SINGAPORE – Two senior business leaders were conferred national awards by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam for their contributions to Singapore’s economic development.
The Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore) was presented to Christian Kullmann and Stan Hung Chia-Tsung at a ceremony held at the Istana on July 8.
Kullmann is the chairman of the executive board and chief executive of German maker of specialty chemical Evonik Industries AG. The firm, a significant player in Singapore’s chemicals industry, is known worldwide for manufacturing a wide range of essential ingredients, such as amino acids for animal feed, bio-catalysts for biodiesel, and lipids for pharmaceuticals.
Hung is the chairman of Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC). The company is now the world’s fourth-largest contract chip-maker by revenue, behind TSMC, Samsung and GlobalFoundries, but 1980 it was the Taiwan’s first semiconductor firm.
The award, initiated by the Economic Development Board (EDB) in 1998, recognises senior business executives for their outstanding contributions to the economic growth of Singapore. Between 1998 and 2025, 53 such executives, including Kullmann and Hung, have been conferred the Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore) award.
EDB chairman Png Cheong Boon said: “Christian Kullmann and Stan Hung have overseen major investments that have expanded the capabilities of our specialty chemicals and semiconductor industries, and reinforced Singapore’s global leadership in high-value manufacturing.
“We appreciate Evonik’s and UMC’s partnership in fostering innovation and developing future-ready talent in Singapore, as we strengthen our economic resilience.”
Evonik first established its presence in Singapore in 1969 and has since invested over S$1.5 billion (US$1.2 billion) here.
Under Kullmann’s leadership, since 2017, Evonik has made a series of landmark investments in manufacturing and research and development (R&D) that have significantly strengthened Singapore’s position as a leading specialty chemicals hub in Asia.
In 2018, Evonik established its Asia Research Hub (ARH) in Singapore, which has over 60 R&D employees today. The ARH expanded its mandate in 2022 and 2024 to work on new areas such as life sciences and skin sciences.
Kullmann has also championed Singapore’s strategic relevance to Evonik across multiple areas – manufacturing, innovation, headquarters, and now AI.
Beyond Evonik, he has advocated for Singapore as a reliable partner for companies looking to scale and innovate. Today, Singapore serves as a critical node in Evonik’s strategy to unlock growth opportunities across Asia and beyond.
On receiving the award, Kullmann said: “I am deeply honoured to receive the Public Service Star, which I accept on behalf of our more than 700 dedicated employees in Singapore.”
He noted that for nearly six decades, the Singapore Government and the company have fostered a partnership founded on trust, mutual respect, and shared ambition.
“For Evonik, Asia is a key growth region, and Singapore plays a central role in shaping our business here. Thanks to Singapore’s stability, talent, and connectivity over many years, we have been able to grow steadily here,” he added.
UMC broke ground in 2001 to build Singapore’s first 12-inch semiconductor wafer plant. Since then, UMC has played a vital role in growing Singapore’s chip industry, and forged close ties with the local industry ecosystem.
Hung joined UMC in 1991 and served as chief financial officer and senior vice president before assuming his current role as chairman.
Under Hung’s leadership, UMC has made transformative investments in Singapore’s semiconductor ecosystem, strengthening Singapore’s position as a critical node in the global semiconductor supply chain.
Hung championed UMC’s most recent $6.7 billion (US$5 billion) investment in a new semiconductor fabrication facility in Singapore – the company’s second major investment here since 2001.
Operational since 2025, the advanced fabrication plant is on track to create about 700 jobs locally, building on more than 1,800 existing jobs from UMC’s current operations.
The investment will enable Singapore to pioneer critical new capabilities in specialty semiconductor technologies that drive communications, Internet of Things, automotive and AI innovations.
Beyond expanding UMC’s operational footprint, Hung has made significant contributions to local talent development in Singapore.
He personally drove discussions with Ngee Ann Polytechnic, culminating in the signing of an agreement to enhance engineering training programmes and develop a steady pipeline of skilled talent for the semiconductor industry.
Hung has been a strong and consistent advocate for Singapore within the broader semiconductor industry and leadership community. This has helped foster dialogue with several semiconductor companies, paving the way for potential investments and expansions in Singapore.
On being conferred the award, Hung said: “It’s a great honour to be a recipient of the Public Service Star. I am grateful for EDB’s unwavering support in facilitating the establishment of UMC’s supply chain partnerships here, which have helped build a more comprehensive semiconductor ecosystem in Singapore.”
He said UMC is proud to contribute to the development of local talent and capabilities, and appreciates EDB’s dedication to strengthening Singapore’s position as a global leader in the semiconductor industry.
