Dell opens US$50 million global innovation hub in Singapore

Dell Technologies today opened a US$50 million research and development hub in Singapore aimed at producing breakthroughs in a number of digital technologies such as augmented and mixed reality and cybersecurity.

The first such Dell centre outside the United States, the Global Innovation Hub is expected to create 160 new jobs this year in emerging technologies in Singapore.

These new technologies span a rather broad spectrum, including data analytics, cloud services, cybersecurity, edge computing as well as user experience innovation.

It houses existing R&D facilities for digital products and solutions, a hardware prototyping lab, and an artificial intelligence (AI) experience zone, according to the company today.

Of the US$50 million, US$23 million will be invested this year, coming at a crucial time when jobs are hard to find for many in Singapore and around the world.

All new hires for the new Dell centre are based in Singapore and will drive R&D programmes for customers and partners worldwide, Dell was keen to emphasise today.

The centre is built with support from the Singapore government’s Digital Industry Singapore (DISG) agency, which seeks to boost Singapore’s local technology sector.

Dell’s investment speaks to the company’s confidence in Singapore as an attractive R&D location, with access to talent and a vibrant ecosystem of partners here and in the region, said Ang Chin Tah, vice president and head of DISG.

For Dell, Singapore has been an important place for talent of late. Earlier this month, it rolled out a programme with the Singapore Management University to train up to 3,000 fresh graduates, mid-career professionals and students in a cloud-focused curriculum.

They will learn cloud computing, data protection and management, data science and Big Data analytics over the next two years.