SINGAPORE - Engineers have been instrumental in Singapore's security and success, and will play a key role in the future economy, developing solutions which can be exported to the world, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.

The engineering community, working in concert with the Government, academia and industry, will also be needed to devise solutions to tackle the challenges of climate change, Mr Heng said on Thursday (Oct 10).

Speaking at The Institution of Engineers, Singapore's (IES) 53rd annual dinner, he said the engineering community's pursuit of excellence and innovation is crucial as Singapore strives to be a "global-Asia node for technology, innovation and enterprise".

More engineers will be needed to design and implement innovative solutions to increasingly complex challenges.

This will be in domains from advanced manufacturing, to urban solutions and sustainability, digitalisation and services economy, and biomedical sciences and healthcare, said Mr Heng.

"Instead of buying solutions off-the-shelf, we need to develop the capabilities to engineer our own solutions, especially in key strategic areas.

"Like our water story, we can turn constraints into strengths," he told about 1,000 gathered at the Shangri-La Hotel.

"As the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. If we succeed, we can export our solutions around the world," he added.

This is already happening. Solutions for urban farming and low-carbon buildings that have been designed locally can be useful to many other cities, he noted.

In a 17-minute speech, Mr Heng spelt out the role engineers have played in building Singapore's defence capabilities, securing a sustainable supply of water, and transforming the economy in sectors such as manufacturing and maritime.

With climate change, engineers will also be counted on to help in dealing with the threat of rising sea levels.

"We will need to build up our coastal defences for critical segments such as Jurong Island and the area stretching from East Coast to the city. The Dutch built dykes and polders... We should study the option and find solutions and adaptations that work for Singapore," he said.

Mr Heng also said Singapore will need to groom its engineers and leaders in the field for the future.

He commended the IES for its efforts, like the Global Engineers Leadership Programme.

The latest is its IES-Incubator and Accelerator programme, which was launched on Thursday to help mentor engineers who want to be entrepreneurs and offering start-up funding.

He also highlighted the IES' collaboration with academia, and government agencies to develop career progression frameworks, capability building programmes, and industry technical standards.

Mr Heng said the IES is, for example, currently involved in developing a set of standards for railway systems, together with the Land Transport Authority, SMRT, SBS Transit and Enterprise Singapore.

In the public sector, the Government also set up a Public Sector Science and Technology Policy and Plans Office under the Prime Minister's Office last month, Mr Heng said. It will conduct science and technology master planning and strengthen the public sector's science and technology capabilities.

ALMOST BECAME AN ENGINEER

At Thursday's dinner, Mr Heng was made an IES Distinguished Honorary Patron, for his contributions to the engineering profession.

Mr Heng's strong support of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education during his time as Education Minister from 2011 to 2015, his role as chairman of the Future Economy Council and on the National Research Foundation were listed, among other contributions, in his citation.

Mr Heng said he was very honoured to receive the award, adding that he almost became an engineer.

"Almost 40 years ago, when I applied for a Public Service Commission (PSC) scholarship, I asked to study engineering, as I felt there was joy in building things," Mr Heng shared.

However, the PSC told him that there were too many students pursing engineering, and not enough in the humanities, he said. The PSC offered him a scholarship to study economics.

"So I spent months while doing my national service thinking of my choices, before deciding to take what was then a path less trodden. That's why I said I was almost an engineer - as a teenage aspiration," he added.

OTHER IES AWARDS

Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng was made an IES Honorary Fellow, for his contributions to engineering education, and the development of leaders in the industry.

Mr Tan Ee Ping, 80, who had an illustrious 55-year career in engineering, was given this year's Lifetime Engineering Achievement Award by Mr Heng.

Mr Tan, a civil engineer, had been involved in projects including the Jurong Industrial Estate and Changi Airport, and had won several awards, such as for his structural designs for Plaza By The Park and the 40-storey DBS Tower II. He has also served on numerous government and statutory boards, and led various engineering societies.

Mr Tan told The Straits Times: "Engineers are wealth creators in Singapore, developing the infrastructure from industrial buildings to harbours, airports and railways. This has contributed to the economic growth and advancement of our country.

"It is really necessary that we nurture more engineers and make a quantum leap in this direction."