Speech by MOS Faishal Ibrahim at the Specialist Trade Alliance of Singapore (STAS) 3rd Edition Prefabricated Mechanical Engineering & Plumbing Day Dinner
Oct 9, 2024
A very good evening to each and every one of you. I am happy to join you here tonight.
Let me begin by showing my appreciation to STAS for being a key partner in our journey to transform the Built Environment sector. You have continued to ensure high standards in MEP production, through the Prefab MEP Manufacturer Accreditation Scheme (MAS). Thank you very much, please join me to give them a big round of applause.
And my congratulations to those of you receiving your accreditations tonight.
Driving adoption of prefab MEP
MEP specialists and engineers like yourselves play an important role in our Built Environment. The systems you design, develop and deploy, help ensure that our buildings are safe, functional, and liveable.
As our society and technologies evolve, so must the ways in which we build and construct things. As an industry, we must continue to transform every part of the Built Environment value chain, so that our sector can become more productive and resilient, and create more meaningful and impactful jobs for Singaporeans.
One way that the MEP ecosystem has been doing so is through the adoption of more advanced production methods, like prefab MEP. Prefab MEP adopts the concept of Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA), where components in MEP systems are integrated into a sub-assembly offsite.
Not only does this create a safer work environment for our engineers and specialists, it is also more productive, as modules can be installed on-site faster, with less manual labour.
The Government will continue to work with you to encourage the adoption of prefab MEP across the Built Environment sector. For instance, we have included as a requisite, the use of prefab MEP for developments under the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme.
I am glad to know that a growing number of MEP firms are actively proposing and advocating for the use of prefab MEP solutions, beyond these requirements. This shows the industry’s growing recognition of the benefits of these solutions, especially amongst service buyers and builders, whom many of you work closely with.
Tonight, we celebrate the firms that have gone above and beyond to champion the adoption of prefab MEP, with the Prefab MEP System Advocate Award. One example is Winner Engineering Pte Ltd, a homegrown specialist in centralised air-conditioning and ventilation solutions. A key member of Winner’s team is Kimura-san, President of Winner Engineering and Global Director of EXEO Global. Kimura-san has been pivotal in growing Winner Engineering’s investments in prefab MEP production systems, as well as the use of robotics and automation to increase productivity.
My heartiest of congratulations to the Winner Engineering team, and the rest of the award winners. Your efforts have helped to raise the image and recognition of MEP contractors, and I hope that it will inspire others to follow in your example.
Driving Digitalisation
Beyond greater adoption, we also need to push for greater digitalisation to reap the full benefits of prefab MEP. For example, digital platforms can bring different project stakeholders together to exchange information more seamlessly and to reduce coordination cost. These support project teams in delivering quality projects for clients.
The Government is committed to supporting you and your company’s journey in strengthening digital capabilities and raising productivity. BCA and IMDA recently refreshed the Built Environment Industry Digital Plan (BE IDP), which helps SMEs in the sector to adopt digital solutions across different stages of their growth, so that they can remain competitive amidst the changing tech landscape.
I encourage all of you to make full use of the IDP. For specialist contractors like yourself, the IDP highlights digital tools, like 3D modelling and immersive visualisation that can help to improve coordination and productivity during the design of MEP modules. The IDP also includes a Digital Skills Training Roadmap, which can help you to equip your workers with the necessary skills to harness these digital solutions.
Many of the solutions mentioned within the IDP are supported by existing funding schemes, such as the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG). So do explore and make use of the funding opportunities that BCA has made available to support you.
On this note, I would like to applaud STAS for championing digitalisation amongst its specialist contractors and MEP partners. I am glad to note that STAS is developing a Modular MEP Design Configurator Platform. This is the first cloud-based design platform in Singapore that caters specifically to MEP modules. It will be made accessible to all MEP consultants and contractors.
The platform will allow users to design and configure prefab MEP systems from a wide variety of modular elements. This means that multiple MEP services can be configured simultaneously, resulting in faster and more accurate designs.
STAS’s efforts to develop an accessible digital platform to streamline processes in the design of prefab MEP, is a stellar example of harnessing digitalisation to improve work efficiency in our BE sector. I encourage everyone to make use of this design platform when it is launched by the end of the year.
Beyond that, I want to thank all of you for your contributions to our Built Environment sector. I hope that we can work together to improve the Built Environment sector; it is a journey that must be undertaken collectively. Thank you once again for having me, and I wish you all the best.