On the 5th last month (local time), I visited the PerkinElmer manufacturing facility located in the MedTech Hub in western Singapore. More than 200 technicians moved between assembly lines and test benches, checking each and every equipment component by hand. On the test benches, the equipment was repeatedly turned on and off as final quality checks continued.
From pharmaceutical, water, air, and semiconductor testing equipment to radiation detection devices, all of the company's products go through a single flow process. Each morning, technicians review the previous day's work and meticulously cover safety, quality, assembly, and final inspections.
Desmond Chng, head of manufacturing and operations for Singapore, said, "Right now this is the only place that produces all laboratory equipment," adding, "The U.S. plant has already closed, and except for some small, low-cost products, we manage the entire process in Singapore. Even products manufactured in Johor cannot ensure stable quality without the technical and operational support from here."
PerkinElmer, which began in 1937 as a precision optical instrument maker, has continued its lineage in Singapore as a high-precision analytical equipment corporations after a global restructuring in 2022. After establishing a local office and technical support organization in 1997, it expanded with Singapore as a key base targeting the Southeast Asian market. In May 2019, it opened its current manufacturing facility in the MedTech Hub, establishing Singapore as a global center for analytical equipment production.
PerkinElmer's Singapore manufacturing facility produces seven core devices, including hospital-use cannabis testing equipment and sensitive radiation monitoring equipment for defense agencies. Most finished equipment is shipped to laboratories around the world via Changi Airport.
There were crises. Recalling the time of the business unit split, Chng said, "At first, there was even talk that this place could be closed. But management decided to keep the Singapore facility, taking the regulatory environment into account."
◇ Strict regulations, strong IP: Why PerkinElmer set its sights on Singapore
Singapore's national regulator, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), oversees equipment produced in Singapore to ensure it meets international standards such as U.S. FDA and European CE. In addition, MedTech Catapult under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) supports technology development, manufacturing, and regulatory response in one go.
A PerkinElmer official said, "Singapore's strict regulatory framework is trusted globally," adding, "In food safety and environmental areas, thanks to Singapore's proactive response to emerging contaminants, we were able to develop new testing methods locally that can be applied to multiple countries."
Robust intellectual property (IP) protection is also an advantage. The World Economic Forum and the Property Rights Alliance in the United States ranked Singapore No. 2 in 2019 and 2024, respectively, as a global leader in IP protection. Chng said this is "why Chinese companies repeatedly fail even to copy a single lamp used in the equipment."
That's not all. Singapore plays a key hub role in PerkinElmer's global supply chain. A PerkinElmer official explained, "As a logistics hub for Asia, Singapore provides the foundation to deliver complex equipment quickly and reliably, from semiconductor fabs in Korea to food testing labs in Europe."
He said, "In particular, by leveraging the MedTech Hub, we can reliably procure high-quality mechanical and electronic components from specialized suppliers in Asia," adding, "This localization strategy is essential to securing global operational stability." He added, "Because we are co-located with other leading medtech corporations, it is also easier to secure engineers who understand the stringent quality standards (GMP) required by biotech, pharmaceutical, and food customers."
◇ Evolving PerkinElmer: Singapore facility as a "lighthouse of manufacturing and innovation"
Within this ecosystem, PerkinElmer is transforming into an "integrated platform" that links hardware, software, and services. In particular, the Demo Lab, where the company tests real samples with customers on site, is becoming a strategic core value driver supporting the region.
An official said, "Recently, more customers have been bringing complex samples, such as recycled plastics, samples containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and next-generation battery materials, to evaluate performance," adding, "They use this process to 'co-validate testing methods, optimize workflows, and generate data that can be used right away before making actual investment decisions.'"
PerkinElmer aims to make the Singapore facility a "lighthouse" of global advanced manufacturing and innovation. An official said, "To that end, we will expand local parts sourcing to build a more robust supply chain and strengthen our role as a regional training hub where APAC customers come to learn the latest testing methods."