Speech by Minister Desmond Lee at Shimizu Corporation Singapore Office's 50th Anniversary Celebration

Speech by Minister Desmond Lee at Shimizu Corporation Singapore Office's 50th Anniversary Celebration

Nov 24, 2023

Introduction

1. Good evening. I am happy to join you in celebrating Shimizu Corporation's 50^th year in Singapore.

2. My warmest congratulations to you for this remarkable milestone.

Shimizu's Role in Our Industry Transformation

3. Shimizu has had an incredible journey in Singapore over the last 50 years.

a. You were amongst the first Japanese firms to set up a local presence here.

b. You have built many significant developments, including Ngee Ann City and Changi Airport Terminal 3.

4. You have also been a forerunner in adopting construction technologies. For example,

a. You started using prefabricated components in our public housing projects in Serangoon North in 1989.

b. This helped pave the way for us to drive productivity through off-site prefabrication of building components, or what we call Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) in Singapore.

c. With the experience gathered from those early projects, HDB adopted DfMA for more and more projects. This helped build industry capabilities and today, DfMA is the mainstream building method for all large projects in Singapore.

5. Beyond DfMA, you continue to push the boundaries for Advanced Manufacturing and Assembly (AMA). This involves the adoption of newer and more productive technologies to make the construction processes more efficient. It is something we are pushing for under the Built Environment (BE) Industry Transformation Map.

a. Most recently, you demonstrated innovative solutions in the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) project to make the on-site assembly of large prefabricated parts more efficient and less labour intensive.

b. These include a hybrid system of precast columns, steel beams and steel decking that can be connected using bolts. Without the hybrid system, these structures would need to be connected using wet concrete on site. That would be more laborious and time consuming.

c. The prefabricated staircase used in this project is also much lighter, easier to hoist and place in position than other precast concrete staircases.

d. This project was the winner of BCA's BE Transformation Award this year, which is the highest industry accolade that a building or infrastructure project can receive in Singapore.

6. You have also worked closely with our local firms to share your innovations and best practices.

a. In the NCCS project, you introduced an integrated digital platform for your subcontractors to record and track defects more easily.

b. This helped our local firms familiarise themselves with these tools, which will be more commonplace as we digitalise the BE sector under the BE ITM.

c. Such collaboration demonstrates the positive role that international corporations, like Shimizu, can play in growing our BE ecosystem in Singapore. I look forward to your continued contributions.

Future Opportunities

7. Looking ahead, Singapore's infrastructure and buildings will need to cater to the growing and evolving needs of our population, especially as our land constraints become more pronounced. This will come with technical complexities. For instance,

a. We are exploring the concept of integrated developments to enhance land efficiency and enable synergies between different uses. Such developments will need to accommodate a multitude of requirements from various uses, making their construction more intricate.

b. To overcome such technical difficulties in the most efficient and sustainable way, we will need experienced and innovative builders.

8. In addition, we want progressive builders to play a bigger role in projects. Good builders can influence project designs in positive ways and uplift all members of their project value chain.

9. As such, we are encouraging the adoption of progressive procurement practices, such as early contractor involvement and collaborative contracting under the BE ITM.

a. Early contractor involvement allows the project team to incorporate construction and maintenance considerations upfront at the planning stage. This can help minimise abortive work for builders downstream.

b. Collaborative contracting can enable more equitable pain-gain sharing, which will also set the right environment for builders to bring in more innovative methods and technologies.

10. I understand that Shimizu Singapore will also be adopting collaborative contracting in a project with Changi Airport Group (CAG).

a. The project will use tools such as an Early Notification Register to identify issues upstream and facilitate joint problem solving.

b. I hope this project can also demonstrate the benefits of these progressive practices to the wider industry, and inspire more firms to move towards a healthier, more collaborative culture.

11. I am also excited to hear about the new NOVARE Innovation Centre that will open in Tokyo next year. I am confident that this new centre will help accelerate your efforts to incorporate more cutting-edge innovation in future projects.

a. I encourage you to actively consider bringing these innovative construction methods and processes into Singapore. BCA will work with you to explore the possibilities.

12. In Singapore, we have also just launched the Built Environment Innovation Hub at BCA Braddell Campus last month.

a. This Innovation Hub will serve as a collaborative space to connect like-minded individuals, showcase innovative technologies, and facilitate the transfer of ideas and knowledge to accelerate the transformation of the Built Environment sector.

13. I hope that Shimizu will consider participating in BCA's Innovation Hub. For instance,

a. Innovations developed in NOVARE or other parts of your global network can be refined in the BEIH, in partnership with many other start-ups or universities in Singapore.

b. Together, let's cultivate a landscape where collaboration brings success for all.

Conclusion

14. Once again, let me congratulate you on a fruitful 50 years in Singapore.

15. With your strong engineering capability and focus on innovation, you have and will continue to be our valued partner as we transform our construction industry to be more productive, sustainable, and resilient.

16. I look forward to our continued partnership in the years to come.

17. Thank you.

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