Singapore’s National Space Office has announced new initiatives to drive the next round of development for the space sector. They include Singapore’s first Earth observation initiative to deploy sustainability solutions for the region, more funding for space technology and deeper international cooperation on space.
The initiatives are contained in a new strategy, Singapore’s Space Sector: Next Bound of Development, launched by the Office for Space Technology & Industry (OSTIn) at GSTCE 2025 on February 25.
As a leading hub for businesses and space-adjacent sectors such as aerospace, microelectronics and precision engineering, Singapore is well-placed to capitalise on global momentum and capture economic value in the space sector. This includes using space technologies to improve communications and connectivity services, as well as to drive innovation in the green and digital economies. The key initiatives contained within the new strategy are:
Growing Singapore’s Space Sector
Building on Singapore’s existing strengths in business, talent and innovation, the country seeks to become a regional leader in space technologies. OSTIn will help global and local companies invest in and capture growth opportunities in the region, inject funding to support research and development in Singapore and strengthen the country’s regulatory environment regarding space activities.
An additional SGD60 million will be invested in OSTIn’s Space Technology Development Programme over the next two years to accelerate innovation in satellite technology, foster capability-building, and promote the commercialisation of research.
Building International Partnerships
Singapore is committed to ensuring the sustainable and safe use of space. This requires the development of international norms and an open, inclusive and rules-based international regime governing space activities. As such, Singapore will continue to pursue bilateral collaboration and participation in multilateral platforms, including convening regional and global discussions on space.
OSTIn is signing a letter of intent with the European Space Agency to improve industry cooperation between the Singapore space ecosystem and our international partners. OSTIn is also working on formalising an engagement to expand cooperation in space technology and industry development with the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre.
Developing Space Programs in Focus Areas
Lastly, Singapore will focus on programs where space technologies can make a real-world difference. Space technology presents opportunities for Singapore to strengthen its position as a hub for aviation, maritime, connectivity, and sustainability. Under this initiative, OSTIn has launched an Earth observation initiative, which will use remote sensing satellite technology to analyse and solve sustainability and humanitarian challenges across the region, such as food and water quality, disaster and disease monitoring and forestry and land management.
With its near-equatorial and low Earth orbit satellite capabilities, Singapore is well-placed to support the region with frequent and high-resolution data across a highly dynamic environment to overcome challenges.
The Earth observation initiative is the first of its kind for Singapore, bringing together intergovernmental organisations, companies, institutes of higher learning and research institutions to utilise valuable satellite data. The 15 partners and members of the initiative include international and regional organisations, such as the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, the World Bank, the World Economic Forum and Mekong River Commission Secretariat.
Through workshops and forums, partners and members can develop practical use cases for Earth observation data and conduct demonstration projects to showcase potential applications.
“Singapore’s space sector is entering a new phase of growth, driven by global developments lowering the cost of space technology and growing real-world needs,” said Singapore Economic Development Board MD Jacqueline Poh. “By leveraging our strengths in business and R&D, we aim to develop space technologies that can unlock new economic opportunities, reinforcing Singapore’s role in the global space economy. We will also strengthen national capabilities for space and advance partnerships with other space agencies and companies.”
MySecurity Media is a GSTCE 2025 media partner.
