SINGAPORE – With the analytical mind of an engineer and the curiosity of a scientist, Mr Quek Gim Pew has the best of both worlds when it comes to research.
The 67-year-old graduated from NUS in 1981 in electrical engineering before earning his Master of Science degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in the US in 1986.
When he joined the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) more than 40 years ago, he became immersed in the world of defence research and development (R&D).
In his career with Mindef, Mr Quek held various leadership roles.
He was the chief executive of DSO National Laboratories (DSO) from 2004 to 2016 before becoming Mindef’s chief defence scientist until 2021.
Mr Quek is currently a director of SMRT Trains.
“In my early years, I did some developmental work on sensors and signal processing before moving on to planning and managing R&D.
“It was here that I had the opportunity to participate in many exciting programmes, from emerging technology development to full-scale system development.
“Many of these are classified, but it was most satisfying to know that these would put Singapore in good stead in times of uncertainty,” he told The Straits Times in a recent interview.
Mr Quek said he was “fortunate to have very good bosses and mentors over the years in Mindef”.
“They taught me to be bold in planning, disciplined in execution, collaborative in partnership and to have confidence in our own people.
“They taught me that we may be small (and may have) limited resources, but if we set our minds to it, we will get it done,” he said.
It was this “dare to dream” attitude and his healthy appetite for risk that helped Mr Quek pick himself up and persevere whenever he came face to face with defeat.
“In the course of my career, I have encountered my fair share of failures.
“However, in each of these, the Mindef and SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) leadership’s continued confidence, support and encouragement allowed me (and my team) to overcome setbacks and push on,” he said.
Mr Quek has made significant impact on the scientific and technological progress of Singapore, particularly in the development of advanced defence technologies and in Singapore’s Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) ecosystem, in areas such as space technology, quantum engineering, artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.
Mr Quek said Mindef has a long tradition of harnessing science and technology purposefully to achieve the intended outcomes in defence.
“The ministry makes long-term investments in nascent technologies but places heavy emphasis on the outcomes, which, if successful, must address critical operational needs of the SAF.
“Many of the capabilities the SAF enjoys today trace their roots to R&D initiated in DSO some 20, 30 years ago,” he said.
“The methodology, processes and systems developed over the years in Mindef are very relevant to the national RIE efforts as we intensify our push towards value creation and capture.”
His strong sense of purpose shows in his leadership.
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