Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, recently opened its new East Asia & Japan headquarters in Singapore — bringing together multiple operations across the island to one location to better serve customers and industry partners in Singapore and throughout East Asia & Japan. It was officially opened today by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and Chairman & CEO of Schneider Electric, Jean-Pascal Tricoire.
First large-scale Innovation Hub in Asia
As part of the launch, the Group has also established its first large-scale Innovation Hub in Asia, after Boston and Paris. This hub is a co-innovation platform with world-class facilities, enabling Schneider Electric to develop tailored solutions to optimise energy efficiencies for building, healthcare, data center, oil and gas and utilities segments.
Spanning over 18,500 sqm and home to over 1,200 employees, the hub will bring together software engineers, solution architects and research scientists to work on Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™, its open, interoperable, IoT-enabled system architecture and platform. EcoStruxure delivers enhanced value around safety, reliability, efficiency, sustainability, and connectivity for our customers. EcoStruxure leverages advancements in IoT, mobility, sensing, cloud, analytics, and cybersecurity to deliver Innovation at Every Level. This includes Connected Products, Edge Control, and Apps, Analytics & Services. EcoStruxure has been deployed in more than 480,000 installations, with the support of 20,000 systems integrators, connecting over 1.5 million assets.
To deepen its R&D capabilities and expertise at the hub, Schneider Electric is setting up a Machine Solutions Research & Development (R&D) team focusing on the enhancement and connectivity of controllers, communication modules and InputOutput modules. This team is one of four Machine Solutions R&D teams globally.
Strengthening Schneider Electric presence in East Asia & Japan
In an effort to foster industry partnerships to strengthen the ecosystem, as well as advance capabilities of the sector to deliver better value to customers, Schneider Electric is providing the opportunity to acquire cutting-edge digital integration competencies at the Innovation Hub through its EcoXpert™ Partner Program. EcoXpert develops partnerships between Schneider Electric and the world’s leading technology providers with best-in-class systems integration competencies in building optimisation, reliable infrastructures, and energy management. Together, EcoXpert companies can form a network of local and regional certified partners, to deliver greater business value, customer satisfaction, and sustainable success.
“We are proud to launch our state-of-the-art Innovation Hub here in Singapore. This opening reaffirms our commitment to East Asia & Japan as key markets for our business and signifies the growth opportunities that we see in the region. As the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, we will continue to work towards strengthening the tools and capabilities for our customers and partners to go digital, through our Internet of Things (IoT) enabled approach.” said Jean-Pascal Tricoire, chairman & CEO of Schneider Electric.
Schneider Electric currently collaborates with 50 SMEs in go-to-market operations and digitalisation programmes. It is also working with distributors to set up e-commerce platforms, allowing them to perform 80 percent of their transactions digitally. Through the years, the Group has developed long-standing relationships with SMEs in Singapore, like the Sanwa Group, GP Manufacturing, and Microcast.
New partnerships with leading Singapore universities
To widen collaborations in human capital development and new technologies, Schneider Electric has signed agreements with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and National University of Singapore (NUS) to develop future leaders through educational and training internships for students and the collaboration and development of current and new technologies in Singapore and globally.
Dr Beh Swan Gin, chairman of Singapore Economic Development Board, said, “Schneider Electric’s new regional headquarters and Innovation Hub are important additions to the Singapore landscape and will help more companies, buildings and factories go digital. In particular, we are pleased that Schneider has chosen Singapore as its strategic base to innovate and collaborate with local small and medium enterprises as well as customers from the region.”
As per Schneider Electric’s commitment to becoming fully carbon neutral by 2030, the new East Asia & Japan headquarters was retrofitted at a cost of S$23 million and is Schneider Electric’s first building in East Asia & Japan to use a hybrid electricity power source powered by solar panels installed onsite and offsite. Powered by Schneider Electric’s own smart building management solutions, it is the first office building to qualify for a BCA Green Mark Platinum Award by the Building and Construction Authority for Existing Non-Residential Building Pilot Version 2017.
