Speech by SMS Sun Xueling at the National Engineers Day 2025

Aug 1, 2025

Good evening. It is a pleasure to join you this evening to celebrate the achievements of our young engineers. There were 180 teams who submitted projects for the Engineering Innovation Challenge (EIC) this year, showcasing a diverse range of innovative and high-quality projects. This includes the Institute of Technical Education’s Sustainable Cement Composite that is a cement mix using shellfish shells and recycled plastics.

Shaping the Future with Engineering Innovation

Over the years, we have embraced technologies, encompassing digitalisation, automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI). As projects become more complex, it is crucial for our engineering professionals, developers and builders to continually harness technological advancements to boost productivity and to create more innovative solutions.

In Singapore’s Built Environment sector, we are faced with multiple challenges, amidst the global economic uncertainties and the impact of climate change. Notwithstanding this, our professionals in the sector remain committed to delivering on key projects, ramping up on housing supply to meet the growing demand for housing and rejuvenating our older estates to provide high-quality living environment for all.

To deliver on our national development plans, we need to strengthen collaboration between academia, industry and government to foster innovation and to embrace technology to transform the way we plan, design and build in Singapore.

On this note, BCA has put in place various programmes to support our progressive firms in their innovation efforts. This includes the Built Environment Accelerate-to-Market Programme (BEAMP), an open innovation initiative jointly organised by BCA, JTC, and Enterprise Singapore.

The programme has been bringing innovators and industry firms together to fast-track the innovation process for new solutions. For example, local innovator Fabrica AI has collaborated with Woh Hup and BHCC Construction to deploy its automated floor tile grouting robot which could potentially improve the speed of grouting work.

Developing and Inspiring Engineers of Tomorrow

To shape the future through engineering innovations, we must ensure a robust pipeline of engineering talent.

First, we need to ensure that more young Singaporeans continue to see Engineering as an attractive career of purpose and impact.

For the Built Environment sector, this is especially important as we embark on ambitious building projects, such as Changi Terminal 5, Marina Bay Sands’ 4^th Tower, and the Greater Southern Waterfront.

This is why we set up the Taskforce for Architectural and Engineering Consultants last September, co-chaired by Minister Indranee Rajah and Mr Chaly Mah, Chairman of Surbana Jurong Group.

I would like to thank IES for its contributions to the Taskforce, especially in curating initiatives to introduce BE career opportunities to more students.

It is heartening to see IES championing various initiatives like the IES Scholarship Fund that supports promising engineering students, and the Engineering Innovation Challenge (EIC) that provides a platform for secondary school students to design and build innovative solutions to tackle real-world challenges.

For all our students in the audience, I encourage you to tap on these opportunities to deepen your knowledge, apply your skills and make new like-minded friends.

For practising engineers, we also need to help them gain the right skills to be ready for future challenges.

To support our engineers, our Institutes of Higher Learning offer a wide range of professional development courses to equip our engineering professionals with in-demand skills.

This includes both technical knowledge and an array of soft skills, including communication skills.

Concluding Remarks

Let me conclude by thanking IES for being the bridge between the government and industry and for its dedication to promoting engineering to the wider community.

I would also like to express my heartfelt appreciation to all participants in this year’s Engineering Innovation Challenge (EIC). Your work inspires us to push the boundaries of engineering and I'm excited to see how your innovative ideas will contribute to building a more resilient and future-ready Singapore.

Congratulations to all our winners. Wishing everyone a wonderful evening ahead.