A Singapore enterprise, Keppel FELS is a globally acclaimed company with an established reputation in the international market for its versatility, reliability, quality service, timely delivery, good project management and commitment to HSE excellence. Coupled with proprietary technology and critical engineering expertise, Keppel FELS is able to offer quality total solutions to its customers.

A world leader in designing and building jackup and semisubmersible rigs, Keppel FELS’s suite of proprietary rig designs has exceedingly met the needs of the offshore industry.

In many areas, Keppel FELS holds the pinnacle position in the rig building business. This is due to its commitment to innovation, world-class operating systems and focus on sustainability. The company is committed to delivering its projects on time, within budget and without loss time incidents.

The company continually innovates its products, process and system, involving its customers and trend-setting industry partners in the process of design and quality. In product innovation, Keppel FELS has patented innovations such as the self-positioning fixation system in jackup rigs and pioneered the development of deep-draft semisubmersibles.

Its world-class operating system is based on strong project management which has led to outstanding performance in quality; a flexible system of strategic in-house planning and outsourcing which aids the company in a changing business environment; and a very strong safety culture, which is disseminated from top management to daily enforcement on the shop floor.

In its focus on long term sustainability, Keppel FELS has impressive top management role models who are involved in problem solving, safety practices and energy saving practices. The company also maintains strong partnerships with its customers, suppliers and subcontractors, ensuring continual support and brand loyalty. Finally, the company also practises strategic talent management and succession planning where they have identified critical positions and have developed structured leadership programmes to ensure the long term viability of the company.

In recognition of its overall excellence in innovation, operating systems and sustainability, Keppel FELS is presented with the MAXA 2008 Award.

UMC SG (Singapore Branch) is a second-generation 300mm fab of UMC and was Singapore’s first 300mm fab. UMC SG uses advanced manufacturing technologies such as the latest automation and single-wafer processing to spearhead past its rivals in yield and cycle-time. The company is also pushing forward with 65nm and below process nodes using 300mm manufacturing technology.

UMC SG is striving to further its leadership in manufacturing technology with development activities that achieve lower cost, higher yield and faster cycle-time - the three key features of world-class manufacturing. UMC first established the Singapore branch in December 2000 at a cost of US$3.6 billion, Singapore’s single largest semiconductor investment then. This state-of-the-art facility went on to achieve 130nm full line pilot production in January 2004, followed by the first 90nm full line in September the same year and the first 65mn full line in July 2006. In the first quarter of 2008, the plant reached production capacity of 30,000 wafers a month.

UMC’s advanced automation, mature defect density, and competitive cycle times along with its continually improving manufacturing processes have enabled it to be the foundry of choice for its customers' manufacturing needs. For example, UMC SG has demonstrated operational excellence in numerous key areas. The team succeeded in process redesign across different modules in the FAB. It also implemented a rigorous in-house IT system and integrated it for factory intelligence. v

The plant also has a systematic defect review system and a continuous bottleneck review in place to effectively improve operations and reduce any downtime. UMC SG has showcased organizational-wide commitment to driving quality improvements and setting world-class standards.

In recognition of its excellence in operating systems, UMC SG is presented with the Operational Excellence Award, MAXA 2008.

PFSAP celebrated its 29th anniversary in Singapore in April 2008 with the transfer of the latest Surface Mount Technology (SMT) machine, CM602, to Singapore and launched a new Auto-Insertion (AI) platform. PSFAP has successfully manufactured 100 per cent of Panasonic Factory Solutions Company (PSFC) Japan’s AI machines, supplying to about 70 per cent of the global market by leveraging on innovation. This is due to the continuous design of a common platform for the four different AI machines. This common platform includes common parts, processes, software and maintenance. Using this common platform has allowed PSFAP to effectively reduce lead times from three months to one month, resulted in a more flexible production line and also faster and easier expert development.

In recognition of Singapore’s complex manufacturing capabilities as well as PSFAP’s competence, PSFAP now also produces the company's high-speed modular Surface Mount Technology machine, CM602, which was previously manufactured only in Japan. This transfer is expected to enable the company to better respond to customers in emerging Asian markets such as Vietnam and India, as well as improve the sales bottom line of PFSAP by 50 per cent. PFSAP has also further expanded its scope of headquarters activities in Singapore to cover countries including Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, India and Vietnam.

PFSAP has, through its business activities, been committed to the development of the economy and the improvement in the quality of life for the people with whom it works with. It has always strived to deliver innovative solutions that impact people’s lives and change the way in which they work for the better. As a leader in the field of Total Factory Automation and with a brand that stands for quality throughout the world, customers can be certain of its commitment to help them rise to the top. As new challenges arise, PFSAP commits to be environmentally friendly. The company has put in place energy conservation programmes which are ISO 14001 certified.

GSK’s pharmaceuticals business serves more than 130 countries and accounts for 86 per cent of all of GSK’s sales. In 2007, pharmaceuticals and vaccines sales totaled £19.2 billion.

With its regional headquarters based in Singapore, GSK is one of the largest investors in the biomedical sciences sector in the country, with a total investment exceeding S$1.5 billion to date. Its business in Singapore spans the entire value chain of activities from "molecule-to-market" including drug discovery, clinical research, process development, manufacturing and commercial operations and headquarters. Located in Singapore are its Asia Pacific headquarters, Pharmaceuticals Business Unit, the Consumer Healthcare Asia Pacific Headquarters, Clinical Research & Development and Medical Affairs, Biologicals Clinical Research & Development and Medical Affairs, Global Manufacturing and Supply and the Singapore Research Centre. The Company is currently building a new plant in the Tuas BioMedical Park to produce vaccines as part of its Biologicals business unit.

GSK’s R&D Pilot Plant based in the Jurong site and opened earlier this year is its first and only Asian pilot plant. The S$115 million state-of-the-art pilot plant will facilitate the design of manufacturing processes, to bring the latest drugs discovered at GSK into commercial production for the very first time. It involves new process development, process scale-up and process optimisation to handle large-scale drug production. The Pilot Plant team also develop techniques to reuse solvents and ensure the manufacturing processes of the future are greener by first intent. This Pilot Plant is an important addition to GSK’s manufacturing capabilities here, enabling it to transcend traditional manufacturing excellence into the realm of manufacturing innovation.

At the two manufacturing plants, the company has put in place Operational Excellence programmes which cascade best practice tools to all levels as well as a good knowledge management system that provides for real-time information sharing across plants and sites. The flexible pharmaceutical site at Jurong allows the company to accommodate demands for new products with complex processes and there are site-wide improvement programmes that have driven down standard cost by almost 60%. GSK has also developed the goal of being the Vision Factory, which is a clear platform that drives the company’s mindset and behaviours towards continuous improvement. Indeed, in the last four years, this mindset has helped the site to the enviable record of never missing a delivery which has helped keep patients supplied with critical life-saving drugs.

The site has unrelentingly focused on energy savings, waste reduction and energy conversion programmes throughout its operations, applying those same Operational Excellence tools in this area. This has shown that despite a 40% increase in throughput, energy consumption remained almost unchanged. Examples include the use of infrared technology to review insulation effectiveness as well as one of the largest solar panel arrays in Singapore.

For its commitment to sustainable manufacturing, GlaxoSmithKline is presented the Excellence in Environmental Management Award, MAXA 2008.

Driven by a company-wide employees’ belief in the power of science to improve the human condition, the company commercialises innovative technology solutions for DNA, RNA, protein and small molecule analysis. Many customers across the disciplines of academic and clinical research, pharmaceutical research and manufacturing, forensic DNA analysis, and agricultural biotechnology use the company’s tools and services to accelerate scientific discovery, improve processes related to drug discovery and development, detect potentially pathogenic microorganisms, and identify individuals based on DNA sources.

Life Technologies’ Singapore facility manages both the development and manufacture of life science instruments. It recently received an important ISO quality certification, enhancing the company’s ability to serve its customers in applied and validated markets. The British Standards Institution Americas, Inc. (BSI) has awarded the company with an ISO 13485:2003 certification for in-vitro diagnostic medical devices. This is a stringent, globally recognized management system standard that enables CE Marking to the In-Vitro Diagnostics Directive 98/79/EC of products for sale within the European Community. The CE Mark certifies that a product has met European Union health, safety, and environmental requirements, which are intended to ensure consumer safety.

In addition, as part of its ongoing quality initiative in its manufacturing operations, the Singapore facility’s environmental, health, and safety management system has been successfully audited by BSI and has achieved certification to ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management System, and OHSAS 18001:2007 Occupational Health & Safety Management System standards. These certifications demonstrate a commitment to risk assessment of the company’s products and activities, monitoring of environmental, health, and safety regulations and their associated controls, and achieving continual improvement in manufacturing processes.

For MAXA 2008, Life Technologies’ Singapore facility is found to have strengths in innovation, a good operating system and a clear focus on long term sustainability. The company demonstrated a capacity for product development with in-house capabilities, manpower flexibility through multi-skilling and employee empowerment for continuous improvement.

In recognition of its commitment to excellence in manufacturing, Life Technologies is presented with the Finalist Award, MAXA 2008.

STATS ChipPAC’s operation in Singapore has remained an important part of the company’s global footprint. STATS ChipPAC Singapore serves many of the company’s top customers and continues to build on its advanced packaging and test technology, while continuing to pursue excellence in quality. In 2004, STATS ChipPAC Singapore achieved ISO/TS 16949:2002, one of the most comprehensive quality standards in the industry today.

In 2005, STATS ChipPAC Singapore embarked on a programme to adopt and implement Intel’s rigorous Quality Operating System (QOS+), the most stringent quality program the company has ever implemented. STATS ChipPAC Singapore has continued to expand QOS+ throughout the company and has been recognized for its commitment to quality over the last three years. In 2007 and 2008, STATS ChipPAC Singapore received the prestigious Workplace Safety and Health Performance Award (WSHPA) from the Singapore Workplace Safety and Health Council (WSHC), in collaboration with the Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

Today, the STATS ChipPAC Singapore facility features a 594,000 square foot assembly and test operation with state-of-the-art equipment and a Class 10K clean room environment. The operation features two separate dedicated test floors of 105,000 square feet each, in a continuously controlled test environment, and is a Center of Excellence for testing of high-end RF and mixed signal devices, as well as high-speed digital devices.

For MAXA 2008, STATS ChipPAC Singapore has demonstrated strengths in innovation, a good operating system and a clear focus on long term sustainability. The company emphasized leading-edge product and process technology, a structured approach on continuous improvement and a robust career progression programme for every employee across all levels.

In recognition of its efforts in pursuing excellence in Manufacturing, STATS ChipPAC is presented with the Finalist Award, MAXA 2008.