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British billionaire entrepreneur James Dyson has received his Public Service Star (Distinguished Friends of Singapore).

The ceremony was held at the Istana today (Jul. 4)

Public Service Star

Dyson, 76, was conferred the award by President Halimah Yacob at the Istana.

The Distinguished Friends of Singapore award, initiated by the Economic Development Board (EDB) in 1998, is the highest form of national recognition for non-Singaporeans who have made "significant contributions" to the country's economic growth.

EDB’s Chairman, Png Cheong Boon, said that Dyson had “made remarkable contributions to Singapore’s economy”, such as setting up his company’s global headquarters in the country.

“Dyson’s investments have created exciting job opportunities for Singaporeans in fields such as robotics, research and development, and product design.”

He congratulated Dyson and looked forward to the deepening of partnership with him and his company.

Dyson’s founder & chairman

In a memo after being conferred the award, Dyson thanked the Singapore government for their “unwavering support” and noted that “Singapore values engineers and technology-focused companies that are investing in the future.”

“I’m excited to see this partnership reach new levels, as we deepen our advanced manufacturing footprint in Singapore and bring our new battery technology to market.”

Under Dyson, the household appliances company has expanded from 10 employees in 2007 to more than 1,400 employees across various departments.

The firm's leadership team is currently based in Singapore, along with its global functions such as supply chain, manufacturing, finance, information technology and direct retail.

Its Singapore research and development (R&D) teams have contributed to the development of cutting-edge products such as the Dyson Airstrait straightener and Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum.

Singapore is also the principal manufacturing site for the brand’s Hyperdymium motors, which are its patented digital motors that power most Dyson devices.

The firm will be setting up its first battery manufacturing plant in Tuas, which will be fully operational by 2025.

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Top image via Facebook/Dyson