Insider Brief
- Singapore will allocate $37 billion through 2030 to research, innovation and enterprise, with quantum technology identified as a strategic priority.
- The funding marks a 32 percent increase over the previous plan and represents the country’s largest research investment since 1991, amounting to about 1 percent of GDP annually.
- Singapore’s quantum push includes hosting Quantinuum’s most powerful system outside the U.S. and expanding global partnerships to anchor high-value supply chain activity in the city-state.
- Photo by cegoh on Pixabay
Singapore is directing a share of a newly approved $37 billion research budget toward quantum technology, positioning the field as a pillar of its long-term economic strategy.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that the funding, allocated through the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2030 plan, will support emerging sectors including quantum technology and decarbonization solutions, according to The Strait Times.. The $37 billion package, first announced in December 2025 by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, marks the largest injection into research, innovation and enterprise since 1991 and represents a 32 percent increase over the previous $28 billion plan, the newspaper reported.
Quantum technology, which applies the laws of physics that govern atoms and subatomic particles to build new types of computers, sensors and secure communication systems, was singled out by Wong as an area where Singapore made “an early and deliberate bet,” The Strait Times reported.
In 2007, Singapore established the Centre for Quantum Technologies at the National University of Singapore, when much of the work in the field remained theoretical. Today, quantum computing is moving “rapidly from theory to reality,” with potential implications for finance, logistics, drug discovery and cybersecurity, Wong said, according to The Strait Times.
The prime minister framed quantum as part of a broader effort to anchor critical segments of global supply chains in the city-state. Because Singapore’s research and development spending will remain modest compared with larger economies, investments must be “disciplined, focused and strategic,” directed at areas where the country has clear strengths and can make a measurable impact, Wong said, as reported by The Strait Times.
The government plans to maintain annual public research spending at roughly 1 percent of gross domestic product through 2030, putting Singapore on par with other small advanced economies such as Sweden and Denmark, The Strait Times reported.
Hosting Advanced Quantum Systems
Singapore’s push into quantum is already attracting global firms. Supercomputing company Quantinuum has established operations in the country and plans to host its latest quantum computer there. When installation is completed in 2026, Singapore will become the first country outside the United States to host Quantinuum’s most powerful system, according to The Strait Times.
“This will give our researchers and companies, including a few home-grown startups, direct access to cutting-edge quantum compute and opportunities to work on meaningful projects,” Wong said, as reported by The Strait Times.
The Republic is also drawing high-profile researchers and partnerships. A quantum computing start-up co-founded by Nobel laureate Professor John Martinis is collaborating with local researchers, The Strait Times reported, signaling Singapore’s intent to combine public research institutions with private-sector expertise.
“They are developing novel components to advance the performance of quantum computers, using state-of-the-art semiconductor processes,” Wong said, according to The Strait Times. “They chose Singapore because of the unique combination of our strengths in advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, and frontier quantum research.”
Wong added the country aims to be a place where “activities with high knowledge content and strong spillovers take place,” referring to industries that generate broader economic benefits through technological progress and workforce development. Quantum technology fits that model, as advances in computing and secure communications could influence sectors ranging from manufacturing to financial services.
Broader Research Agenda
While quantum is a highlighted growth area, the government has placed it within a broader research framework. The largest share of the RIE 2030 funding — 29 percent, or $10.8 billion — will be directed into four domains that remain unchanged from the prior plan: human health and potential; manufacturing, trade and connectivity; urban solutions and sustainability; and smart nation and the digital economy, The Strait Times reported.
Quantum research is expected to intersect with several of these domains, particularly manufacturing and digital infrastructure. Advanced quantum computers could, in time, help design new materials or optimize supply chains, while quantum communication systems promise more secure data transmission.
Singapore’s strategy builds on earlier bets in semiconductors, aerospace and biomedical sciences, where targeted public investments helped establish industry clusters. By building leadership in key areas of growth, Wong said, Singapore can shape where innovation and value creation occur, creating higher-skilled jobs and new opportunities for its workforce, according to The Strait Times.
