GlobalFoundries' Singapore fab raised labour productivity 40% with 60-plus AI and digital fixes, WEF says

SINGAPORE, Sept. 16, 2025 — GlobalFoundries' Fab 7 in Singapore improved labour productivity by 40% and new-product prototyping time by 30% after deploying more than 60 Fourth Industrial Revolution use cases, the World Economic Forum said in naming it a Global Lighthouse. Here's what happened, what it cost, and what went wrong.

Cost and outcome (as of Sept. 16, 2025)

Outcome: "Labour productivity improved by 40% and new product introduction prototyping time improved by 30%." (World Economic Forum, Sept. 16, 2025)
Cost: No investment or savings figures were disclosed by WEF or GlobalFoundries. (World Economic Forum, Sept. 16, 2025; GlobalFoundries, Sept. 16, 2025)
Why: The fab was addressing "talent shortages and surging demand, including for new automotive devices." (World Economic Forum, Sept. 16, 2025)

The problem

WEF said Fab 7 set out to "tackle increasing process complexity, meet more stringent quality requirements and accelerate prototype development" while short of people and facing rising demand. (World Economic Forum, Sept. 16, 2025)

GlobalFoundries describes the site as its "300mm fab in Singapore." (GlobalFoundries, Sept. 16, 2025)

Four areas

The site "built a holistic transformation team, partnering with AI vendors and universities across four impact areas: machine learning-based predictive maintenance; remote support enablement; machine learning-powered quality control; and workflow digitalization," WEF said. (World Economic Forum, Sept. 16, 2025)

GlobalFoundries said that, across its fabs in the U.S., Europe and Asia, it has deployed "over 60 smart manufacturing solutions since 2020 leveraging AI, machine learning, IoT, and advanced analytics," and that its engineers are "upskilling in automated, data-driven environments." (GlobalFoundries, Sept. 16, 2025)

"By re-engineering operations through digital innovation, we lead with agility, delivering trusted, high-quality semiconductors with speed and reliability," said Niels Anderskouv, GlobalFoundries' president and chief operating officer. (GlobalFoundries, Sept. 16, 2025)

Yew Kong Tan, senior vice president and general manager for APAC manufacturing and the Singapore site, said the company's AI Centre of Excellence in Singapore is "reshaping our workforce with the latest digital solutions for the current and next-generation talent." (GlobalFoundries, Sept. 16, 2025)

The company said it is also working with "academia, solution providers, and government agencies" to build "a robust pipeline of digital talent" and co-develop solutions, and that, as a Lighthouse, it will "cross-learn" with other sites in the network. (GlobalFoundries, Sept. 16, 2025)

In context

Fab 7 was one of four sites recognized for productivity in a cohort of 12 that took the network to 201 sites. WEF said the new cohort showed, on average, "a 40% labour productivity increase and a reduced lead time of 48%," so Fab 7's productivity gain matches the cohort average. (World Economic Forum, Sept. 16, 2025)

WEF said AI and generative AI enabled "up to 50% of the implemented top use cases" across the cohort, with results such as "a 41% decrease in product defects, 28% decrease in energy consumption and 44% decrease in cycle time." (World Economic Forum, Sept. 16, 2025)

"The organizations that will shape the future are those driving holistic transformation today," said Kiva Allgood, who heads WEF's Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains. (World Economic Forum, Sept. 16, 2025)

Lighthouse sites "are designated by an independent panel of experts," WEF said. The network was co-founded with McKinsey & Company and is advised by a board that includes Foxconn Industrial Internet, Koç Holding, McKinsey, Schneider Electric and Siemens. (World Economic Forum, Sept. 16, 2025)

What went wrong

Not enough people. WEF cites "talent shortages" alongside surging demand. (World Economic Forum, Sept. 16, 2025)
Slow prototyping. Prototype development needed to speed up as process complexity rose. (World Economic Forum, Sept. 16, 2025)
Rising quality demands. Requirements were becoming "more stringent." (World Economic Forum, Sept. 16, 2025)
What we don't know yet: the baseline numbers, the period measured, and what the program cost.

Our follow-up question for GlobalFoundries

Over what period were the 40% and 30% measured, and from what baselines?

Sources

World Economic Forum, “Global Lighthouse Network 2025: World Economic Forum Recognizes 12 New Sites Driving Holistic Transformation in Manufacturing,” Sept. 16, 2025. weforum.org
GlobalFoundries, “GlobalFoundries Joins World Economic Forum's Global Lighthouse Network for Manufacturing Excellence,” GlobeNewswire, Sept. 16, 2025. globenewswire.com

Disclosure: [not in copy] Editor placeholder