Mr Mervyn Sirisena, President of the Institution of Engineers, Singapore
Distinguished Guests, Ladies & Gentlemen
1. A very good afternoon to each and everyone of you. It is truly my pleasure to join you at the National Engineers Day – Engineering Innovation Challenge 2026 Prize Presentation Ceremony. As Mervyn was sharing earlier, [WT1.1]it is really a great feat for Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES) to have reached 60 years in all that you do, the many contributions that you have had for Singapore. So could I invite everyone to give a big round of applause to IES and what they have contributed to engineering in the country.
2. Mervyn mentioned that in [WT2.1]my previous life, before I joined MOE, I was a clinical psychiatrist in private practice. Psychiatrists look to matters of the heart. But from what I have seen at the exhibition that the students have done, the engineers look to the matters of the world.
3. And there are so many things that I saw at the exhibition earlier. It was just a glimmer of it, actually, but [WT3.1]SI could get a sense that engineering has no boundaries in terms of its impact and its utility to the world.
4. Whether it be in the context of space or even biomedical – I was just reflecting on some of the medications that I may have used to prescribe, and if behind that particular medication, whatever tool that I used, was an engineer contributing to the process.
Engineering the New Future
5. This year's theme, "Engineering the New Future: Unlocking Opportunities through Emerging Technologies", is especially timely. As technologies mature and develop, new ways emerge to allow us to solve problems that once seemed intractable before. In turn, they reshape how our economy operates, how our cities function and how we interact with each other – for the better. Behind each technological breakthrough are engineers, many of you here, who repeatedly combine curiosity, combine creativity and combine your technical expertise to innovate, to experiment and to bring ideas to fruition and reality.
6. This is why nurturing the next generation of engineers, the many young faces in the room, this is why it [WT4.1]matters. As we position Singapore as a trusted hub for advanced manufacturing, AI, green energy and other emerging and growth sectors, we need to develop a workforce that is not just technically sound in engineering expertise, but one that is curious about the world, one that possesses the judgement to use technology responsibly and also has the resilience to see things through – translating your creative ideas into reality.
7. The Engineering Innovation Challenge is an excellent platform for exactly this. It gives students the chance to take what they have learnt in the classroom and apply it to real problems faced by industry, faced by communities and faced by people. Beyond technical skills and knowledge, this competition also develops something that can sometimes be harder to teach in the classroom: and that is the willingness to sit with a difficult problem, to have the courage to test an idea that might not work in the first instance, and even then, to keep going anyway and to try still. I'm sure this has been the experience of many of the students over past few months. These are indeed the makings of a good engineer.
8. This year's submissions spanned areas including energy, space technologies, water security, digital transformation, healthcare and ageing – challenges that matter deeply to Singapore and the global communities far beyond our shores. Singapore is not the only aging society in the world. There are many societies that grapple with similar problems that we have, and some of the solutions at the exhibition today that our students have put forth will also be applicable in the world beyond.
9. What stands out to me is not just the breadth of topics, but the thoughtfulness and depth of consideration behind each project. Each team has taken the time and effort to understand and articulate the problem statements, and why they mattered.
10. For all the teams here – whether you receive an award today or otherwise – know that the clarity of purpose, the collaborative teamwork, the growth journey together, the friendships and the months of hard work that it has taken you to get here are all things that you should be proud of – be it individually or as a team.
Supporting the Next Generation of Engineers
11. I also want to acknowledge the community of support behind each team. I met some of your mentors earlier, who had given their time and expertise, the teachers who have stayed over late nights to help a team work through a problem, parents offering your encouragement, as well as industry partners and judges who have seen the potential in these young people's ideas.
12. I would also like to thank IES for its longstanding commitment in nurturing engineering talent in Singapore – it is no mean feat to do so for 60 years. Today we will see two Memoranda of Understanding being signed as a reflection of that commitment in action.
13. On one hand, the new partnership with the Association of Aerospace Industries (Singapore) opens exciting possibilities in the aerospace sector and reflects the continued importance of industry in professional development. On the other hand, the renewal of partnerships with PSB Academy and our Institutes of Higher Learning reflects the commitment by IES and the engineering industry to strengthen engineering education and build a resilient engineering talent pipeline for the country.
14. Taken together, these partnerships provide opportunities for our students to learn and innovate, with a view towards contributing their expertise and abilities meaningfully to society. It is not just about the knowledge that you gain, but also how you make use of that knowledge to then impact society, impact the country, and impact people for the greater good.
Concluding Remarks
15. To all our students, I encourage you to keep asking questions, to keep exploring new technologies and to keep challenging yourselves to solve meaningful problems. The future may bring much uncertainty, but it will also bring tremendous opportunity. Singapore needs people who are prepared to imagine what is possible and then work together to make it happen. I look forward to seeing you become the engineers, become the innovators and become the leaders who will shape Singapore's future.
16. Thank you very much.