Events Innovation

Igniting research excellence at HTX CoE Day 2025

The gathering of leaders from across HTX’s Centres of Expertise (CoEs) aimed to inspire new collective approaches to research and technology (R&T) efforts

HTX’s first CoE Day. (Photo: HTX/Alywin Chew)

The inaugural HTX CoE Day was held at the Lifelong Learning Institute on 3 July 2025, bringing together over 140 leaders from 15 CoEs to connect over a day of insightful discussions with a galvanising undertone: to not rest on our laurels, and to strengthen collective research and technology (R&T) efforts.

In his opening remarks, Deputy Chief Executive (DCE) (Development) Ng Yeow Boon emphasised the need for HTX’s CoEs to maintain clear and effective R&T strategies to stay ahead of the curve.

“We are really at a turning point. A turning point that has caused us to rethink whether our strategies of today are still relevant, and what we are doing today is effective for tomorrow,” he said.

HTX DCE (Development) Ng Yeow Boon speaks about the need to focus on “speed, scale, synergies and significance” in HTX’s R&T. (Photo: HTX/Alywin Chew)

Research and development (R&D), he noted, is the “lifeblood of science and technology”. But with the 15 CoEs specialising in vastly different disciplines, interpretations of and approaches to R&D may vary across the teams.

And as the CoEs’ capabilities continue to grow, he urged CoE leaders to break silos, strengthen cross-functional collaboration and establish strategic partnerships to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

Xponents from the Forensics CoE pose at the event. (Photo: HTX/Alywin Chew)

The event’s keynote speaker, Professor Quek Tong Boon, Chief Executive of the Singapore National Robotics Programme, then spoke about harnessing technology as a force multiplier for our national security and addressed the key challenges faced in Singapore’s R&D landscape. He also highlighted the importance of tapping into the R&D ecosystem while balancing in-house development with the adoption of external capabilities.

Man speaking on stage in front of audience

Professor Quek Tong Boon addresses CoE leaders in his keynote speech. (Photo: HTX)

Leaders of HTX’s CoEs enjoying themselves at the first CoE Day. (Photo: HTX/Alywin Chew)

Sharpening instincts

In two panel discussions, industry and academia professionals in the R&D space were also invited to share their thoughts on deepening upstream research and foundational science, as well as translating innovation into operational capabilities.

The segment titled “Shift Left/Shift Right – Balancing deep research and deployment” focused on a key idea at the core of HTX’s innovation journey – the ability to operate confidently across the entire R&D spectrum.

This involves being able to push bold, meaningful problem statements, and investing in foundational research for the future, at the early or “left” stages of the technology readiness level (TRL) pipeline, while also being able to successfully translate, integrate and deploy the research at the later or “right” stages.

The event emcee (left) speaks to a panel consisting of (from 2nd left) Dr Duane Loh, Associate Professor of National University of Singapore, Dr Du Peng, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GSafety Technology, Professor Francisco Chinesta, Director of CNRS@CREATE, Dr Foong Shao Hui, Associate Professor of Singapore University of Technology and Design, and Dr Portia Loh, Director (CoE Hub) of HTX. (Photo: HTX/Alywin Chew)

During this segment, Dr Portia Loh, Director of HTX’s CoE Hub, highlighted the importance of staying open-minded when finding solutions to problem statements, as they may not always be straightforward.

“In fact, HTX looks to the commercial sector to repurpose technologies from different fields, and apply and contextualise them for our applications (in the Home Team context),” she shared.

In the second panel on “Shift Right”, Ang Chee Wee, Assistant Chief Executive (Digital & Enterprise) of HTX (centre), was joined by Chiko Ben David, Programme Director of Hatch (left), Thia Kai Xin, Vice President (AI & Analytics) of ST Engineering (right), Foo Tuan Tong, Chief Operations Officer and Co-founder of Gaitmetrics and Quek Chin Kwok, Head of Digital Factory Singapore of Thales Solutions Asia (both not pictured). (Photo: HTX/Alywin Chew)

During the second discussion, the panellists, including Ang Chee Wee, HTX’s Assistant Chief Executive (Digital & Enterprise), all agreed on having the appetite to learn from failure, recounting how their own experiences of failure eventually led to even stronger iterations of their solutions.

A visual summary of the panel discussions. (Photo: HTX)

Innovating the HTX way

In the afternoon segment of the programme, a curated group of CoEs showcased their R&D approaches and pillar programmes on topics such as quantum science, robotic swarm artificial intelligence (AI), next-generation chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) impact assessment tools and smart shipyards.

In a round-robin session, Dr Ben Soon from the Robotics, Automation and Unmanned Systems (RAUS) CoE highlighted the importance of working with partners in the space of robotic swarm AI, so as to be prepared against future drone threats. (Photo: HTX/Alywin Chew)

Dr Saravana Kumarasamy, Deputy Director, Modeling and Simulation of HTX’s Human Factors and Simulation CoE, shared about the CoE’s new XTREME lab, which will involve human-in-the-loop car and motorbike simulators. (Photo: HTX)

Loke Yong, Deputy Director, CoE Hub, shared his perspective on HTX’s operational landscape, evolving threat domains, and how CoEs can better align capabilities and collaboration models to meet the long-term needs of the Home Team. (Photo: HTX)

A visual summary of the approaches and pillar programmes shared by the CoEs, as well as CoE Hub. (Photo: HTX)

CoE leaders also engaged in an honest, open dialogue with HTX Chief Executive Chan Tsan (centre), DCE (Development) Yeow Boon (left) and CoE Hub Director Dr Portia Loh (right) on strategies to overcome the challenges faced in HTX’s R&D efforts. (Photo: HTX/Alywin Chew)