KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENCE, MR HENG CHEE HOW, AT THE YOUNG DEFENCE SCIENTISTS PROGRAMME CONGRESS 2025 ON 25 APRIL 2025

Board Members and Management of DSTA and DSO,

Principals and Teachers,

Parents and Students,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A very good afternoon to everyone. I am delighted to be here for this celebratory milestone - the Young Defence Scientists Programme (YDSP) Congress 2025. Firstly, to all our participants, well done on reaching this point in your YDSP journey. Next, to our scholarship recipients, heartiest congratulations! 

Importance of STEM

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is the foundation of society’s progress and has enabled improvements to the way we live, work and interact. It is all around us – just think about it – this iconic building that we are in, the smartphone in your pocket, the many applications that allow us to connect in real time with others all over the world. Without scientists and engineers, clearly our lives would be much poorer off. 

STEM is essential for Singapore and Singapore’s defence. As a country, we do not have natural resources like oil. What we do have is our people. And it is important that we cultivate a love and passion for science and technology among young people like yourselves.  

In defence, the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and DSO National Laboratories (DSO) drive science and technology. The YDSP programme is our signature platform that allows DSTA and DSO to offer bright and determined minds an insight into the use of technologies in defence. There are varied opportunities to take on real world challenges and deliver creative ideas – both in the physical and digital world. 

Over the past year, more than 400 of you from across 19 schools participated. DSTA ran science and technology camps covering a range of topics related to artificial intelligence, robotics and space exploration. DSO had the World of Science covering workshops, experiments, exciting field trips with enrichment modules ranging from aerodynamics, cryptography, to quantum technology. 

A key highlight is our Research@YDSP, which is a four-month project attachment under the mentorship of our scientists and engineers. I would like to commend Felicia Tan and Amy Low from Raffles Institution. Their project was about using agentic AI approach to identify hate content in videos, which is nowadays, a very serious and tricky problem. It was awarded the Gold Award at the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair. And they have since been selected to represent Singapore at the International Science and Engineering Fair in Columbus, Ohio, which will be held in May. So congratulations to them both!

As you can see, YDSP is a great platform that allows you to work on real problems with advanced technologies. Many of you expressed that your understanding of various topics has expanded. I look forward to hearing more about your projects and experiences later in the exhibition space outside.

Technology for the SAF

Speaking of technology addressing real world challenges – Singapore is small and needs to continually stay relevant to survive and thrive. Hence technology has been and always will be a game changer and force multiplier for the Singapore Armed Forces. At this juncture, let me share some recent examples where our defence scientists and engineers contributed their skills and expertise. 

The Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS), which is the SAF’s fourth service after the Army, Navy and Air Force, and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) organised the Critical Infrastructure Defence Exercise last November. Our scientists and engineers designed novel attack scenarios against critical infrastructure test-beds such as power plants. An interesting attack they developed, was to maliciously modify an AI model to provide the attacker with remote access into the defender’s network. This is a realistic concern today, as many software developers download their AI models from open-source platforms, which meant that they could potentially be  subverted. 

Next, in February this year, the Navy began autonomous operations of our Maritime Security Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) in the Singapore Strait, and as you know, amongst the busiest in the world. This marks a significant step forward. Designed and developed locally, these USVs utilise an indigenous collision detection and avoidance algorithm tailored for safe navigation in our highly congested waters. There are no established standards globally for safe navigation of autonomous vessels. Hence our engineers and scientists developed our own safety verification and validation framework from scratch, and our framework has been affirmed by international experts. 

Lastly, SAFTI City (Phase 1). SAFTI City was officially launched just last month. It is the SAF’s latest, most realistic and advanced urban city for training. This is as close to real-life as it is. Our DSTA engineers worked closely with the Army to incorporate innovative ideas and technologies. This includes smart instrumentation and targets that will shoot-back, with data collection for performance reviews. And swing panels, like “big doors”, that can be opened or closed to change the layout of the city – and it will be different every time you enter for a mission. 

Moving forward, the partnership between defence scientists and engineers with the SAF will only grow closer – both sides working together out in the field, to ensure Singapore always has the best tools and technologies to defend herself.  

YDSP Participants Turned DSTA and DSO Personnel

The world has changed much. There is a rise in conflicts and wars, around the world. The future is uncertain. However, what is certain is that Singapore needs our scientists and engineers. Many of our DSO and DSTA personnel started out through the YDSP programme. 

Take Tan Si Wei, for example. He was first introduced to the world of defence tech in 2009 at the YDSP Science and Technology Camp. After gaining insights into the exciting work, he was inspired to pursue a career in this field with the DSTA Scholarship. Today, Si Wei is a cybersecurity engineer with DSTA; and in that role, he finds fulfilment in developing and implementing solutions that enhance the security of our defence systems. 

Another example is Tay Jing Xuan, a robotics autonomy engineer in DSO. Jing Xuan was a participant in Research@YDSP in 2015 and 2016. Fast forward to today, Jing Xuan has come full circle and has become a mentor at this year’s Research@YDSP. 

So we all hope that there will be many more amongst you who will be like Si Wei and Jing Xuan. May you continue your exciting journey of learning and growing in STEM, and then consider joining the Defence Technology Community. 

Closing

At this point, I would like to say a big thank you to the mentors, principals, teachers, and parents. You play a key role in nurturing the next generation; thank you for the time and effort you have put in. Thank you also to those who have worked behind the scenes to make the YDSP programme and today’s Congress possible and successful.

I again extend my heartiest congratulations to all YDSP participants and our new YDSP and DSTA JC scholars! Stay curious, stay determined and keep exploring. Thank you very much.