Projected Number of Jobs in Next Five Years to Support Singapore's Space Capability Ecosystem
Speakers
Summary
This question concerns Singapore's space capability ecosystem, with Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong inquiring about five-year job growth projections, talent gaps, and measures to address these manpower needs. Minister Dr Tan See Leng replied that the sector currently employs around 2,000 professionals across activities ranging from component manufacturing to satellite-based services. He explained that a five-year projection is not meaningful at this stage because the industry remains nascent and evolving. Instead, the priority is to develop capabilities, create good jobs, and produce positive spillovers for industries such as maritime, aviation, finance, and sustainability. Minister Dr Tan See Leng noted that many required engineering and data skills already exist in adjacent sectors, and the Government will partner with industry and training institutions to build the talent pipeline.
Transcript
80 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) (a) whether the National Space Agency of Singapore has projected the number of jobs expected to be created in Singapore's space capability ecosystem over the next five years; (b) whether it has identified manpower requirements or talent gaps in the sector; and (c) how these will be addressed.
Dr Tan See Leng: Currently, Singapore has around 2,000 professionals working in the space sector. They are involved in activities ranging from designing and manufacturing space components to providing satellite-based services. As the sector is still nascent and evolving, a five-year projection of job growth is not meaningful at this stage. Our priority is to grow the sector and its capabilities, create good job opportunities and generate positive spillover effects for the ecosystem so that more Singaporeans and industries, such as maritime, aviation, finance and sustainability, can benefit from developments in the space sector.
The space sector requires a mix of capabilities, including engineering, computer science and data-related skills. Many of these capabilities are already present in Singapore's workforce, in adjacent sectors, such as aerospace, microelectronics, precision engineering and artificial intelligence. The Government will continue to work with the industry and our education and training institutions to build the talent pipeline as the sector grows. These efforts have been set out in earlier Parliamentary replies on 26 February and 5 May 2026. [Please refer to "Role for Singapore in Global Space Economy and Developing Local Talent Pipeline for Space Systems and Satellite Operations", Official Report, 26 February 2026, Vol 96, Issue 20, Written Answers to Questions section; and "Initiatives to Facilitate Mid-career Transitions from Adjacent Fields to Accelerate Growth of Local Space Sector", Official Report, 5 May 2026, Vol 96, Issue 29, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]