Singapore expands aerospace leadership with AM initiative

Singapore has reinforced its status as a global aerospace and additive manufacturing hub with the launch of phase two of the Smart Manufacturing Joint Lab (SMJL), a collaboration between the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Rolls-Royce, and Singapore Aero Engine Services Limited (SAESL). Building on the success of its first phase, launched in 2017, SMJL continues to advance the use of smart and additive manufacturing technologies in aerospace production and maintenance.

The initial S$68 million phase focused on improving process efficiency and integrating advanced manufacturing into Rolls-Royce’s fan blade production and SAESL’s Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) operations. This resulted in 18 transformative technologies, a 20% productivity increase at Rolls-Royce’s fan blade facility, and significant output growth at SAESL. More than 200 local SMEs were engaged, generating S$4.5 million in new business and expanding Singapore’s industrial ecosystem.

Phase two of SMJL aims to strengthen AM and automation in aerospace applications. The program focuses on three key areas: advanced AM for component repair and engine overhaul, optimized fan blade manufacturing, and enhanced process reliability through digital and additive innovations. These technologies will support Rolls-Royce’s goal of expanding fan blade production at its Seletar facility by over 30% without increasing its footprint, while complementing SAESL’s S$242 million expansion to double engine overhaul capacity and create 500 high-value jobs by 2030.

AM is central to this next phase, particularly in developing repair processes and complex component production that reduce lead times, improve sustainability, and enhance performance. The lab’s work also supports workforce training and SME upskilling, enabling local partners to adopt advanced technologies and integrate into global aerospace supply chains.

This collaboration deepens a partnership that began in 2002 with A*STAR’s Institute of High Performance Computing and led to multiple joint labs focused on digital and precision manufacturing. Today, Rolls-Royce’s Fan Blade Singapore (FBSG) facility produces all wide-chord fan blades for Trent engines, which power roughly half of the world’s wide-body aircraft.