Global Business Innovation Programme - Semiconductors: Singapore 2025

Successful applicants will benefit from an intensive 9-12 month, three phase programme with bespoke support from an innovation and growth specialist throughout.

Get ready: A two-day preparation workshop to build knowledge and understanding of the market and opportunities, including cultural aspects, how to do business, protecting Intellectual Property, and support to better articulate your value proposition.

Visit the market: Explore the innovation opportunities first-hand through pre-arranged matchmaking events, meetings with key contacts, research organisations and potential collaborators and partners.

Exploit the opportunity: An exploitation workshop and one-to-one bespoke support from an innovation and growth specialist to help you follow-up and maximise the opportunities identified through the programme.

To apply for this GBIP, you must be:

• a UK-based innovation-led company with ambitions to grow and scale globally
• a company with fewer than 250 employees
• the CEO, founder, or senior decision maker in the business
• able to attend all workshops and complete all activities

Businesses that have been on a previous GBIP (in the same market and/or technology area) will need to demonstrate they have exploited the previous opportunity to be considered and how this programme will add significant additional benefit.  Preference may be given to businesses that have not participated previously.

Unless there are exceptional circumstances, a business can only take part in two GBIPs in any rolling 12-month period (measured by the date of the Get Ready Workshop).

Innovate UK is committed to improving the diversity of who we support. We welcome applications from under-represented groups.

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. This includes making reasonable adjustments, for people who have a disability or a long-term condition and face barriers applying to us.

You can contact us at any time to ask for guidance.

We recommend you contact us at least 15 working days before this GBIP’s closing date to allow us to put the most suitable support in place.  The support we can provide may be limited if you contact us close to the application deadline.

You can contact Innovate UK by email (support@iuk.ukri.org)  or call 0300 321 4357. Our phone lines are open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm UK time, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays).

Singapore plays a vital role in the global semiconductor industry, contributing more than 10 percent of the world’s total semiconductor output, around 20 percent of global semiconductor equipment production, and five percent of the global wafer capacity. This positions Singapore as a critical player in semiconductor manufacturing, with global companies like Micron Technology, STMicroelectronics and GLOBALFOUNDRIES making significant investments in the region.  Its robust ecosystem spans the entire value chain, from research and development to manufacturing and testing. The country is home to major global semiconductor companies as well as small-to-medium enterprises involved in integrated circuit design, wafer fabrication, assembly, advanced packaging, and testing.

Between 2021 and 2025 the Singaporean government committed US$13.6 billion to foster research, development, and innovation within the sector, which in 2023generated over US$101 billion, contributing 7% to GDP, highlighting its vital role in the country’s economy and technological growth.

A key enabler of this success is Singapore’s sustained investment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education with an estimated 35,000 professionals currently employed in the semiconductor sector.

Crucially, Singapore’s central position in Southeast Asia provides easy access to critical Asian markets and ASEAN. This prime geographic location enables semiconductor companies to efficiently establish supply chains and transport products across the region and the globe.

With an existing MOU, technology alignment and a well-established collaborative research and development funding framework between Innovate UK and Enterprise Singapore, the opportunities for UK semiconductor companies to develop innovation partnerships in Singapore are significant.

Fri 6 Mar: Depart UK

Mon 9 Mar: Introduction to Singapore and its R&D and SME landscape. Meetings or visits may include: British High Commission, Enterprise Singapore, A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics

Tues 10 Mar: Industry visits with semiconductor companies

Wed 11 Mar: University R&D centres of excellence visits and meetings

Thurs 12 Mar: UK Semiconductor showcase and B2B event in partnership with leading industry body

Friday 13 Mar: Networking opportunities.

Sat 14 Mar: Return UK

Indicative itinerary, subject to change.

Key technologies:

• Compound & WBG semiconductors
• Advanced packaging
• Photonics & RF
• Design/IP
• Metrology
• Manufacture/Processing

Focus themes:

• Power
• Telecoms
• Sensors

Data Centres/HPC

• Build market knowledge and intelligence
• Seed new business partnerships, develop RD&I collaborations, and identify partners for bilateral funding calls
• Introductions to senior figures and influential contacts
• Raise your profile and stimulate new business opportunities and ideas
• Improve your value proposition, hone your skills, and grow in confidence to tackle global markets
• Connect with peers, expand your network, and learn from like-minded, ambitious businesses

• Applicant briefing – 4th September 2025, 8am-9.30am. Click here to register for a briefing place.
• Application deadline – 6th November 2025
• Application outcome – 26th November 2025
• Get ready workshop – 20th & 21st January 2026
• Market Visit – 6th – 14th March 2026
• Exploit the opportunity workshop – 21st April 2026

Innovate UK will fund and organise flights, accommodation, in-market travel, and conference fees for successful applicants.

Innovate UK will also pay for any reasonable adjustments throughout the initiative. Only one representative from each company will be funded and the same person is required to participate in all parts of the programme.

On acceptance to the programme, a commitment fee of £1000 will be obtained from each participant.  This will be refunded on completion of the full activities (Get ready workshop, Visit, Exploit the opportunity workshop, and active engagement with an innovation and growth specialist) and agreed work plan.

Non-completion after formal acceptance may result in forfeiting some or all of the commitment fee.

Briefing Event Registration (4th Sep, 8am-9.30am UK time)

Appplication form: Global Business Innovation Programme Semiconductors Singapore

Download sample application form (.docx format)

To make a complaint please follow the Innovate UK complaints procedure.