Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Heng Chee How was the Guest-of-Honour at the IGNITE Innovation Symposium 2024 (IIS24) held at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) this morning, where he presented awards to thirteen Minister for Defence Award (MDA) recipients. A total of 121 individuals, teams and units from across MINDEF and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are being recognised for their innovations and work improvement efforts. These innovations led to a safer operational environment, cost and man-hour savings as well as contributing to a greener SAF.

Mr Heng congratulated the award recipients and emphasised that the spirit of innovation was key to overcoming challenges and achieving success for MINDEF and the SAF. He said, “To win the battle, we must always have people who can think or do things differently, to change the rules of the game as they were, and to gain an advantage. The side that possesses persons with such aptitude has great advantage and the side that cannot adapt to changing or challenging circumstances will likely lose… Therefore, across MINDEF and the SAF, we must keep up this spirit of innovation. In this way, we keep our organisation nimble, sharp and quick to adapt, crucial tools that will help us overcome security challenges that will continue to arise.”

Mr Heng said that the organisation’s emphasis on nurturing and cultivating the innovation spirit had borne fruit, with the Republic of Singapore Navy’s Maritime Security Unmanned Surface Vessel being fully operational later in the year and the Singapore Army having more micro-unmanned aerial vehicles. He highlighted that innovation must not only be top down but also from bottom up, and was glad that servicemen and women have responded to the call, resulting in innovations such the Digital and Intelligence Service’s CyTEC Metaverse, which simulates a realistic digital training environment.

IIS24 aims to recognise the achievements and contributions of units and personnel in innovation, provide a platform for cross sharing of innovative projects and bolster the spirit of continuous learning and improvement within the organisation. The theme, “Reimagine Endless Possibilities” embodies the spirit of creativity and experimentation, and signifies MINDEF/SAF’s willingness to break free from conventional thinking and to explore uncharted territories. 

Also present at the awards presentation ceremony were Permanent Secretary for Defence Mr Chan Heng Kee, Chief of Defence Force Vice Admiral Aaron Beng, as well as senior officials from MINDEF and the SAF.