The Economic Development Board (EDB) plays a critical role
in growing the future of Singapore’s economy. It attracts
leading multi-national corporations to invest in Singapore,
helping these corporations grow and improving their existing
operations through innovation and increased productivity.
This, in turn, creates good job opportunities that offer local
talent multiple pathways for success.
As a metropolis with a prime geographic
location in Southeast Asia coupled with
its business-friendly policies, Singapore
is a choice location for top global companies.
Our country covers a wide range of industries
(manufacturing, financial services, media,
engineering, etc.), making Singapore an ideal
location for investors to gain access to the larger
ASEAN market.
The precision engineering (PE) sector is
one of the pillars supporting the growth of the
Singapore economy. It is a crucial enabler for
the aerospace, oil & gas and electronics sectors.
Today, Singapore is home to some 40,000
companies, ranging from small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) to large multinational
corporations (MNCs), many of which have their
headquarters and R&D functions located in
Singapore.
A part to play in shaping Singapore’s economic future
With the advent of emerging and advanced
technologies such as additive manufacturing
(widely known as 3D printing), companies within
the PE sector need to transform and innovate -
by adopting such technologies in their industrial
processes in order to remain competitive and
continue to grow.
As Assistant Head of the PE Division’s
Machinery & Systems team, EDB scholar Sim
Zhilin works to develop, drive and execute
industry strategies aimed at encouraging
the adoption of emerging technologies and
strengthen the talent pool for the sector, with the
goal of positioning Singapore as a key location
for value-added and competitive engineering
production.
Sim Zhilin
EDB Scholar
Designation:
Assistant Head (Machinery & Systems),
Precision Engineering (PE)
Transitioning to Centre Director based in
Stockholm, Sweden (Q3 2015)
Studied:
Master of Chemical Engineering,
Ecole Nationale Superieure de Chimie de Rennes,
France
Bachelor of Chemical Engineering,
Ecole Nationale Superieure de Chimie de Lille,
France
His responsibilities may appear daunting, but
Zhilin, who’s been with EDB for two-and-a-half
years, certainly enjoys the challenge. Zhilin adds,
“The PE sector covers a wide range of technical
industries and often branches into areas like
design and process software. I like how the
industry is one that hones technical skills across
many fields, with different processes coming
together to create a product. I am excited to be
part of the team that can enable progress and
growth within the sector, and continue to help
realise the potential for emerging technologies
to become mainstream. These efforts would
potentially culminate in the creation of
simulating career prospects for Singaporeans,
which I find rewarding.”
Encouraging talent and leadership development
EDB’s mission of attracting the right mix of
international investment to create good jobs for
Singaporeans means that the country will need
to meet the region’s growing need for top talents
and capable leaders.
Toward this end, talent development
programmes have been set up to groom the
next generation of leaders. In more recent
times, Companies like Sony and Unilever have
set up iconic Corporate Universities to build
up a pipeline of global talent, partnering with
EDB to design and conduct executive talent
development programmes with business
schools and corporate partners.
This focus on talent development is certainly
a key priority at EDB itself. Corporate learning
and development programmes aim to develop
an officer throughout his/her career, particularly
at milestone career transitions – starting as an
individual contributor, to becoming a peer leader,
a first-time manager, and eventually a leader of
managers. Career development conversations
are also enabled by a practice of job rotations,
aimed at maximising the potential of every
talent.
As the nature of the work necessitates
interactions with investors from all over the
world, EDB also supports new officers in their
learning and mastery of foreign languages.
In Zhilin's case, not only did he take up
French lessons – he also chose to pursue an
undergraduate degree in France! Immersed in
an education culture that emphasises hands-on
learning, Zhilin was also given the opportunity
to undertake a year-long study and internship
programme with a French fi m that had a
laboratory in Shanghai, as part of his graduate
programme. This considerably broadened his
understanding of the industry.
"I am excited to be part of the team that can enable progress and growth within the sector, and continue to help realise the potential for emerging technologies to become mainstream."
He shares, “While studying in France, I was
able to immerse myself in the French culture
and be exposed to its rich, intricate history. This
certainly went well beyond classroom learning
of the French language.
“The entire experience of studying in a
markedly different system, new culture and
environment was certainly challenging at
times. However, it was definitely rewarding. The
experience has trained me well; with my fluency
in French and understanding of French culture, I
am able to interact effectively with management
executives from French companies, as well as
trade delegations from francophone countries
including Africa.”
Career development enabled by a practice of job rotation
In the third quarter of 2015, Zhilin will be
taking on the role of Centre Director based in
EDB’s Stockholm office, where he will engage
prospective investors in and around the region
as well as spearhead initiatives to strengthen
EDB’s economic growth strategy.
He shares, “At the end of the day, EDB’s work
is challenging but rewarding nonetheless. It
greatly heartens me to know that my efforts
will help create stimulating career prospects for
more Singaporeans from all walks of life!”