Mastercard has opened its largest Innovation Centre of Excellence in Asia Pacific, a new 7,200-plus sq ft facility in Singapore that will serve as a regional hub for banks, merchants, governments and technology partners across more than 40 markets. The company announced the opening on Friday, 13 November 2026.

The centre brings together expertise in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, customer experience and rapid prototyping, with more than 55 specialists already working there. Mastercard said it plans to add over 250 specialist roles in Singapore by the end of 2029, covering responsible AI, trusted digital commerce, cybersecurity, data and payments.

Four spaces under one roof

The facility combines four dedicated areas: an AI Centre of Excellence working on agentic commerce and fraud and scam prevention; a Fusion Centre bringing together cyber, fraud and physical security expertise; a Mastercard Experience Centre for financial institutions, merchants and public-sector partners; and a Makerspace for prototyping and testing new ideas.

Singapore minister Dr Tan See Leng attended the launch. Mastercard, which has more than 850 employees in Singapore, its Asia Pacific headquarters, said the centre would help partners across the region close the gap between experimenting with new technology and putting it into use.

The centre will connect Mastercard's expertise across more than 40 Asia Pacific markets, supporting work on AI-powered commerce and scam prevention at a time when digital payments are expanding rapidly across the region, Fintech Singapore reported.