government agencies to strengthen Singapore’s value proposition, focusing on speed to market, access to talent, and innovation partnerships.
The economy also proved more resilient than expected, contributing to stronger-than-anticipated growth for Singapore. Fixed Asset Investment (FAI) commitments reached S$14.2bn, while Total Business Expenditure (TBE) amounted to S$8.9bn. When realised over the next five years, these investments are expected to contribute S$18bn in value-added.
Manufacturers expanded production and innovation activities to strengthen global business resilience and serve Southeast Asia’s fast-growing markets.
At the same time, established and new companies set up headquarters and regional hub functions in Singapore, using the city-state as a base for expansion. Momentum in R&D and innovation projects also remained strong across industries.
Manufacturing dominates fixed asset investment
Of the S$14.2bn in FAI commitments, around S$12.1bn came from manufacturing-related projects.
Semiconductor manufacturers invested in new greenfield plants and expanded existing facilities to meet strong global demand for AI-related chips and server products. These investments also had positive spillover effects on the precision engineering sector. Other projects responded to rising demand for electric vehicles and efforts to diversify semiconductor equipment supply chains.
Biomedical manufacturers expanded capacity to capture demand for high-value biopharmaceutical and medtech products, while chemicals companies embarked on specialty chemicals and sustainable materials projects. Aerospace firms continued to invest in higher-value maintenance, repair, and overhaul capabilities, supported by strong demand for air travel.
For TBE commitments of S$8.9bn, most investments came from headquarters, professional services, and R&D. Companies from China, the US, and Europe continued to anchor headquarters with global mandates in Singapore. Tech firms were the largest contributors to HQ investments, followed by consumer and professional services companies.
R&D investments were driven by companies launching new Centres of Excellence, and partnering the local R&D ecosystem across sectors such as semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, materials, biofuels, and digital technologies.
Strengthening workforce skills and leadership pipelines
Alongside investment attraction, EDB continued working with companies, training providers, and industry associations to strengthen the competitiveness of the Singaporean workforce.
This included advancing training initiatives to equip workers with in-demand skills, such as digital upskilling. EDB also partnered Institutes of Higher Learning to nurture local talent for R&D roles through its Industrial Postgraduate Programme.
Leadership development was another focus. In 2025, 65 fellows joined the second cohort of the Singapore Leaders Network Fellowship. New initiatives, including the Overseas Transition Support programme and Industry Interest Groups, were introduced to support Singaporeans with corporate leadership potential.
Through the Global Business Leaders Programme, EDB partnered multinational companies across industries such as aerospace, energy and chemicals, precision engineering, logistics, and consumer goods. Participants were posted overseas in markets including China, Indonesia, Latvia, the Netherlands, and the US.
Advancing growth areas and emerging sectors
EDB attracted investments in AI, precision medicine, the green and bio-based economy, and next-generation hardware and mobility.
In AI, Digital Industry Singapore secured more than 60 AI Centres of Excellence since 2024, while the Enterprise Compute Initiative was launched with Google, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Oracle to support up to 1,200 companies in accelerating AI adoption.
In precision medicine, new manufacturing and R&D projects strengthened capabilities in multiomics, robotics, and AI. Four companies were onboarded to a national pre-competitive consortium to support the development of diagnostics and treatments tailored for Asian populations.
In the green and bio-based economy, EDB continued building carbon services and trading capabilities, alongside initiatives to support carbon development projects and blue carbon innovation. Investments in biofuels and specialty chemicals also responded to sustainability priorities.
New projects were also secured in data centre hardware, quantum-related testing, autonomous vehicles, and electrification technologies, creating jobs in automation, software, and hardware development.
Building ecosystems and regional partnerships
To anchor leading businesses, EDB strengthened partnerships between multinational companies and local enterprises. Working with Enterprise Singapore, 19 partnership projects were generated in 2025 to support co-innovation, operational efficiency, and resilience.
The Global Founder Programme was launched in April 2025 to attract experienced founders to build global ventures headquartered in Singapore. More than 40 ventures are currently supported, particularly in AI, the green economy, and deep tech hardware. Collectively, these ventures have raised S$1.7bn in funding, with part of this expected to expand operations and partnerships in Singapore.
Progress was also made in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, supported by stronger cross-border connectivity and complementary strengths between Singapore and Johor. EDB also continued deepening partnerships with neighbouring markets such as Batam, Bintan, and Karimun to attract regional investments and support economic integration.
Looking ahead amid global competition
EDB noted that risks to the global order continue to evolve, with fractured trade, geopolitical contestation, climate risks, and technological disruption reshaping industries and intensifying competition for investments. These shifts are expected to make job creation more challenging.
To continue attracting investments that create quality jobs, EDB will focus on strengthening leadership in growth sectors, pursuing emerging opportunities, anchoring high-growth enterprises, and developing Singaporeans through upskilling, reskilling, apprenticeships, and overseas training pathways.
Commenting on the year’s performance, Png Cheong Boon, Chairman, EDB said:
In a challenging global environment, EDB will double down on securing investments that create quality jobs by strengthening existing growth sectors, building new growth engines and preparing our people for the future.
Jermaine Loy, Managing Director, EDB shared:
EDB attracts investments to create good jobs and fuel economic growth. These are jobs that offer meaningful career pathways for workers, and the opportunity to learn new skills.
He noted that two-thirds of the jobs to be created through project commitments in 2025 are expected to offer a gross monthly wage above S$5,000, providing opportunities for both fresh graduates and mid-career hires to grow into more senior and leadership roles.
A steady year, with an eye on the future
Commenting on how companies are responding to the evolving global environment, Cheong Boon said multinational companies generally took a cautious stance in 2025 as they assessed their next moves.
In 2025, MNCs generally adopted a ‘wait-and-see’ approach as they took the time to sense-make and work out how to respond to the evolving environment. This year, business leaders have told us that while they expect volatility and uncertainties to remain, with the global economy remaining fragmented, they are ready to make calculated moves to grow or transform. They would generally adopt a region-for-region strategy to enhance supply chain resilience. But this would vary between firms, and would also depend on the industry they are in.
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Lead image / EDB
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