Apple has a strong presence in Singapore going back 43 years, with a campus in Ang Mo Kio, offices at One North and three Apple stores in the Little Red Dot, and as the country continues to serve as a central operations centre for Apple in the region, the American tech company is marking its place in Asia with a commitment to grow its presence in the Republic.
The tech giant will pump in US$250 million to expand its facility in the Ang Mo Kio district, with two buildings acquired in 2022 set to undergo a major upgrade. Construction is slated to begin later this year.
Per the announcement, this expanded space looks to bring “three unique spaces together to foster greater collaboration for Apple’s growing teams”. It will run on 100 percent renewable energy like all Apple facilities, maintaining a tradition that’s been in place since 2018.
“Singapore is truly a one-of-a-kind place, and we are proud of the connection we’ve built with this dynamic community of creators, learners, and dreamers,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “With our growing campus, Apple is writing a new chapter in our history here. Our Singapore teams have played an important role in enriching the lives of our customers — and we can’t wait for many more decades of innovation to come.”
Cook, who is currently on a whirlwind tour around Southeast Asia, with visits to Vietnam and Indonesia, announced his arrival in Singapore the morning after the announcement, where he met with local game developers and select media at the company’s One North offices.
He also visited the Apple Store at Marina Bay Sands later in the day.
The investment news, along with Cook’s visit, comes shortly after the Cupertino-headquartered company opened Southeast Asia’s first Apple Developer Centre in Singapore. While there are currently no plans for a manufacturing plant in the country, it has been setting up app developer academies for the past six years or so. After his visit to Vietnam and Indonesia, where he met the leaders of both nations, Cook said the company will increase investment in Vietnam, as well as explore manufacturing in Indonesia. The 63-year-old is reportedly meeting with Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as well as Lee’s successor, Lawrence Wong, on Friday.
Apple launched its first Singapore-based facility in 1981, becoming the first company in the nation to be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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