Homegrown water technology company Hyflux has unveiled its new global headquarters.
Located at Bendemeer Road, the Hyflux Innovation Centre (HIC) will house the firm’s engineering design and technology commercialisation departments.
“These departments integrate the technologies developed out of our R&D laboratories into viable, cost-effective and sustainable solutions for the global water industry,” said Olivia Lum, executive chairman and group CEO of Hyflux.
“These R&D laboratories which are currently located in Hyflux Building across the road will be progressively moved to HIC,” she added.
The 10-storey building covers 400,000 square feet, and was built at a cost of S$60 million.
Over 500 guests attended the opening ceremony, which was officiated by Environment and Water Resources Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.
The minister said the success of local water companies like Hyflux reflect how Singapore has overcome its water challenge and turned it into a source of economic growth and competitive advantage.
Under the government’s Environment and Water Programme (EWI), the Singapore water industry has doubled to 100 companies over the past six years.
Dr Balakrishnan added that since the EWI programme started in 2006, S$470 million in cu-ulative research funding has been committed by the National Research Foundation.
“Singapore-based water companies including Hyflux have secured over 100 international projects worth close to about S$9 billion over the same six years. In 2011, the industry secured investments that will contribute S$130 million in annual value and 460 jobs when fully realised,” he said.
Separately, Hyflux group CEO Olivia Lum announced that the manufacturing capacity of membranes will be progressively increased at its Hyflux Production Hub in Tuas.
This hub will eventually provide more than 700,000 square feet of built-in area for the production of membrane products and systems to be used in projects around the world.
In a year from now, the 23-year-old firm will also unveil the Tuaspring Desalination Plant, Singapore’s largest seawater desalination plant.
