Past Meetings/ Events

The inaugural A*STAR SERC - Avionics & Satcom Workshop 2010 was held on 15 July 2010. The Workshop was jointly organized by the Institute for Infocomm Research & A*STAR Aerospace Programme, and is supported by EDB. The aim of this workshop was to gather industry players in the Avionics & Satcom industry in Singapore to discuss their current and future technology needs so as to create a thriving Avionics and Satcom cluster in Singapore. The speakers presented on the Avionics cluster from different perspectives and gave their insights as to what the future holds for the Avionics and Satcom cluster in Singapore, including the R&D offerings from A*STAR institutes. A key part of the session was the roundtable discussion cum networking lunch with sharing on the latest information from both the public and private sector. 50 guests were specially invited to be in attendance at this unique workshop.

Welcoming Everybody: A*STAR I2R Deputy Director, Mr. Gavin Ang, sharing on the latest highlights in the Avionics industry.

Extensive Coverage by Workshop: Some 50 top experts of the Avionics industry learning the latest information from our speakers.

A*STAR Aerospace Technology Leadership Forum
Theme: The Next Decade Technology Strategies for the Aerospace Industry and Their Impact
Date: 1 February 2010 (Monday)
Time: 09:00 am to 12:30 pm
Venue: Raffles City Convention and Exhibition Centre (Swissotel Hotel), Singapore

The 2010 A*STAR Aerospace Technology Leadership Forum was held on 1 Feb, 2010 at the Raffles City Convention Centre. 300 guests, comprising of technology and key thought leaders, were specially invited to be in attendance at this unique forum. This rare opportunity to hear from global leaders in the aviation industry was clearly reflected in the exceptional turnout and lively exchanges that took place during the forum. Delegates were treated to strategic insights of companies such as Boeing and EADS as well as assessment of technology challenges faced by both MNCs and SMEs within the aviation industry.

Many delegates had expressed their continued support for such a forum, indicating that A*STAR's Aerospace Programme is a well poised platform to bring MNCs and SMEs together through aviation technology. To bring the forum to a close, a sumptuous lunch was prepared for all the delegates and complimentary passes to the Singapore Airshow were also presented to all participants.

Distinguished Speakers of the Aerospace Technology Leadership Forum (Left to Right)
(1) Mr. Sia Kheng Yok, Director Transport Engineering, EDB (2) Dr. Fassi Kafyeke, Director, Strategic Technology, Bombardier Aerospace, (3) Dr. Hamid Mughal, EVP, Manufacturing Engineering, Rolls Royce, (4) Dr. Jean J. Botti, Chief Technical Officer, EADS, (5) Mr. Chow Kok Wa (Moderator), Divisional VP, Engineering, Singapore Airlines, (6) Dr. Matthew Ganz, VP & GM, Boeing Research & Technology, Boeing, (7) Mr. Bennett Croswell,VP, Advanced Programs & Technology, Pratt and Whitney and (8) Mr. Mervyn Sirisena, Senior Vice President, Engineering, Singapore Airlines.

Mr. Sia Kheng Yok, Director, Transport Engineering, Economic Development Board, presented "Singapore's Role in Aerospace R&D".

Participants sharing ideas during networking session.

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8 New Members Join the A*STAR Aerospace Programme
18-19 February 2009

Membership to the A*STAR Aerospace Programme totals to 16 today after its initial launch in 2007 with four founding members. In less than two years, the programme has steadfastly drawn companies from the aviation, MRO and aerospace-related industries to delve in aerospace research.

In 2009 alone, eight new members joined the aerospace consortium that is helmed by SERC of A*STAR that taps on seven of its science and engineering research institutes to grow the local aerospace industry with constant technology infusion through collaborative R&D.

The eight companies are BASF, Coherix, MAG Industrial Automation Systems, GT Industrial, IPG Photonics, Resem Technologies, Sunny Instruments Singapore and Tru-Marine.

The encouraging response to the aerospace consortium despite the economic downturn signals the long-term approach of the MNCs and our SMEs to hone their capability and expertise in preparation of the upturn.

Said Professor Chong Tow Chong, Executive Director of SERC, “The increased membership despite the economic downturn confirms the relevance of the A*STAR A*STAR Aerospace Programme to the industry. The companies realise the benefits of technology consortium which enable a group of like-minded members to participate in the development of innovative emerging technologies and overcome existing technological challenges for industry application cost effectively.”

A*STAR Aerospace Programme 3rd Programme
Management Committee Meeting
18-19 February 2009

The eight companies which joined the programme earlier are The Boeing Company, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, SIA Engineering Company, Sonatest Ltd, Rofin-Bassel Singapore and IDI Laser Services. Together the aerospace programme provides an integrated and comprehensive R&D network where members can tap on within to pursue first mover advantages and business opportunities.

Six research projects from the 2nd cycle have commenced in February 2009 on top of the four projects initiated in the 1st cycle during the programme’s inauguration. The six projects are namely:

• Organic nanoparticles erosion resistant coating for airframes

• Erosion resistant nanocomposite coatings for turbine blades

• Laser sintering thermal barrier coating for engine repair

• Powder injection moulding of Ti alloys

• Fibre bragg grating sensor for structural health monitoring

• RFID tracking for maintenance, repair & overhaul

Technology outcomes from the projects which range throughout the entire aircraft, from the body, wing to belly can be suitably customised for use by members. Singapore's aerospace industry has been growing strongly since it started in the 1970s. It has consistently achieved high compounded annual growth rate over the last 20 years, with a turnover of S$6.89 billion in 2007, employing over 19,000 workers. The A*STAR Aerospace Programme is positioned to help companies in the value chain seed and grow R&D activities to build technical capabilities for the future and consequently contribute to growth statistics.

Please click here for a copy of the press release and brochure.
 

Updates on the 2nd Programme Management Committee (PMC) Meeting
24 September 2008

After the 1st PMC meeting 6 months ago, the 2nd PMC meeting was successfully held on 24 September 2008 at SIMTech. During the 2nd PMC meeting, it was announced that two companies joined the programme as new members. They are BASF SE and Sunny Instruments Pte Ltd. So far, the one-year old programme has 10 members. The rest of the members include The Boeing Company, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce PLC , SIA Engineering Company, Sonatest NDR PLC, Rofin-BasselSingapore and IDI Laser Services.

One of the major activities ofthe 2nd PMC meeting was to select the 2nd cycle projects for the programme. 12 short-listed proposals were presented during the meeting. The members then voted on the proposals. Based on the voting results, 6 projects were finally selected as the 2nd cycle projects. The projects will be undertaken by 4 research institutes of A*STAR, namely, ICES, IMRE, I2R and SIMTech. The newly selected projects are as follows:

• Organic Nanoparticles Erosion Resistant Coating for Airframes (ICES)
• Erosion Resistant Nanocomposite Coatings for Turbine Blades (SIMTech )
• Laser Sintering Thermal Barrier Coating for Engine Repair (IMRE )
• Powder Injection Moulding (PIM) of Ti Alloys (SIMTech)
• Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) Sensor for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) (I2R)
• RFID Tracking for Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) (I2R)

Another activity of the 2nd PMC meeting was to review the 1st cycle currently running projects. They are:

• Laser Cleaning for removal of coatings, paints and contaminants
• Robotised Precision Finishing
• Sonic Non-destructive Testing for one-sided, in-service aircraft structure inspection
• Thermal (IR) Hartmann Wavefront Sensing Technology for structural health monitoring and defect detection of composite structures

Discussions on the strategies of the programme were also carried out during the meeting. Members have put forward many good suggestions and feedback. The exchange of ideas will definitely improve the programme and enhance the benefits for members.
 

2nd PMC Meeting on 24 Sept. 2008

Seminar on Aerospace Technologies: Challenges and Opportunities, 25 September 2008
 

On 25 Sept. a Seminar on Aerospace Technologies: Challenges and Opportunities was jointly organised by SERC and Association of Aerospace Industries-Singapore (AAIS) – hot after the heels of the A*STAR Aerospace Programme’s 2nd PMC Meeting. Over 150 participants from more than 70 companies and organisations turned up to hear speakers from the Boeing Company, EADS, Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney, Singapore Airlines, Sonatest, IDI Laser and ACP Metal Finishing. They touched on the future of the MRO industry as well as technological challenges and impacts on the aerospace industry. Critical issues such as aerospace certification and inspection challenges in the face of modern aerospace  technologies

were also presented among others. During the seminar, a roundtable discussion was carried out to exchange information and feedback on local capabilities and aerospace industry requirements. The feedback will serve as important indications to identify the technology gaps and will be useful to guide us in formulating the future development directions and strategies.

For seminar presentation materials, please click here.
 

Updates on the 1st Programme Management Committee (PMC) Meeting
18 February 2008

The 1st PMC meeting held on 18 February congregated once again, the four aerospace giants and core members of the Aerospace Consortium – The Boeing Company, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), Pratt & Whitney and Rolls Royce PLC – and propelled the SERC Aerospace Programme (A*STAR AP) a step forward.

Launched a year ago, the A*STAR AP was established to engage the aerospace industry and R&D communities in collaborative R&D to drive innovation. The Aerospace Consortium, the cornerstone of A*STAR AP, was setup to sustain Singapore's standing as a global aviation hub in the long-term with Singapore-made technologies.

In the Aerospace Consortium, members pool resources to conduct pre-competitive applied research, which allows for high-risk projects to be undertaken since the risks are spread across the members. With the key aerospace players participating right at the onset, the time taken from research to application is reduced.

"By engaging the global players in pre-competitive research, Singapore is laying the ground for innovation in the global aerospace industry through Singapore-made technologies. The global players benefit as they have the supporting industries with capabilities in the new technologies. Our local companies get a headstart through the manpower trained and access to the R&D results to prepare them for new technologies in the industry," said Professor Chong Tow Chong, Executive Director of the Science and Engineering Research Council of A*STAR in a press release dated 19 February 2008.

Aerospace Consortium Members at the 1st PMC Meeting on 18 February 2008

Aerospace Consortium members, depending on their membership type, can vote to initiate various research projects, at the start of every year. The selected research will be undertaken by A*STAR’s researchers and their results transferred to consortium members upon project completion.

The 1st cycle of R&D projects is already underway. They are namely thermal (IR) hartmann wavefront sensing technology for structural health monitoring and defect detection of composite structures, laser cleaning for removal of coatings, paints and contaminants, robotised precision finishing and sonic non-destructive testing for one-sided, in-service aircraft structure inspection. Updates on these four research projects earlier voted by consortium members were being presented by A*STAR’s researchers during the PMC meeting.

The Aerospace Consortium also welcomed four new members: SIA Engineering Company, Sonatest NDR PLC, Rofin-Bassel Singapore and IDI Laser Services. This is a further testament to the confidence in A*STAR’s capabilities to develop new cutting-edge technologies for global needs. Members will convene on 25 September 2008 for the 2nd PMC Meeting.