On September 22nd 2015, Singapore government announced that they have formed a National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC) to support country’s 3D printing infrastructure. The new cluster was launched by Mr S Iswaran, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Trade and Industry and Home Affairs.

The NAMIC scheme will be led by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), through its innovation and enterprise arm, NTUitive, in partnership with the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

The new cluster will comprise of three additive manufacturing translation and capability development research centres, namely NTU’s Singapore Centre for 3D Printing, NUS’s 3D Printing initiative for medical technologies and SUTD’s Digital Manufacturing and Design Centre.

“This is a key national initiative that brings together all the local research institutes to jointly advance the field of additive manufacturing and promote its adoption in our local enterprises,” said Professor Lam Khin Yong, NTU’s Chief of Staff and Vice President (Research).

The centres will offer research expertise and translate research knowledge into commercial applications for industry. It will establish a joint fund to support these translational projects between research institutes and the industry members. In addition it will also give access to incubators for start-ups and spin-offs and help companies accelerate the adoption of 3D printing technology into their businesses.

Recent developments have seen functional prototypes and end-use parts built through 3D printing technologies, NAMIC will focus on sectors where Singapore has developed capabilities with competitive advantages. These sectors include:
1) Aerospace, Marine and Offshore
2) Precision Engineering
3) Medical Technology
4) Building and Construction
5) Design

Singapore government has defined 3D printing as a key growth area under its recent Innovation Cluster programs. With this, the government seeks to strengthen and expand on Singapore’s existing Additive Manufacturing capabilities as an integrated hub and position Singapore as a world leader in 3D printing technology.