France’s energy giant Schneider Electric will invest S$25 million ($19.6 million) in upgrading it smart automation and digital capabilities at its Hub Asia Distribution Center in Tuas, Singapore.

In a statement on Thursday, the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), a partner in the project, said the investment can enhance the 21,000-square-metre facility and grow the workforce in Singapore. Of the S$25M investment, S$19M will boost the workforce through to 2030, by updating the recruitment and the re-skilling of existing employees.

Hub Asia has been undergoing significant transformations and is set to complete the expansion of its Smart Distribution Centre capabilities by 2027, the EDB noted. This will bring automation, robotics, and agentic AI to the Tuas facility, raising productivity levels and enhancing autonomous warehouse operations and planning.

The transformation is anchored by a goods-to-person automation system, which brings inventory directly to picking stations rather than sending workers to retrieve goods. The first phase has recently gone live, already lifting by about 10 per cent against baseline.

A second phase will introduce adaptable racking systems that allow for scalability and layout redesign, alongside further gains in operational quality and workplace health and safety. When fully deployed, the system will handle approximately 40 per cent of outbound goods and is forecast to raise productivity by up to 20 per cent against baseline.

Hub Asia was established in 2022 in a certified Green Mark Platinum building. Powered by offsite solar energy, the facility has run carbon-neutral operations since day one. The logistics facility exports to the company’s regions globally, including Europe, North America and China.

Foxconn, Schneider Electric partner to develop next-generation AI data center infrastructure