Apple CEO Tim Cook has announced plans to increase investment in the Ang Mo Kio campus, eyeing to expand the AI talent pool of the country.
Cook's Southeast Asia has brought him to Singapore, where he met with Prime Minister-elect Lawrence Wong to discuss further collaboration between the company and the state.
Wong highlights the roots of this partnership can be dated back to the 1980s when Singapore manufactured Apple II PCs. Over the decades, the relationship has grown stronger, with Singapore now serving as a key hub for Apple in the Asia-Pacific region.
AI talent expansion
The renovation of the Ang Mo Kio campus will see Apple injecting a US$250 million investment. The campus is said to be located in the northeast of Singapore, where the iPhone maker acquired two buildings in 2022.
The Straits Times anticipates that the refurbished campus will create hundreds of job opportunities, particularly in AI.
In December 2023, Wong announced Singapore's AI Strategy 2.0(NAIS 2.0), aimed at nurturing local talent while attracting expertise from overseas. The strategy aims to double the number of AI professionals, including machine learning (ML) experts and engineers, to 15,000.
Cook described Singapore as a unique place, noting that Apple is entering a new chapter with the expansion of the campus. Singapore serves as Apple's operational center and plays a crucial role in hardware, software, services, and support, boasting three retail stores.
During his visit, Cook also met with local developers and creators and visited the flagship store at Marina Bay Sands.
Initially comprising only 72 employees, the Apple team in Singapore has grown to over 3,600 in over 40 years. Apple's presence indirectly generates over 60,000 job opportunities, including those in the supply chain industry and iOS app-related teams.
Credit: Lawrence Wong
