The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES) celebrated its 59th annual dinner recently under the theme “Engineering Our Singapore Together”, spotlighting the vital role of engineers in shaping a sustainable and innovative future for the nation. The event was graced by guest-of-honour Mr Chan Chun Sing, Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence, with over 1,100 guests from government, industry and academia in attendance.
As Singapore commemorates SG60 this year, IES also marked the start of its own 60th anniversary journey, reaffirming its commitment to nation-building through innovation, professional excellence and partnerships that will carry Singapore into the next decade of growth. Minister Chan witnessed the unveiling of two key initiatives that signal a new era of digitalisation and recognition for the profession:
- Launch of the new IES60 App – Singapore’s first institutional app with full Customer Relationship Management (CRM) integration, designed to provide seamless engagement for members and non-members through features such as membership management, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) tracking and event registration.
- Unveiling of the IES–SG60 Commemorative Booklet – a special publication chronicling six decades of engineering milestones that powered Singapore’s growth, celebrating the ingenuity, resilience and vision of the nation’s engineers.
“Engineering has always been at the heart of Singapore’s progress. As we approach IES60, we renew our resolve to empower engineers to build a greener, smarter and more resilient Singapore. These milestones mark not just our embrace of digital transformation, but also our tribute to the engineers who built Singapore’s foundations and continue to shape its sustainable future,” said Er. Chan Ewe Jin, President of IES.
Honouring Distinguished Engineering Leaders & Partners
During the dinner, IES paid tribute to visionary engineering leaders whose contributions have shaped Singapore’s infrastructure, economy and society. Their achievements exemplify the innovation, resilience and leadership that continue to drive the nation forward.
Professor Lim Siong Guan was honoured with the IES Lifetime Engineering Achievement Award 2025, in celebration of his extraordinary influence and inspirational leadership over a distinguished 50-year public service career. Mr Desmond Tan, Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office and Deputy Secretary-General of NTUC, was conferred the title of IES Honorary Fellow for his steadfast advocacy of engineers at IES and Singapore’s nation-building.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Engineers
Minister Chan also presented the IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards 2025, which recognise projects that exemplify outstanding engineering innovation and significantly enhance Singapore’s development and quality of life. Emerging out of a rigorous evaluation of 32 submissions, the following seven projects are this year’s winners:
Applied Research and Development
- Land Transport Authority – Large-Scale Fire Tests to Validate Electric Bus Safety in Singapore
Engineering Project
- Housing & Development Board – Innovative Building Maintenance Solutions: CRR and Microwave Scanning Technology
- China Communications Construction Company Ltd and One Smart Engineering Pte Ltd – Construction of Viaduct and Tunnels for Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link
- Land Transport Authority – Thomson East-Coast Line Stage 4 – Engineering Sustainability and Excellence in Singapore’s Rail Corridor
- Defence Science and Technology Agency – SAFTI CITY – The SAF’s Next Generation Smart Training Facility
Technology Innovation
- Land Transport Authority – Smart and Energy Efficient Street Lighting System with Remote Control and Monitoring System (RCMS)
- A*STAR. Institute for Infocom Research – Autonomous Collaborative Patrolling Robots
The IES Sustainability Awards 2025 were also conferred to honour forward-looking initiatives that promote sustainable practices and environmental stewardship through engineering excellence. A total of four winners clinched the awards from a total of 11 project submissions:
Promising Start-ups for Sustainability
- CRecTech Pte Ltd – Catalytic Innovation Enabling Affordable Green Bio-methanol
Innovative Solutions for Sustainability
- National University of Singapore – SHINE: Self-healing actuatable electroluminescent fibre for sustainable interactive technologies
- Samwoh Corporation Pte Ltd – Effective Use of Sedimentary Rock from Jurong Rock Caverns in Structural Concrete for Building Construction
- Nanosun Pte Ltd – nanobubble Catalytic Oxidation System (n-COS)
Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) clinched the IES Outstanding Partner Award 2025 for its significant contributions to IES and for making a profound impact on the practice of engineering in Singapore.
Birthing a New Era of Student Scholarships
In line with its mission to nurture the next generation of engineering talent, IES also presented its inaugural student scholarship awards to six recipients. These awards underscore the institution’s commitment to supporting promising young engineers in their academic pursuits and professional growth, ensuring a strong and sustainable talent pipeline for Singapore’s future. The IES Scholarship Awards 2025 include:
University Category
- Rachael Chan Wen Xuan, Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering, Nanyang Technological University
- Joseph Tan Xue Xian, Bachelor of Mechatronics Systems, Singapore Institute of Technology
- Hansini Prisha Kannan, Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, National University of Singapore
Polytechnic Category
- Chris Goh, Diploma in Robotics and Mechatronics, Nanyang Polytechnic
ITE Category
- Ahmad Danish Bin Johan, Higher Nitec in Electronics Engineering, ITE College Central
- Kayden Koh, Nitec in Aerospace Technology, ITE College Central
IES–Yayasan Mendaki Scholarship 2025 was awarded to two tertiary Malay/Muslim engineering students with outstanding academic performance:
- Muhammad Tsaqiif Bin Yusoff, Bachelor Of Engineering in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University
- Ayumi Erraziqa Binte Mohd Imran Lau, Diploma in Aerospace Engineering, Republic Polytechnic
