On 20 May, IBM announced the opening of the IBM Singapore Technology Park (ISTP), a brand new manufacturing facility for its System Z mainframes and high-end Power systems. The S$90 million (US$64.89 million) investment facility will serve as IBM’s manufacturing and fulfillment centre for its high-end systems clients across Asia, Africa and Europe. The 365,000-square-foot facility will also be responsible for the manufacturing and fulfilment of IBM disk and tape storage technology, as well as related hardware appliances worldwide.

"IBM's investment affirms Singapore's capabilities for complex, high-value manufacturing and global supply chain management. It also reinforces Singapore's drive to be a leading knowledge economy, powered by digital intelligence," said Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Finance, Singapore.

Singapore's proximity to a growing number of global clients investing in modern IT infrastructures makes it the perfect business partner in the region. Being in Singapore also provides IBM with greater accessibility to talents and suppliers that are vital to the manufacturing process.