Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen presented the Defence Technology Prize (DTP) to three individuals and four teams at the DTP award ceremony held at the DSO National Laboratories (DSO) this afternoon. Among them are individuals and teams from Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) agencies – including the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), DSO, defence industry, academic and research institutes.

Speaking at the award ceremony, Dr Ng highlighted the strategic trust built between MINDEF/SAF and the Defence Technology Community which has enabled the co-creation of new ideas and capabilities for Singapore’s defence. Citing some examples, he said, “For the Navy, this was the “Thank you” moment when the new Littoral Mission Vessels and the Meredith 400 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle came into operation…For the Air Force, the Island Air Defence system, and for the Army, the Terrex and the Army Battlefield Internet. I am confident that it will be the same when DSTA and DSO delivers the Army’s Next Generation Armoured Fighting Vehicles, stand-off Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance capabilities, the Smart Air Base, and the ceramic armour. Indeed, it is a virtue that we have many positive instances to build up strategic trust.”

Dr Ng also highlighted the value of working more closely with local partners and commercial solutions to exploit new technological developments for breakthroughs in defence capability. In this regard, Dr Ng announced the partnership between DSTA and NUS Enterprise for an open collaboration space called DSTA@71. DSTA@71 will allow the DTC to partner local start-ups to rapidly develop new solutions for real-life challenges in defence and security by tapping into the latest developments in artificial intelligence, data science, robotics and augmented reality.

Established in 1989, the DTP is awarded annually to individuals and teams that have made significant technological contributions to the defence capability of Singapore. The DTP also serves to foster technological innovation and encourage breakthroughs in defence science and technology.