SINGAPORE Technologies Engineering takes the business of innovation very seriously, to the extent that its senior management will even dissect failed attempts for learning lessons.

"We play the role of coach," chief technology officer (CTO) Fong Saik Hay told BT in a recent interview. "We (give) them the encouragement to push the edge when the project is at its most difficult point, especially for the young engineers."

As CTO - a role which he stepped into in 2001 - Mr Fong works with four other CTOs from the group's other units such as aerospace, land systems and marine. Mr Fong is also the president of ST Dynamics, which acts as an incubator for new technologies and business concepts for ST Engineering.