SFA and SIT to Establish Feed and Feed Ingredient Technology Centre to Drive Aquafeed Innovation for Tropical Marine Species

(From left) Mr Melvin Chow, Senior Director, Agrifood Technology Division, SFA; Mr Damian Chan, CEO of SFA; Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary; Professor Chua Kee Chaing, SIT President; and Associate Professor Victor Wang, Assistant Provost (Applied Research), SIT, at the F2TC Signing Ceremony during the World Aquaculture Singapore 2026 on 3 June 2026. (Photo: SFA)

At the opening of the World Aquaculture Singapore (WAS) 2026, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, Dr Janil Puthucheary, announced the establishment of the Feed and Feed Ingredient Technology Centre (F2TC) by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT).

The F2TC is a dedicated R&D centre focusing on feed and feed technology for tropical marine species. Housed at SIT, the centre will serve as a one-stop platform to trial, pilot, and scale up feed innovations to strengthen Singapore's technical capabilities in aquaculture nutrition and enhance the productivity of local farms. It will also offer industry-relevant capabilities including feed formulation, nutrition modelling, pilot-scale feed production, and efficacy trials.

Under the F2TC collaborative agreement between SFA and SIT signed at the WAS opening, SFA will provide the technical expertise, industry networks as well as the facilitation of industry projects. SIT will complement SFA’s efforts by bringing its expertise and capabilities in extrusion process engineering, applied research with the industry as well as to leverage digitalisation and AI-driven models to drive applied, industry-facing research.

F2TC To Contribute to the Local and Regional Aquaculture Sector

Feed is one of the most significant input costs in aquaculture, and access to high-quality, species-appropriate nutrition is critical to farm productivity. Singapore has attracted a cluster of global and regional players in aquaculture nutrition and health, and the establishment of F2TC builds on this foundation to anchor high-value aquafeed R&D activities in Singapore.

The F2TC seeks to be a knowledge and innovation hub for regional aquaculture research and development, especially in warm-water species nutrition. As Asia accounts for 90% of global aquaculture production, there is scope for the F2TC to play

a significant role in addressing the structural challenges facing the regional aquaculture sector — including feed dependency, climate change, and disease.

Multi-stakeholder Partnership for Food Resilience

As a first step, F2TC will embark on collaborations with two key industry partners, Clextral and INVE. Clextral, a global leader in twin screw extrusion technology for feed, will collaborate with F2TC on capability building and training. INVE, a global aquaculture health and nutrition company, will partner F2TC on translating R&D outcomes into commercially relevant aquaculture solutions. These partnerships, which we aim to expand over time, will enable F2TC to bridge research and industry application of innovations that can be adopted and scaled by the aquaculture sector both locally and regionally.

Mr Damian Chan, Chief Executive Officer of SFA, said that the establishment of F2TC is a meaningful step forward in our efforts to strengthen Singapore's food resilience. He added, “By anchoring and translating high-value aquafeed R&D here in Singapore, F2TC directly supports our Grow Local pillar of our Singapore Food Story 2 by helping our local farms access better nutrition solutions that can improve productivity and reduce input costs. SFA welcomes this collaboration with SIT and our industry partners to translate research into better quality locally farmed fish."

Professor Chua Kee Chaing, SIT President, said: "Singapore’s food resilience efforts will require strong academia and industry partnerships to enable translational innovation. The establishment of the Feed and Feed Ingredient Technology Centre reflects SIT’s commitment to working with industry on applied research that delivers real-world impact for industry and society. By bringing together expertise in feed engineering, digital technologies and aquaculture nutrition, F2TC will strengthen Singapore’s capabilities in sustainable aquaculture and support the development of climate-resilient food systems for the region."

About the Singapore Food Agency

The mission of the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is to ensure and secure a supply of safe food. To safeguard Singapore's food security, the Singapore Food Story 2 adopts a multi-pronged approach built on four pillars: diversify imports, grow local, stockpile and global partnerships. To ensure that food in Singapore is safe for consumption, SFA has in place an integrated farm-to-fork food safety system which adopts a risk-based approach guided by science and aligned with international standards. As food safety and security is a joint responsibility, SFA provides an enabling environment that supports all stakeholders to play their part and contribute to Singapore’s food resilience. For more information on SFA, visit www.sfa.gov.sg.

About the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)

As the university for industry and Singapore's first university of applied learning, the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) offers industry-relevant degree programmes that prepare its graduates to be work- and future-ready professionals. Its mission is to maximise the potential of its learners and to innovate with industry, through an integrated applied learning and research approach, so as to contribute to the economy and society.

The University’s unique pedagogy integrates work and study, embracing authentic learning in a real-world environment through collaborations with key strategic partners. Its focus on applied research with business impact is aimed at helping industry innovate and grow. SIT’s new centralised campus within the larger Punggol Digital District features a vibrant learning environment where academia and industry are tightly integrated with the community.

For more information, visit www.SingaporeTech.edu.sg.