Pratt & Whitney to open technology accelerator in Singapore, plans to add 16 new positions for locals

The facility is expected to be ready for occupation in Q4 this year, and will involve projects across the firm's four Singapore-based MRO facilities over the next five years.

Pratt & Whitney, a company that designs, manufactures, and services aircraft and helicopter engines, will be establishing a technology accelerator in Singapore, in collaboration with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).

Announcing this on Tuesday (20 September 2022), the firm said that technologies developed in Singapore will be applied across its global maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) footprint. The facility, serving as a center of excellence for technology advancement, will help to accelerate the development and deployment of technology insertion projects across its four Singapore-based MRO facilities over the next five years, it added.

According to the company, these projects are expected to be worth at least S$31mn, and will focus on automation, advanced inspection, connected factory, and digital twin, helping to enhance connectivity and intelligence across the company’s MRO operations.

The Singapore technology accelerator will be located at the Seletar Aerospace Park, within the heart of Singapore’s aerospace industry ecosystem. Expected to be ready for occupation in the fourth quarter of this year, it will add 16 new positions, which the company plans to fill with local, full-time employees.

Commenting on the move, Gilbert Sim, Director, Aftermarket Global Operations Technology and CORE, Pratt & Whitney, said the technology accelerator signals "just how relevant and important a role technology has played, and continues to play, in the aerospace industry."

He added: "Pratt & Whitney has been innovating for nearly a century, and we are looking forward to this collaboration with the Singapore aerospace ecosystem towards Industry 4.0 transformation. The push for digitalisation is underway across our facilities in Singapore, and the technology accelerator will increase the speed and scalability of these technology projects. The mission of the accelerator nicely aligns with Singapore’s push to digitalise the economy."

Lim Tse Yong, Senior Vice President, Conglomerates, EDB, also shared his views: "Pratt & Whitney’s investment is testament to Singapore’s position as a leading aerospace hub and strong ecosystem for innovation. We will continue to partner with the aerospace industry to enable the recovery of air travel and its long-term growth."

Image / Pratt & Whitney [Pictured: a robot that will assist technicians on shop floors, freeing time to focus on more substantive work.]

Follow us on Telegram and on Instagram @humanresourcesonline for all the latest HR and manpower news from around the region!