HTX, ST Engineering unveil new marine systems lab

Summary

• The MAST Lab, a joint venture between HTX and ST Engineering, opened on 26 June 2026.
• The MAST Lab accelerates development of marine systems using rapid prototyping, digital testing, and autonomous system integration.
• The engineers in the MAST Lab use Virtual Reality technology to visualise and refine designs before construction begins.
• One focus of the MAST Lab is creating next-generation vessels built around a common design framework.
• The common design framework simplifies crew training and improves maintenance efficiency across the fleet.

HTX’s efforts to force multiply the Home Team and enhance its maritime operations received a boost with the opening of a new facility called the Marine Advanced Systems and Technology Laboratory (MAST Lab) on 26 June 2026.

A joint initiative between HTX and ST Engineering, the new lab is designed to speed up the development and testing of new technologies for marine vessels used by the Home Team. This includes experimenting with new designs, building early prototypes, and exploring how autonomous and unmanned systems can be integrated into future vessels.

The goal? To turn promising ideas into reality quicker than traditional development processes would allow.

“The MAST Lab reflects our commitment to continuous innovation in maritime capabilities for public safety. By bringing together technology, engineering and operational expertise, we are building the next generation of maritime systems to make our waters safer,” said HTX Assistant Chief Executive (Engineering) Cheng Wee Kiang.

Chung Kam Sam, the director of HTX’s Marine Systems Centre of Expertise, said the MAST Lab represents a significant step towards how HTX designs new marine capabilities for new and existing vessels for the Police Coast Guard and the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

"Beyond being able to rapidly prototype and test ideas digitally before implementing onboard, we will also be able to examine the vessel’s core aspects such as speed and seakeeping," he added.

A key focus of the MAST Lab is developing next-generation marine vessels for the Home Team built around a common design framework. This is essentially a shared blueprint that makes boats easier to operate and maintain, reduces the time and effort needed to train crews and keep vessels in service, and allows new unmanned technologies to be added more readily in future.

The lab will also work on building robust platform systems suited for unmanned surface vessels operating at sea.

To support this work, the MAST Lab will use Virtual Reality Cave technology, an immersive, room-scale virtual reality environment that can be used to rapidly visualise and test vessel designs. This allows engineers and operational end-users to walk through and discuss design concepts together before any physical construction begins.

“The MAST Lab underscores ST Engineering’s commitment to advancing maritime innovation and supporting Singapore’s Home Team in strengthening public safety capabilities. Our continued strong partnership with HTX is a testament to what we can achieve by combining deep engineering expertise with operational insight. Through this collaboration, we are able to accelerate the development of next-generation marine systems using manned and unmanned vessel technologies,” said Tan Leong Peng, President of ST Engineering Marine.