The Society has had a busy year as you can surmise from my previous messages.  The world-class speakers we have attracted to Singapore include thought leaders and researchers in the field from the US, UK, Norway, Netherlands, China, Japan and South Korea. In fact, the World Conference on Floating Solutions 2019 (WCFS 2019) which we organised in April, inspired our friends in the Netherlands to want to collaborate with us to host the next one, WCFS 2020, in Rotterdam around April next year. 

Active engagement with government authorities helps to heighten awareness of our mission to address land scarcity, climate change, degradation of the environment and rising sea levels. There are proven durable and safe solutions to create space for living, working and playing with floating structures. The Society hopes the Government will help us build a national resource for such solutions.

Importing sand has serious environmental issues where it is mined as well as at our own coastlines where it annihilates the inter-tidal zones.  Polders as a space solution are costly and energy intensive solutions beside being vulnerable to terrorism and maritime accidents. 

Early next year, Dr Koh Hock Seng 2^nd Vice President together with other members will conduct a basic course to help engineers on land to better appreciate the engineering considerations for the design of floating structures.

The Society is fortunate to have very competent and dedicated leaders. I am pleased to have been supported by such a great team. Come the next year, the Society will elect a new Council for 2020-2021 which I hope will be just as great if not better.

Members of the Society rarely get a chance to interact among themselves and with industry leaders at informal events. We wish to correct that. We want to see more cohesion, among members. Sharing experiences, skill sets and resources will invigorate our capacity to serve Singapore and the region.

Towards this end, we are organising a dinner event for members and friends and business associates. It will be held at the Tanglin Club on Thursday, November 21^st, 2019. Mr Ivan Stoytchev, the Organising Chairman, will furnish details nearer the date. Do pencil it in your diary to sign up for early bird discounts. Members are encouraged to invite their business associates and friends to nurture relationships in an informal environment.

President

Lim Soon Heng

21 September 2019