The coronavirus pandemic has hit many industries hard, but it has also provided opportunities for sectors such as precision engineering to grow.

Semiconductor test and handling company AEM has adjusted its revenue expectations upwards to between $480 million and $500 million. It has also seen revenue growth of nearly 82 per cent in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year.

The 30-year-old company, which has around 350 staff here, is looking to expand its headcount here by 10 per cent to 15 per cent to prepare for the next wave of growth.

Its chief executive Chandran Nair said: "The demand for semiconductors has risen tremendously this year because of factors such as working from home, data centre demand, and due to changes in technology nodes.

"As technology changes, semiconductor test becomes more complex, and as a leading company in semiconductor testing worldwide, our method of testing is becoming increasingly used and the demand for our tools is growing."

He added that the growth of a 5G-driven economy also creates the need for high connectivity and drives demand for the kind of tools that the company makes.

AEM's products are sold worldwide and it has a direct presence in seven markets, including China, the United States and France.

"In the long term, although there will be periods of uncertainty along the way, we see ourselves poised for growth," said Mr Nair.

To support this growth, the company is looking to hire for roles such as electrical and electronic engineering, and mechanical design engineers and software engineers.

The firm has also worked with government agencies to allow for workers from sectors such as aerospace engineering to be seconded to AEM.

It is also offering more than 20 places for fresh graduates under the SGUnited Traineeships Programme.

The next year or so is predicted to be a growth period for the semiconductor industry, Mr Nair said.

"We will expand with regard to continuing to improve our product lines through technology. We will also continue to manufacture and ramp up production. A major focus for the coming 12 to 18 months would be on developing technology to create highly differentiated products that would decrease the costs of testing semiconductors," he said.

Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing, who visited AEM in Serangoon North yesterday, said the firm is an example of a company that is growing despite the pandemic because it is able to innovate and penetrate the market, even capturing a part of the global value chain.

"Nowadays, when we look at investments into Singapore, creating good jobs for Singaporeans, we cannot just look at how much money we are making, how many jobs we are creating, but we also need to look at where we sit in the entire global value chain so that we cannot be easily bypassed or replaced by other people," he added.

AEM electrical engineer Rabiah Raihan, 27, said the industry has bright prospects for workers like her. "I've been here for only three years, but I have been given the chance to lead a project, for instance. I design machines but also perform other roles like technical support assistance and even packing and shipment. The company nurtures me to not just be the typical engineer but also do things that help me to be an all rounder," she said.

Mr Chan added in a Facebook post after the visit: "As a small country, we might not be able to be at every part of the global value chain but we are determined to maintain our position as a key node within critical parts of the global supply chain where we can value-add."