Address by 2M Indranee Rajah at World Engineering Day 2026: Charles Rudd Distinguished Global Lectures

I am delighted to join you here today at the Charles Rudd Distinguished Global Lectures. I don't think I have ever been in a room so full of engineers before, so I am in very distinguished company.

It is a celebration of World Engineers Day; it is also a recognition of what engineers have contributed to Singapore, to the world. And to recognise that engineering excellence lies not merely in technical expertise, but in adaptability and resilience in the face of unprecedented challenges.

Our commitment remains clear: to engineer progress that enables our buildings to stand strong, our communities to stay connected, and our cities to thrive.

In our era of rapid technological evolution, the engineer's capacity for creative problem-solving and agility has never been more crucial to our collective future.

Engineering Singapore's Transformation

The future of Singapore is inextricably linked with the future of our engineering profession. Over the next 10 to 15 years, we will undertake some of the most ambitious engineering projects in our nation's history.

We will build at least 80,000 new homes across more than 10 new housing areas islandwide. We will construct Changi Airport Terminal 5, redevelop Paya Lebar Air Base into a new-generation town. We will unlock the potential of the Greater Southern Waterfront, and create Long Island to build homes and enhance coastal protection along the East Coast. There will be many other things that we do that will need engineering capabilities and expertise, including aviation, aerospace and maritime.

All these projects hinge on our engineering capabilities, and each presents unique engineering challenges that will test the profession's ingenuity. To transform our plans to reality, we need engineers with the determination, innovation and that "can-do" spirit to achieve the extraordinary.

Strengthening Our Talent Pipeline

To accomplish our ambitious development plans, we need many more engineers and Built Environment professionals. At last week's Committee of Supply debate, I said we need 1,000 new architects and engineers per year. We must therefore plan for the future of the profession and build the pipeline of engineers accordingly.

Last year, the Taskforce for Architectural and Engineering Consultants, which I co-chaired with Mr Chaly Mah, Chairman of SJ Group, launched a suite of 11 recommendations to strengthen the Built Environment pipeline and its transformation. We have doubled down on efforts to position the sector as a career of choice by improving HR and career development support and supporting workplace well-being. We have also launched the INSPIRE internship programme that deepens on-the-job learning, improves mentorship and enables higher starting salaries for Built Environment graduates. I am glad that the industry has responded strongly and the first batch of interns have been onboarded.

We are encouraged by the promising early results with an increase in students applying for and enrolling in civil engineering and architecture courses in the recent academic year. We will press on with efforts to attract our fair share of the best and brightest to join the Built Environment sector.

These strategies, of course, will apply to engineering across the board, not just for the Built Environment, but for mechanical and electrical, aviation, aerospace, computer, all the other disciplines of the engineering infrastructure.

One thing I would like to encourage you to do: the engineering pipeline is important. And you know our national Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has been on a slightly downward trajectory. I think the engineering TFR has also been on a slightly downward trajectory with a slight uptick in last year. And there are a few things you might need to bear in mind.

There is such a thing as a generational or cohort mindset difference. I look around the room today and I see many, like myself, are from the baby boomer generation. And we grew up under certain circumstances, with certain experiences, certain global events, which have shaped our thinking, our attitudes towards life and jobs, and how we approach things in general.

Each cohort - Gen X, Gen Y, Gen Z, millennials, and the next one, Gen Alpha - will actually be shaped by different experiences. So their mindset is not the same. And if you want to solve the puzzle of how to attract and recruit more into the engineering profession, you have to understand the generational mindset of that particular generation you are seeking to recruit.

Currently, I think it is the millennials and Gen Zs. And what they are searching for is purpose and fulfilment, even as much as they look at starting salaries and remuneration.

So one thing the engineering profession as a whole must do is help the younger generation understand what is your value add. Why even be an engineer? What is it that engineers do that make a difference to the world.

And if you can help these younger generations understand the value and purpose of engineering, that is what will attract them to the profession. And indeed, engineers do so much. Engineers literally help the world go round. Engineers keep us up in the air. Engineers send us into space. Engineers send us to the depth of the oceans. Engineers will be the ones that make a difference in a time of climate change. If you can help the millennials and Gen Z understand the value proposition, I think it will make a big difference.

The other thing, of course, is you have to remember that the generations are not the same. So once you have finished pitching to the millennials and Gen Zs, we will have to start thinking about how to recruit Gen Alpha. Gen Alpha is currently in secondary school, so they will have a different mindset, and you will have to approach them differently as well. So just those thoughts on recruitment.

The next thing I want to touch on is the general approach in the sector. One of the other strategies to strengthen our pipeline is the Built Environment (BE) Care Charter, which focuses on supporting professional wellbeing and greater project partnership within the sector. This initiative recognises that a supportive professional environment is essential for both current practitioners as well as future talent.

Together, we are turning these recommendations into concrete actions that will attract and retain talent in engineering and other Built Environment professions.

But our vision extends beyond filling positions. We want to cultivate a generation of engineers who will tackle challenges that we cannot yet imagine. Climate change, resource scarcity, and technological disruption will require engineers who can think systemically, collaborate globally, and adapt continuously.

Uplifting Built Environment Productivity and Innovation

As we transform Singapore's landscape, we must also transform how we build. The Built Environment sector faces pressing challenges such as rising construction costs, labour shortages, and the need for faster project delivery. These challenges require us to fundamentally rethink our approach to construction and engineering.

We are moving beyond traditional construction methods by embracing digital transformation and Advanced Manufacturing and Assembly techniques. The adoption of Integrated Digital Delivery for all new developments has grown significantly from approximately 20% of Gross Floor Area (GFA) in 2020, to 76% in 2025, exceeding our target of 70% under the Built Environment Industry Transformation Map. Similarly, the adoption of Design for Manufacturing & Assembly has also increased to 76% of new developments by GFA in 2025, exceeding our 70% target.

For engineers, this means working with sophisticated digital tools that enhance design precision, reduce errors, and enable more efficient project delivery.

Building on this momentum, we are taking our commitment to innovation even further. MND recently announced the formation of an Action Team to improve Built Environment productivity, comprising industry partners and various agencies. Amongst other things, the Action Team will explore how advances in AI and robotics can transform the way we plan, build and maintain buildings in Singapore.

In the coming months, the Action Team will be consulting with various stakeholders across the Built Environment value chain. We want to hear your ideas and suggestions on how we can harness technology to create safer worksites, reduce costs, improve productivity, and open more exciting career opportunities for engineers.

This technological transformation will not replace engineers. Instead, it will empower engineers to tackle more complex challenges and create solutions that were previously impossible.

Shaping a Pro-Enterprise Business Climate

Enabling our engineering profession to thrive requires more than just technological advancement. We also need to shape a broader ecosystem which allows our engineers to grow and innovate, as well as for their ideas to flourish.

This is why we have made pro-enterprise rules review a key priority for the Government. My colleagues and I regularly meet industry stakeholders to hear your feedback and suggestions on how we can work together to transform our regulations and processes.

Through this partnership, our Built Environment professionals can operate more effectively, and the government can ensure that our regulations achieve their intended outcomes without imposing undue burden on the industry.

I am pleased to announce that our agencies have harmonised their service standards for Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) and Certificate of Statutory Completion (CSC) inspections. Previously, agencies had varying response times on scheduling of TOP inspections and follow up responses. The publication of the harmonised service standards provides the industry with greater timeline certainty for TOP and CSC inspections. This is crucial for project budgeting and planning for your projects. This results in savings of up to 3 days for each application, benefiting around 900 applications annually. These harmonised standards will also be supported by CORENET X's centralised booking system, where project parties can view and monitor their inspection booking requests.

Additionally, we are implementing an escalation framework to track TOP/CSC applications with multiple written directions under CORENET X. This framework will ensure that applications involving conflicting agency requirements are actively surfaced for timely resolution, reducing iterations and achieving faster clearance times.

This streamlined approach reflects our commitment to supporting the Built Environment sector with clearer processes and predictable timelines, enabling engineers and firms to plan more effectively and focus on creating innovative solutions.

Building a Sustainable Singapore

As we create more efficient business processes and embrace technological innovation, we must also ensure that our engineering solutions serve a larger purpose - building a sustainable future for generations to come.

Sustainability is an engineering challenge that requires the best of our profession's problem-solving capabilities. Our approach to sustainability in Singapore focuses on two key areas where engineers can play crucial roles.

First, we are investing in climate mitigation. Our Built Environment Decarbonisation Technology Roadmap contributes to this by guiding our efforts towards achieving the Singapore Green Building Masterplan's (SGBMP) "80-80-80" targets by 2030.

We will need our engineers to contribute your skills and expertise to enhance the overall sustainability performance of our new and existing buildings, working towards various standards under the SGBMP such as the Green Mark Certification Scheme.

Projects like the Samwoh Smart Hub - Singapore's first office building to achieve Green Mark Positive Energy Building certification demonstrates that engineers are not just building more efficiently but reimagining what buildings can be. With over 80% energy efficiency improvement compared to 2005 levels, as well as on-site solar energy generation that is 25% more than the building's energy consumption, the project is setting new benchmarks in energy performance and return on investment.

Second, we are stepping up our efforts in climate adaptation to build a climate-resilient nation. One of the ways we are doing this is through climate-resilient design. As a low-lying nation-state, Singapore is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and heat, increasing rainfall intensity and extreme weather events. All of you have experienced this yourselves in the past few weeks and months.

Our engineers therefore play critical roles in building infrastructure to keep Singapore safe and comfortable through implementing flood prevention solutions and urban cooling strategies. Engineers must also remain open to new and innovative ways of adapting to climate change, including advanced construction methods and materials that can withstand the test of extreme weather events.

While we focus on transforming Singapore, the impact of our engineering expertise extends far beyond our shores. Singapore firms are contributing to urban transport projects in China, waterways transport projects in Bangladesh, and renewable energy infrastructure across Southeast Asia, improving millions of lives across the region.

The ASEAN Power Grid initiative exemplifies this global impact. Our engineers are designing cross-border power interconnections that will bring reliable, affordable energy to over 680 million people, powering economic development across the region.

This global engagement enriches our local engineering community, exposing our professionals to diverse challenges and innovative approaches that enhance their capabilities when they return home.

Conclusion

The future of engineering in Singapore will be transformational, where engineers will reshape not just our built environment, but our relationship with technology, nature, and each other.

I encourage each of you to think beyond your immediate projects and consider your role in shaping our future. Mentor students and young engineers. Share your passion for the profession. Demonstrate the lifelong learning mindset essential for today's engineering challenges. Show them the purpose of engineers.

Your experience and guidance can shape the next generation of engineers who will tackle tomorrow's challenges with both technical expertise and digital fluency, creating solutions that serve not just Singapore, but the world.

The future is not something that happens to us, but it is something we engineer. And with your expertise, creativity, and commitment, that future will be extraordinary.

Thank you very much.