According to a report by the Nikkei on December 13, Singapore’s aerospace-related companies are using quantum and semiconductor cutting-edge technologies to develop equipment to be carried on a new generation of satellites, and their global influence is increasing. With the research and development strength of world-class universities and government support, the market size of the country’s aerospace industry has expanded by 70% in the past 10 years.
In 2025, a communication satellite using quantum encryption technology from Singaporean companies will be launched. Singapore intends to become a leader in the application of quantum encryption communication satellites and will establish the world’s most advanced encryption system to encrypt information of confidential data in the security and financial fields internationally without passing through a third country.
The communication equipment carried on the satellite was developed by the venture company SpeQtral. Researchers at the Center for Quantum Technology at the National University of Singapore founded the company in 2017. The company has attracted attention for its encryption technology called quantum key distribution and plans to launch in cooperation with British research institutions and others.
Singapore, a financial country, is promoting research on quantum encryption communications related to blockchain.
Robert Beddington, chief technology officer of SpeQtral, said: “Our technology is also at the forefront of the world.” They will also work with Toshiba’s subsidiaries to develop government agencies and corporate customers.
The country’s space industry is supported by universities ranked around the top 10 in the world, such as the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University.
Lin Weisen, executive director of the Satellite Research Center of Nanyang Technological University, pointed out: “At present, we often think about how to apply research to commercial activities.”
Focusing on technology development in suitable fields is also the reason why cutting-edge companies gather. The leading role is played by the Singapore Space Technology and Industry Agency.
Jonathan Han, secretary-general of the agency, said: “Competition in the space industry is very fierce. We hope to achieve applications in competitive research fields such as electronic engineering, precision engineering and information communication.” Technologies that support “sustainability” and communication technologies related to “connectivity” that enable long-term use of satellites are regarded as key areas.
The government will allocate 150 million Singapore dollars (about 111.32 million US dollars) to support private enterprise research and development. The aim is to build an ecosystem for space-related research in the country and attract talents in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from all over the world.
There are already 70 companies in Singapore involved in the space-related industry.
In the aviation field, Singapore once focused on repair and maintenance, and built itself into an industry that undertakes 10% of the world’s workload.
In terms of space business, it also creates world-class technologies in specific fields and cultivates related industries. The GDP of the aerospace industry will reach S$15.3 billion in 2023, an increase of 70% from 2013. As a small country, Singapore accounts for a few percent of the world’s aerospace GDP.
Value Creation Innovation has developed ground-to-satellite communication equipment that can operate 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. Customers include Capella Space, a US satellite operation company, and QPS Research Institute, a Japanese company engaged in the development and operation of small artificial satellites.
Through geostationary satellites located at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers, multiple low-orbit satellites orbiting the earth can transmit data, making real-time communication with the ground possible. 22 satellites carrying the equipment have been launched, and another 22 are planned to be launched in the future.
In the field of satellite sustainability, the zero-error system established in 2019 by a doctoral student in electrical and electronic engineering at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, is very reliable. They will also design and produce semiconductor integrated circuit devices that can withstand large amounts of radiation in space.
Its unique structure developed independently is an advantage, and has been used in nuclear reactor operation robots abroad. Small satellites that used to have a lifespan of only about three years can now be extended to nine years.
A venture capital company under Airbus in Europe quickly decided to invest and start selling this integrated circuit from 2023.
The CEO of Value Creation said confidently: “We already have a system that can be sold worldwide.”
McKinsey & Company in the United States predicts that the global space business market will reach $1.8 trillion in 2035, about three times the size of 2023.
The report said that although this is a potential field, the conflict between the United States, Europe and other countries and Russia is one of the unfavorable factors.
Japan and the United States restrict transactions with Russia. Singapore has not set export restrictions, but many companies said: “There is currently no business dealings with Russia. This is a self-restriction for doing business in Europe and the United States.”
The report believes that in the future, new regulations and changes in rules such as tariffs may affect business.