Yee Chia Yeo

Professor Yeo Yee Chia leads Singapore's first RIE Flagship in Semiconductors and is A*STAR's Deputy Chief Executive (Innovation & Enterprise), helping to shape the future of one of Singapore's most strategically important industries. He is also Professor of Electrical Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS). An award-winning, internationally recognised semiconductor researcher, Professor Yeo has published over 700 research papers and is an inventor of over 400 US patents. More than 40 PhD students graduated under his tutelage. Recognised with the Singapore Young Scientist Award in 2006 for his research in nanoelectronics and semiconductor devices, Professor Yeo went on to receive the National Research Foundation Fellowship (NRFF) in 2008. The Fellowship enabled him to establish an independent research programme at the National University of Singapore, where he pursued research in strain engineering for next-generation semiconductor manufacturing, deepening his work on transistor technologies aimed at enabling faster and more energy-efficient chips. His research leadership later took him to TSMC, where he served as Director of Research and Development. Working at the forefront of semiconductor innovation, he co-developed TSMC's industry-leading 7 nm, 5 nm, and 3 nm technologies, which have impacted the world in areas such as high performance computing, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. Supported under the Returning Singapore Scientists Scheme, Professor Yeo returned to Singapore and joined A*STAR in 2022, bringing with him the experience of translating cutting-edge research into industrial innovation at global scale. Drawing on experience across academia, industry and national R&D, he now leads efforts to deepen Singapore's semiconductor capabilities, accelerate research translation, strengthen industry partnerships and nurture the next generation of scientific talent.