Thales, the France-based aerospace company, is set to expand its presence in Singapore with the inauguration of a defense hub on October 6, 2023. This hub will continue to play a vital role in supporting the Singapore Armed Forces in maintenance and operations. 

The Singapore expansion will strengthen Thales' aerospace activities in the Asia-Pacific region, encompassing air traffic management, defense, security, and digital identity.

The aerospace company operates in 68 nations with more than 77,000 employees. The Singapore office, established in 1973, currently employs 2,000 workers and has plans to increase its workforce by 50% over the next three years. According to an official announcement, the majority of the new hires will be in engineering roles.

While announcing the firm’s expansion plans, Emily Tan, Country Head for Singapore, said, “Thales is expanding operations here because it already has a strong presence in Singapore. The environment makes it very conducive to research and innovation, we see that Singapore can become the centre of ATM innovation.”

On the occasion of Thales’ 50th Anniversary, Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore said, “Singapore and Thales have a longstanding partnership that has deepened over the decades. Thales’ avionics operations supported airlines in the region, including Singapore Airlines. Today, Changi Airport is one of the world’s top 10 busiest international airports, while Thales’ footprint in Singapore has grown significantly. Singapore is home to some 2,000 Thales employees across regional headquarters, innovation and manufacturing activities. Thales’ technology is also present in our day-to-day lives. Our commuters pass through the contactless fare gates made by Thales on the North-South, East-West, and Circle Lines. The safe and efficient management of flights into and out of our busy Changi Airport is enabled by Thales’ air traffic management systems, which have been used by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) since the 1990s.”

Extending wishes to Patrice Caine, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Thales, he said, “I am delighted to hear Caine’s announcements on Thales’s plans to further grow your presence here in the coming years, which will create new job opportunities for our people. The Defence Hub, the Air Traffic Management Centre of Excellence, and the Scaleflyt Remote ID will take our longstanding collaboration to the next level. It will enable us to deepen capabilities, create exciting opportunities for our people, and contribute to Thale’s capabilities to serve existing and new customers."