Singapore’s robot startups eye global market
From autonomous floor cleaning to robotic arms in warehouses, Singapore-based robotics startups are expanding their production and research capacity to tap into Asian markets and beyond, targeting companies eager to address labour shortages.
Lionsbot, a developer of cleaning robots based in Singapore, has expanded its production capacity to 4,000 units a year. Photo courtesy of Nikkei.
Southeast Asia's startup clusters, including Singapore, have long been known for digital consumer services like e-commerce and ride-hailing apps. However, the city-state is now trying to foster more cutting-edge hardware companies in collaboration with local researchers and universities. The goal is to create a hub for the robotics industry that will also draw overseas players.
In March, the government announced plans to invest an additional SGD60 million ($44.34 million) in the national robotics programme, which encourages industrywide adoption and helps companies find markets for their products. The program has invested more than SGD450 million since 2016 in over 40 projects.
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