▁located ▁in ▁Singapore , ▁where ▁data ▁storage ▁techn ologies ▁were ▁studied . ▁ ▁History ▁D SI ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁through ▁the ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁Mag net ics ▁Technology ▁Centre ▁( M TC ), ▁founded ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁by ▁the ▁Agency ▁for ▁Science , ▁Technology ▁& ▁Research , ▁or ▁A * ST AR ▁( then ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁National ▁Science ▁& ▁Technology ▁Board ) ▁and ▁the ▁National ▁University ▁of ▁Singapore ▁( N US ). ▁ ▁D SI ' s ▁purpose ▁was ▁to ▁undert ake ▁R & D ▁in ▁magnet ics ▁technology ▁for ▁hard ▁disk ▁drives ▁( H DD s ). ▁Over ▁the ▁years , ▁D SI ▁collabor ated ▁with ▁companies ▁such ▁as ▁Se ag ate , ▁Con nor , ▁DE C , ▁T os hib a , ▁H ew lett - Pack ard ▁and ▁Western ▁Digital . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁A * ST AR ▁announced ▁its ▁decision ▁to ▁re deploy ▁D SI ' s ▁ren owned ▁capabilities ▁across ▁the ▁organisation ▁in ▁alignment ▁with ▁national ▁research ▁and ▁innov ation ▁strateg ies , ▁and ▁that ▁D SI ▁would ▁no ▁longer ▁function ▁as ▁an ▁independent ▁research ▁unit ▁in ▁A * ST AR . ▁The ▁organisation ▁c ited ▁the ▁impact ▁of ▁global ▁tr ends ▁on ▁the ▁data ▁storage ▁industry , ▁resulting ▁in ▁cons olid ation ▁and ▁much ▁of ▁production ▁happening ▁outside ▁Singapore . ▁ ▁Awards ▁and ▁acc red itations ▁▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁I ET ▁A ▁F ▁Har vey