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Singapore commits S$150 million to Marvel-AI materials research platform

Singapore commits S$150 million to Marvel-AI materials research platform

Photo: Luca Nardone / Pexels

The government also named the first 24 companies in its Champions of AI programme, including DBS, OCBC and Singapore Airlines

by Diego Almada Lopez

2 min read

In AI

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Singapore is putting S$150 million behind a single idea: let machines do the tedious part of inventing new materials.

The government announced the investment in a new AI-powered materials research and development platform called Marvel-AI. Alongside it came the first cohort of companies in its Champions of AI programme.

What Marvel-AI is supposed to do

The announcement came on October 27, 2026, during the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology, better known as SWITCH 2026. The Agency for Science, Technology and Research, or A*STAR, will run the platform.

Several government bodies back the effort, including the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Enterprise Singapore.

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Marvel-AI pairs artificial intelligence with robotics to speed up how new materials are discovered and validated.

The platform will focus on four material categories:

  • Metal alloys
  • Polymers and organics
  • Ceramics
  • Composites

The headline performance figure is striking. Marvel-AI aims to screen up to 470 unique metal alloys per day.

The target applications are semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, energy and chemicals.

Champions of AI: 24 companies get the white-glove treatment

The Champions of AI programme offers tailored support to businesses that want to use AI to overhaul their operations across the board. The first cohort includes 24 Singapore-based companies. Among them are banking heavyweights DBS and OCBC, plus Singapore Airlines.

Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong framed the push in productivity terms.

“AI offers opportunities to raise productivity, and develop new products and capabilities,” said DPM Gan.

Gan also stressed the importance of developing talent in key fields, specifically naming materials science and automation.

Part of a bigger national plan

Marvel-AI does not stand alone. The platform sits within the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2030 plan, known as RIE2030, Singapore’s long-range blueprint for research spending.

It also follows the AI-for-Science programme, or AI4S, launched in June 2026 with a S$120 million budget. Add the two together and Singapore has committed S$270 million to AI-driven scientific research within a matter of months.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Diego Almada Lopez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.