In a commentary, SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer shared his views on the importance of manufacturing to Singapore’s economy and the primary reasons why manufacturing activities should still be kept within Singapore instead of moving them out to our lower cost neighbours. However, Prof De Meyer highlighted that current manufacturing activities must transform to adapt to Singapore’s environment and evolve to a state of “advanced manufacturing” in order to stay competitive. This entails four major evolutions including embracing opportunities in data and analytics, automating and adopting new technologies like 3D printing and nano-technology, opting for sustainable operations and integrating Singapore in global operations networks.