Independent electronics design house Advinno Technologies explores new business offerings and reinforces its core strengths with industry veteran and IPI Innovation advisor CK Tan.
In the 1960s, Singapore became home to Southeast Asia’s only television assembly plant. Today, the country houses 2,900 electronics manufacturing and designing companies. The industry continues to be a major driving force to Singapore’s economy as the largest contributor to the country’s manufacturing output, generating over SGD34 billion in value in 2020 and employing 64,900 workers.
With the industry expected to grow to SGD50 billion by 2025, small electronics companies who are looking to tap into its momentum need all the help they can get to maximise the opportunities that come their way.
Incorporated in 2002, Advinno Technologies is an independent electronics design house that carved a place for itself in the industry. Looking to expand its business, Advinno partnered with IPI for a closer look at the challenges and opportunities that the electronics market has to offer.
Redirecting current capabilities
Advinno focuses on the design, engineering, manufacturing and logistics of semiconductors, electronic systems and turnkey products. According to Terry Teh, Company Director, Advinno, the goal was to bring solutions to integrated circuit design communities. However, as the company set its focus on expansion, Terry found that his small company needed the extra bandwidth to comprehensively explore and identify which opportunities Advinno should pursue.
“At that time, I was very curious to explore the silicon photonics market opportunity but I lacked the time to evaluate the ‘nitty-gritty’ of getting into the arena,” recalled Terry.
This is where IPI Innovation Advisor and electronics industry veteran CK Tan comes in. With over 25 years of experience, CK Tan provided the expertise Advinno needed to develop two new core business offerings. Apart from entering the silicon photonics sector, Advinno also wanted to establish its own packaging and prototyping business.
According to Terry, the Advinno team was interested in providing design services for silicon photonics because of its potential to enable better performance in sensor, power and system applications. As such, IA Tan spent months identifying the relevant silicon photonics ecosystem as well as analysing potential companies and fellow SMEs Advinno could work with. However, IA Tan found that more in-depth analysis would be required to fully understand what each player in the ecosystem can offer.
“Since the technology is in its infancy stage, the available capabilities may not be enough for potential overseas customers who prefer a more comprehensive ecosystem,” shared Terry.
Advinno also wanted to expand its design services to include packaging and prototyping. However, while they have had customers in the past who requested such offerings, these requests have become less frequent over time.
Gaining trust
While the first project with IPI did not result in revenue or headcount increase, Terry still considers the engagement a success. For Terry, IA Tan’s wealth of experience and network in the semiconductor industry was invaluable to Advinno’s future.
“The moment I discovered that CK is part of the IPI-Innovation Advisors programme, I wanted to work with IPI in exploring various options that can benefit Advinno’s growth,” said Terry.
Terry admits he has become a fan of Tan’s ‘deeper and wider’ approach in business growth, which prioritises the strengthening of existing business relationships rather than endlessly looking for new ones. “CK has helped us develop a ‘follow-up’ mindset in pursuing business. He taught us to actively look into what other services we can offer to potential customers,” shared Terry.
IPI has since re-engaged with Advinno to establish a business expansion plan for Advinno’s design services. In this second project, which started earlier this year, Terry aims to create a service delivery playbook and expand its services to existing and new customers.
“I hope to have CK and IPI help us in defining the basis of our strength and in communicating that strength to our existing and new customers,” he explained.
Indeed, IPI’s facilitation combined with CK’s wealth of expertise and experience has proven to be a game-change for Advinno with more to come.
Singapore’s electronics industry is a major economic driver, generating over SGD34 billion in value and employing nearly 65,000 workers as of 2020. With projections to reach SGD50 billion by 2025, the sector presents significant opportunities for growth. However, small electronics companies like Advinno Technologies face unique challenges in capitalizing on this momentum. Advinno, while established in the design and engineering of semiconductors and electronic systems, sought to expand its business offerings to remain competitive. Company Director Terry Teh recognized the need to explore emerging markets such as silicon photonics and to establish new services in packaging and prototyping. Despite a clear vision for growth, Advinno’s small team lacked the bandwidth and resources to comprehensively evaluate which opportunities to pursue and how best to align their capabilities with market demand. The rapidly evolving nature of the electronics industry, especially in nascent fields like silicon photonics, added complexity. The technology’s infancy meant that the available ecosystem was not yet comprehensive, making it challenging to meet the expectations of potential overseas customers seeking robust solutions. Additionally, while Advinno had previously received requests for packaging and prototyping services, demand for these offerings had become less frequent, raising questions about their future viability. To navigate these uncertainties and identify sustainable growth pathways, Advinno needed expert guidance and industry insights to assess market opportunities, strengthen its core competencies, and develop a strategic expansion plan.
IPI Singapore connected Advinno Technologies with CK Tan, an Innovation Advisor and seasoned electronics industry veteran, to provide targeted expertise and strategic guidance for business expansion. Through the Innovation Advisors programme, IPI facilitated a partnership that enabled Advinno to leverage CK Tan’s 25 years of industry experience and extensive network. CK Tan worked closely with Advinno to identify and evaluate new business opportunities, focusing on two key areas: entering the silicon photonics sector and establishing a packaging and prototyping business. He spent months mapping the relevant silicon photonics ecosystem, analyzing potential partners, and assessing the capabilities of companies and SMEs that could collaborate with Advinno. This in-depth analysis helped Advinno better understand the landscape and the requirements for success in this emerging field. Beyond market analysis, CK Tan’s advisory approach emphasized strengthening Advinno’s existing business relationships and developing a proactive mindset for service expansion. He guided the team in exploring additional services for potential customers and instilled a ‘follow-up’ approach to business development. IPI’s continued engagement included supporting Advinno in creating a service delivery playbook and formulating a business expansion plan to reach both existing and new clients.
"At that time, I was very curious to explore the silicon photonics market opportunity but I lacked the time to evaluate the ‘nitty-gritty’ of getting into the arena."
"Since the technology is in its infancy stage, the available capabilities may not be enough for potential overseas customers who prefer a more comprehensive ecosystem."
"The moment I discovered that CK is part of the IPI-Innovation Advisors programme, I wanted to work with IPI in exploring various options that can benefit Advinno’s growth."
"CK has helped us develop a ‘follow-up’ mindset in pursuing business. He taught us to actively look into what other services we can offer to potential customers."
"I hope to have CK and IPI help us in defining the basis of our strength and in communicating that strength to our existing and new customers."
Incorporated in 2002, Advinno Technologies is an independent electronics design house that has established itself in Singapore’s thriving electronics industry. The company focuses on the design, engineering, manufacturing and logistics of semiconductors, electronic systems and turnkey products, aiming to deliver solutions to integrated circuit design communities.