The Built Environment is on the cusp of technological transformation, and public agencies must lead the way in adoption across the sector

JTC and BCA’s recent ConTech @ PDD event brought together key leaders from Singapore’s public agencies, laying out a collective roadmap for the future of the built environment. For contractors, developers, and technology vendors, the message was unequivocal: Robotics and Automation (R&A) is no longer an optional luxury; it is a core operational necessity backed by government priorities and funding.

As public housing continues to scale up, HDB has actively set a productivity target of achieving a 40% productivity improvement by 2030 through design standardisations, R&A, and Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD).

Jeremy Keck, Deputy Director of HDB's Building Technology and Automation Research, emphasised taking a step back to look at the driving force behind these innovations, stating, "It's not for the hype, but for a lasting and sustainable ecosystem—that's where I believe it should be all in".

Keck noted that their approach transitions carefully from ideas into operations, relying on a dedicated robotic task force to study the entire construction chain. Crucially, HDB is looking to expand the market rather than rely on a single source, adding, "We will never rely on just one party. In many ways, we actually need to build an ecosystem of similar solutions, similar functions". There’s no discrimination when it comes to size either. "We will always be there for everyone, regardless of how big or how small you are, as long as you are willing to partner with us, we will be there,” Keck reassured.

Concurrently, JTC is looking toward mega-projects and planning for the next bound of industrial infrastructure, driving toward a vision of highly automated operations. Cheong Jiawen, Director of JTC's Future of Building and Infrastructure, outlined this goal, explaining, "We call this vision 'lights-out construction,' a future where people no longer work in dirty and dangerous construction sites, but instead, direct teams of autonomous machines and robots from the safety and comfort of an air-conditioned control centre".

JTC's near-future pipeline includes co-developing high-reach construction robots, autonomous site inspection systems, and remote-controlled tower cranes. Cheong advised that true innovation requires moving past old competitive boundaries: "Innovation is not about technology; it's about collaboration and partnerships. So, really hoping that everyone can make more friends and find new partners today".

Expanding on the long-term strategic reality for companies hesitant to adapt, Cheong added, "We want people to get on the boat together with us, but the message also is that if you don't get on the boat now, then be prepared to be left behind".

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) also continues to scale up technology across massive civil engineering works, progressively raising the bar for mandated solutions in tunnelling, demolition, and architectural works. Yang Xue, Director of LTA's Rail Expansion Civil Team 3 and Lean Office, noted that the industry has undergone a transformation in vendor availability and willingness to experiment.

Xue urged companies to engage early rather than waiting out the technology curve, advising, "Don't wait for a perfect solution, because every scalable deployment starts from a simple trial. So if let's say we have the willingness to start by challenging the status quo, just do it". Xue also highlighted the importance of collaboration in strategic technological transformations, noting, "In the end, I think it's all actually working as one to drive for better project outcomes".

Of course, the adoption of new hardware comes with financial risk, but the government is actively smoothing the transition through aggressive funding support and revised procurement policies. In one such shift, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is actively lowering the barriers to entry by looking into models like equipment leasing and running subsidised innovation sandboxes.

For Sherlyn Chua, Deputy Director of BCA's Construction Transformation and Technology, the need for R&A is simple: “there are savings in costs and beyond that R&A allows companies to reduce their reliance on manpower, while improving consistency, and output quality.” Additionally, workers are kept safe “by removing all hazardous tasks,” Chua highlighted.

She further explained that public demand will inevitably optimise commercial dynamics: "If LTA and JTC are already signalling the demand, what are you waiting for? And then in itself, when there's a demand, it is telling the investors and solution providers that the market here is real. It will then after a while drive down the supply cost".

Regulations are actively evolving alongside tech, enabling a more collaborative ecosystem, acting as an ally rather than a prohibitor. Bernard Kwok, Senior Deputy Director of MOM's Engineering Safety, clarified the regulator's stance on R&A adoption, affirming, "The regulator is supportive. We are not here to say no or cannot. So, let's all work together on this".

Emphasising the absolute baseline condition for evaluating any novel industry solution, Kwok reiterated, "The main thing that we're trying to do is still to protect our vision, which is to ensure that with any adoption of new solutions... the workplace remains safe".

The money in the near-future built environment is flowing toward safer, leaner, and highly automated work sites. The public sector has signalled its demand, and the companies that step up to co-develop, lease, and deploy these technologies now will be the ones winning the major public project pipelines of tomorrow.

This piece was adapted from the government agencies panel discussion at ConTech @ Punggol Digital District on 17 Jul 2026.