Technology Advocacy

Technology Advocacy
for Mission-Ready
Innovation

Allan Loi

SPF, Chief Information Officer & HTX, Director, Policing Programme Management Centre

BRIDGING INNOVATION AND OPERATIONS

In public safety, innovation is only as valuable as its impact on the ground. While new ideas are plentiful, transforming them into mission-ready tools requires deliberate testing, feedback, and collaboration to get technology into the hands of those who need it most. As Chief Information Officer of the Singapore Police Force and Director of the Policing Programme Management Centre, Allan Loi has seen this in action firsthand. Mobile border screening, autonomous robotics, and a wide range of other new technologies have been trialled through Hatch, HTX’s innovation centre, to assess their real-world fit. ‘There’s no shortage of ideas,’ Allan reflects, ‘but not every idea has potential to translate into field capabilities for officers.”

CO-CREATING WITH DIMENSION X

Dimension X, an open innovation challenge by Hatch, connects stakeholders deeply in the innovation process – global start-ups, Home Team end-users and HTX scientists and engineers.

Without the paperwork required in traditional procurement, startups and the Home Team devote most of their time and resources towards the testing of prototypes, rapid feedback cycles, and shaping how technologies evolve to fit new operational concepts. This gives end-users the freedom to explore the what-ifs of innovation projects, while remaining anchored to the real mission impact they deliver.

For Allan, this structure is critical. “Hatch helps us curate the technologies that could deliver impact, then fast-tracks testing with end-users who will actually use it,” he explains. By surfacing practical insights early, Hatch ensures technologies are assessed not just for novelty, but for readiness and feasibility.

GUIDING PROOFS-OF-CONCEPT TOWARD IMPACT

Beyond Dimension X, another Hatch programme – Hatch & Match, curates promising technologies and aligns them with the Home Team’s operational needs. This promotes better-fitting solutions and collaborations, and avoids projects from stalling during or after proof-of-concept for a stronger pathway toward practical deployment.

Crimes evolve and so do the tactics of criminals. We can’t afford to play catch-up; we need to anticipate these changes and adapt proactively.

With Hatch’s support, Allan’s team has explored proofs-of-concept in data compression, mixed reality-enabled training, and digital twins, among others. His team, along with other HTX Programme Management Centres (PMCs), steps in when officers on the ground want to see successful concepts progress toward operational deployment. Each exploration is assessed not only for its technical promise, but also for how well it can interoperate with existing systems, infrastructure, and frontline workflows.

STAYING AHEAD WITH START-UP COLLABORATIONS

Allan’s work gives him a broad overview of the technologies that Home Team agencies need. He recognises the value of Hatch in harnessing technology and innovation engines to exponentially augment existing research, development, and industrial solutions. Hatch’s global networks and access to deep tech start-ups across commercial verticals provide a shared platform for Home Team agencies to collaborate with the wider market. By tapping into the expertise of deep tech start-ups – often developing solutions not yet available in the market, Hatch acts as a valuable access point for Singapore’s Home Team to draw on a large and deep pool of technologies to keep the nation safe and secure.

‘We don’t have all the answers ourselves, but through partnerships we can deploy smarter, interoperable systems that ensures Singapore’s public safety,’ Allan explains.

Including Allan’s team and other PMCs in the proof-of-concept journey leverages their invaluable operational knowledge and systems design expertise to allow for unparalleled economies of scale and “product-challenge fit”. If a start-up’s technology is selected for further trials with the goal of deployment, other units of the Singapore Police Force and relevant Home Team agencies can also utilise or trial it for their use-cases and domains, in the process allowing promising solutions to evolve with the ecosystem. This approach benefits both sides: Home Team agencies can scale a solution across multiple use-cases, while start-ups gain unprecedented exposure to a wide range of new opportunities without having to develop and test everything from scratch in isolation.

SHAPING READINESS FOR TOMORROW’S CHALLENGES

Looking ahead, Allan sees increasingly complex challenges – from managing growing data streams to countering evolving threats. Programmes like Hatch’s Dimension X and Hatch and Match allow Home Team agencies to shape technologies alongside start-ups for rapid development of mission-ready solutions. “Innovation is about readiness,” Allan reflects. “It’s about giving our officers the right tools to act decisively, and ensuring technology strengthens their ability to keep Singapore safe.”

Are you a start-up with a bold idea or a Home Team innovator facing a challenge? Join us in
building the future of public safety by working with technology advocates like Allan to create tangible mission impact. Contact us at hello@thehatchx.com to start your journey of innovation with us.