MINDEF DEMONSTRATES EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATION

Innovation is not just about inventing new things, but also finding ways to use existing technology to be more efficient and effective. And that was what a team from the 2nd People's Defence Force did when they came up with the idea of patrolling around camps using Segways - electric-powered transportation platforms on two wheels.

The group came up with the idea to use the Segway to double up as both a patrol vehicle and a platform for easy movement within camps in a short amount of time.

For that, they were awarded the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) Innovator Award at the MINDEF Innovation-in-Action Seminar 2010 held at The Chevrons on 2 Nov.

Major (MAJ) Darren Kwek Beng Tik, who received the award on behalf of his team, said: "This award is very encouraging as lots of good ideas tend to come from people on the ground. This award can spur and motivate people to bring innovation into our everyday lives. Personally, I also found the innovation process really interesting when I had to sell this idea to other heads of units."

To be eligible for this award, teams' projects must be supported by the Innovate@MINDEF Fund, which provides funding support for the prototyping and trials of innovative projects arising from within MINDEF or the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

An annual event since 2006, the seminar is dedicated to the learning and sharing of innovation best practices. Carrying the theme Connecting the D.O.T.S. (Deployment, Operations, Training and Sustainability) through Innovation, this year's seminar invited speakers to share on topics concerning innovation in operations, leadership and training.

Chief of Navy and Chairman of the I-Learn (Innovation through Learning, Empowerment And ReNewal) Committee, Rear-Admiral (RADM) Chew Men Leong, who was the guest of honour at the event, said: "Innovation is fundamental for greater productivity and effectiveness in all aspects of an organisation besides spurring productivity, innovation is key to achieving operational readiness and mission success."

Besides the Innovator Award, two other awards - the Organisation Innovation Excellence Award and Letter of Commendation - were given out to the Air Force Training Command and Team Selamat Hull from Changi Maintenance Base respectively.

The former is awarded to organisations that demonstrate innovation excellence through the attainment of the Innovation Class certification or has completed the Jumpstart programme, while the latter commended teams which were winners of national and/or international competitions such as the International Convention on Quality Concept Circle (ICQCC) 2010 and Team Excellence Symposium (TES) 2010. The Jumpstart programme takes units through a series of milestones to develop innovative solutions that are linked to the unit's strategic concerns.

About 600 participants from various MINDEF departments, the Services and the Defence Science & Technology Agency took part in the seminar and workshops organised by the Innovation and Transformation branch, Organisation Excellence Department, this year. It was also the first time that the seminar was opened to National Service commanders.