• Thales’s global acceleration in trusted AI extends to Asia for the first time with the launch of cortAIx SG. Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), cortAIx SG aims to drive the ethical and effective adoption of AI in Singapore, in alignment with Singapore’s National AI strategy. The Group’s global expansion of cortAIx to Singapore has the dual purpose of serving the needs of both the civil and defence ecosystems.
• Thales is strengthening its strategic partnerships in Singapore by launching joint initiatives with CAAS¹, DSTA², and HTX³ across Aviation, Defence, and Public Safety and Security. These enhanced collaborations include an expanded innovation partnership with HTX focused on AI, border security, quantum, and cybersecurity technologies, as well as the creation of a joint Avionics Lab with CAAS—supported by Changi Airport Group, ICAI⁴, SATS, and Singapore Airlines—to drive next-generation avionics solutions.
• With these partnerships, cortAIx SG will become an integral part of the Group’s global cortAIx network of 800 highly-skilled AI and data experts, supported by local talent with deep expertise in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data science.

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¹ Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore

² Defence Science and Technology Agency

³ Home Team Science & Technology Agency

⁴ International Centre for Aviation Innovation

 

 

On 30^th May, Thales and EDB signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the launch of cortAIx SG to extend the Group’s global AI programme to Asia, and further accelerate on AI research and industrialisation. With more than 100 products integrating AI, Thales already develops and deploys trusted AI-powered systems in the most complex and challenging environments. Building on this strong foundation, cortAIx SG will serve as an important accelerator, identifying critical challenges and developing high-impact AI solutions for Thales' business units across Singapore and the broader Asia region. The centre will play a key role in driving the development and implementation of trusted AI systems in complex and mission-critical environments, thereby strengthening Thales’ R&D capabilities and long-term innovation footprint in Singapore.

 

cortAIx SG positions Thales Singapore as a hub for AI leadership and joint innovation, aligned with the nation’s ambitions under the National AI Strategy. The centre will be driven by several key initiatives: including projects that enhance utilisation of knowledge and sensor suites to aid planning and decision support; increase operational efficiency; and drive human-autonomy teaming. Thales will work with the Singaporean government and ecosystem to grow domain and technology capabilities in Singapore, bringing together cutting-edge technology, talent and research to AI solutions that are ethical, transparent, explainable, and operationally effective.

The announcement was made on the occasion of French President Mr. Emmanuel Macron’s State Visit to Singapore, with multiple agreements signed on 29^th May and during the France–Singapore Frontier Technologies Forum on 30^th May.

Expansion of Strategic Partnership with HTX (Home Team Science & Technology Agency)

Thales and HTX first signed a Master Agreement for Strategic Partnership for Innovation in 2020.  Today, they expanded the scope of this partnership, extending it for another three years to:

1. Establish a joint-lab focused on AI-enabled technologies, local capability development and the formation of best practices for trustworthy AI within the local context;  
2. Enable technology insertion through agile collaboration, testing and technology experimentation aligned to HTX’s evolving needs. Thales will support HTX in translating early-stage technical solutions into concrete systems that can be integrated into HTX’s homeland security programmes to drive rapid innovation and early adoption;
3. Jointly develop a shared Research and Development (R&D) strategy and future technology roadmap relevant to public safety and security, bringing together HTX, Thales, academia and startups, across five critical technology frontiers: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI), Cybersecurity, Quantum Technologies and Space.

 

Joint Avionics Lab with Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) to innovate avionics-oriented solutions

 

CAAS, Changi Airport Group (CAG), the International Centre for Aviation Innovation (ICAI), SATS Ltd. (SATS), Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Thales signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 29^th May 2025 to foster greater innovation and collaboration at the aviation ecosystem level.

Under this MOU, the partners will work together to identify key challenges to solve and undertake joint innovation projects to develop solutions, which could include the following:

1. Air traffic optimisation, by combining airlines’ flight operations and cockpit data with air traffic management information. AI-enabled algorithms can detect and predict holding patterns within a particular radius around Changi Airport, helping manage congestion and leading to reduced flight delays.
2. Digitalising and optimising the data shared between airlines, air traffic management and airports. Data from sensors in the aircraft, like cameras or inflight entertainment systems, can provide real-time, automated data to complement current data streams like video content from ground infrastructures. Enhancing these with AI models can help airlines, air traffic managements and airport operators improve collaborative decision making.

The Avionics Lab in Singapore, the first of its kind for Thales outside France, represents a significant milestone in deepening Thales’ avionics capabilities in Singapore and the region.   The Avionics Lab complements the AIR Lab (jointly set up by CAAS and Thales in 2019 to work on cutting-edge Air Traffic Management solutions) to optimise air transport operations in the region. 

The Avionics Lab will serve as a vital platform for collaborative innovation, between the world leading aviation eco-system in Singapore and Thales, to co-develop and test cutting edge concepts grounded in real-world operational scenarios, strengthening Singapore’s position as a hub for aviation technologies.

AI in critical systems for Defence through DSTA – Thales co-lab

Announced in April this year, the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and Thales have set up a joint lab for AI-enabled technologies, which can augment combat systems currently in use by the Singapore Armed Forces to efficiently handle drone threats. The lab will work on joint projects, the first of which is related to Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) and advanced sensors.

These initiatives form the core of Thales’s AI strategy in Singapore and touch on key sectors aligned with the National AI Strategy 2.0. These collective partnerships will see Thales grow its pool of AI experts in Singapore to over several dozen in the next three years, adding to the Group’s global cortAIx network of 800 highly-skilled AI and data specialists.

“The launch of cortAIx SG by Thales will add new capabilities to Singapore’s growing AI and innovation ecosystems, and builds on Thales’s longstanding presence in Singapore. We look forward to the impactful AI-enabled solutions cortAIx SG will develop in partnership with our ecosystem for Singapore and the region,” said Cindy Koh, Executive Vice President, EDB.

"Thales is honoured to be working with our strategic partners in Singapore to bring new technologies to the fore, whether in aviation, in public security or to help reinforce national defence and sovereignty. Being able to announce the launch of cortAIx SG this week, in the presence of Ms Clara Chappaz, French Minister Delegate for AI and Digital Affairs and Ms Josephine Teo, Singapore’s Minister for Digital Development and Information and Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity, is a true recognition of our role as a technology leader, notably as France and Singapore celebrate 60 years of bilateral cooperation. cortAIx SG will be a valuable asset to help our customers and partners embrace the vast opportunities AI has to offer, deploying it as a force for good, in support of Singapore’s National AI Strategy. We are excited at the prospect of bringing our leading technology, talent and research to deliver AI solutions that are ethical, transparent, explainable and effective.” said Philippe Keryer, Senior Executive Vice President, Strategy, Research and Technology, Thales.

 

Thales in Singapore

Thales has been present in Singapore since 1973, where it has grown from a small avionics presence into a major hub with 2,000 employees across aerospace, defence, cybersecurity, and digital identity (CDI). The country now hosts Thales’s largest CDI manufacturing centre, avionics manufacturing and MRO centre, and cutting-edge R&D labs, including the AIR Lab with CAAS, a joint lab with HTX and the CINTRA research unit with NTU and CNRS. Recent investments include the Thales Singapore Defence Hub, a Co-Lab with DSTA, and Centres of Excellence in Air Traffic Management and Public Security.

 

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.

The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies. Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.

¹ Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore

² Defence Science and Technology Agency

³ Home Team Science & Technology Agency

⁴ International Centre for Aviation Innovation