Apple celebrates 40 years of ‘innovation, education, and progress’ in Singapore

Apple has posted an article celebrating its 40 years of “innovation, education, and process in Singapore.”

Apple and Singapore

In 1981, when the country was a 16-year-old nation, Apple’s first office there opened with 72 employees and manufacturing focused on the Apple II. Today, Singapore is Apple’s base for Asia Pacific operations and a globally recognised centre of innovation and expertise as the country embraces a high-tech vision for the future. 

“We’re thrilled to be celebrating this important milestone with our teams in Singapore, and the customers and communities they serve with creativity and passion,” says Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail + People, in a press release. “Together, we’ve created an enduring partnership rooted in our shared values that will empower us to build a brighter tomorrow.”

Now Singapore is home to more than 3,500 Apple team members representing over 50 nationalities. The company supports over 55,000 jobs in Singapore, including through the thriving iOS app economy.

Apple Distinguished Schools

What’s more, Singapore is home to five Apple Distinguished Schools, including Madrasah Alsagoff Al-Arabiah, Singapore’s oldest Islamic education institution for girls. All of its educators are certified Apple Teachers, trained in foundational skills for iPad and Mac, while students learn basic Swift coding as part of their core curriculum. Melding tradition with technology, the school’s Arabic studies curriculum is accessed through a series of books on iPad.

In 2018, Apple launched its Swift Accelerator program in Singapore. It introduced students to coding using the Swift programming language and Everyone Can Code curriculum. At the same time, the government of Singapore announced that starting in 2019, it will be mandatory for all upper primary students to learn at least 10 hours of coding. The Swift Accelerator program has now expanded into institutions such as the Singapore University of Technology and Design and Pathlight School for children who have autism.

Apple and renewable energy

Also, Apple was the first company in Singapore to be powered by 100% renewable energy. The tech giant partnered with the government of Singapore and local energy company Sunseap to build solar energy systems to power Apple’s four sites and three retail stores on 100% renewable energy. Solar panels were placed on more than 800 rooftops of both public-owned buildings and Apple’s own facilities, generating 32 megawatts of solar energy in land-scarce Singapore.