Applied Materials Opens Singapore Manufacturing Site

Applied Materials Inc., the leading supplier of equipment for making chips, displays and solar cells, has opened a key manufacturing site in Changi North Industrial Park, Singapore. The site is said to involve an investment of $60 million and employ up to 800 workers. Even though Applied (Santa Clara, Calif.) is a traditional Silicon Valley company the Singapore site is set to become the focus of its manufacturing operation as 70 percent of its trade is now in Asia. The Singapore Operations Center is Applied's first facility in Asia for manufacturing its advanced semiconductor equipment. The 32,000 square meter facility will serve as a hub for Applied's semiconductor equipment manufacturing around the world, as well as support its worldwide supply chain operations and other corporate functions. "The opening of our Singapore Operations Center is a significant milestone for Applied, and will be especially important in meeting an expected multi-year increase in demand for our advanced semiconductor production technology," said Mike Splinter, chairman and chief executive officer of Applied Materials, in a statement. "With more than 70 percent of our semiconductor business in Asia, we expect 50 percent of our global semiconductor equipment supply to flow through this Center in the next few years as we consolidate key parts of our manufacturing and various global and pan-Asian support functions here. "Singapore is an ideal location for this facility due to its proximity to many of our semiconductor customers and suppliers, solid business infrastructure and strong government support," added Splinter. "We are excited by the opportunity to participate in Singapore's manufacturing ecosystem with its strong talent pool and local suppliers, while working more closely with our customers to advance technology and reduce costs." Applied said it plans to double its workforce at the center in the next few years to 800 employees, including positions for highly skilled workers. The center features the largest thin-film solar system in Singapore, a 400-kW peak system that annually generates 450-MW-hours of electricity — enough energy to power more than 100 apartments for a year. This system uses 5.7 square meter solar panels, the most powerful in the world, that have been manufactured on a customer's Applied SunFab Thin Film Line. Other fixtures include low-e glass curtain walls and a rainwater recycling system.