Applied Breaks Ground on Singapore Center
Applied Materials Inc. broke ground for a major manufacturing and operations facility in Singapore. The center will support customers in the Asian chip industry, as well as the rapidly growing solar markets in India and China. It is expected to open in late 2009.
Staff -- Semiconductor International, 7/8/2008 8:56:00 AM
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CEO Mike Splinter said, “Sitting at a virtual crossroads between India and China, Singapore has proven to be a great place to do business with its strong transportation and logistics network, extensive supplier base and talented workforce.”
Lim Siong Guan, chairman of Singapore’s influential Economic Development Board, and U.S. Ambassador Patricia Herbold participated in the groundbreaking ceremony.
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| An artist’s rendering of Applied Material’s planned Singapore operations center. |
The operations center will be a base for Applied staff engaged in global purchasing, sales, manufacturing, engineering and financial activities. They will support customers in the Asian chip industry, as well as the rapidly growing solar markets in India and China, the company said, noting that ~400 people already work at the company’s existing Singapore facility.
The company said the center will help achieve reductions in material costs and cycle times while expanding Applied’s merge-in-transit and global supply chain capabilities. “Our state-of-the-art campus will showcase our commitment to the environment while bringing enhanced capabilities closer to our customers throughout Asia,” Splinter said.
With Applied expected to book nearly $1B in solar equipment orders this year, the company emphasized the energy-saving aspects of the expansion. Plans include installation of what is expected to be the largest commercial solar array deployed in Singapore, low-e glass curtain walls, LED and fluorescent lighting, an energy-efficient air conditioning system, and a sophisticated water treatment and rainwater capture system. Splinter said the building will be designed to meet some of the highest green building standards in the world, including Singapore’s BCA Green Mark Platinum certification, the highest environmental rating for a building in Singapore.
Applied also announced sponsorship of the Environment Education Hub at the Marsiling Secondary School (Woodlands, Singapore). Through its sponsorship, Applied said it will help create a secondary school platform for teaching and learning about environmental issues concerning energy and water.
