At EMA’s Data and Analytics Department, Alex, Shu Wen, and Yi Lin are focused on fostering a culture of innovation across the organisation, with the goal of empowering everyone to think outside the box.

One of the key ways they are doing this is through the InnoLab Hackathon. 

Held between May and July this year, the InnoLab Hackathon saw officers from across EMA coming together to address workplace challenges and develop solutions to overcome them.

The hackathon received 21 entries, each offering a creative solution to a pain point, either at work or within the broader energy sector. For example, one team developed an AI chatbot using AIBots, a platform that enables public officers to create customised Generative AI chatbots. Their chatbot aimed to streamline the number of public enquiry cases that they had to attend to.

Another team created an innovative database that helps agencies predict electricity demand across various regions of Singapore, providing the insights needed to plan and allocate power capacity more effectively. 

Despite the InnoLab Hackathon’s success, Shu Wen acknowledged that getting people to innovate can sometimes be a tough sell. Recognising this early on, the team made a conscious effort to inspire, empower and support EMA officers throughout the journey.

For example, in the weeks leading up to the hackathon, they organised a series of brown bag sessions where they invited officers from different government agencies to share their innovation projects.

“This helped ensure that no one came into the hackathon with a blank slate. Instead, they were inspired by what others were already doing,” Shu Wen said.

Noting that officers may lack confidence in turning their ideas into reality, the team was also careful to design the hackathon with a clear, structured path to success. Participants were encouraged to submit a problem they encountered at work. From there, they were guided through a structured process that included refining their problem statements and developing a solution, with mentorship and support from both internal and external stakeholders.

“This structured approach gave teams a clear roadmap – from idea to prototype – and set them on the path where they can eventually pilot production-ready solutions,” Alex explained. 

The team also partnered with Open Government Products (OGP) to host a dedicated session focused on refining problem statements.

“That step was crucial,” added Alex. “Once you have nailed the right problem, you know you’re already halfway to solving it.”

When the hackathon kicked off at OGP’s premises, participants had direct access to experts and developers behind the government’s core tech tools. This made it easy for teams to get real-time advice and technical support while prototyping their solutions. 

Although the hackathon has ended, the team is eager to keep the innovation momentum going.

From July to September this year, they ran a friendly competition that allowed EMA officers to explore various Gen AI tools, including Microsoft’s Copilot, EMA’s own in-house app My Info Lookup Officer (MILO) as well as the AI bot designed for government agencies. 

EMA’s virtual GenAI work buddy MILO provides instant answers to questions related to HR, Admin, Procurement, IT, Data Policy, and more.

To keep things more exciting, they gamified the learning experience with quizzes and even a murder mystery.

"The murder mystery was something new we tried, and we were heartened to see staff genuinely excited to participate and solve the game using GenAI tools," Yi Lin recalled. "It showed everyone that learning new technology doesn't have to be intimidating."

“We wanted to make it fun for people who might not usually engage with new technology,” Shu Wen explained. 

Looking back on the journey so far, Shu Wen likens the process to climbing a mountain – while the ascent can be challenging, the views make it worthwhile.

“We haven’t reached the summit yet, but even at this mid stage, we can see how far everyone has progressed and the key milestones we have achieved.”

Alex agreed, stressing the importance of perseverance. “There will be times when it feels like things are not progressing, when people seem too busy or reluctant to embrace change,” he said. “But even small steps can make a big difference in building confidence.”

He added, “We’re here to help our colleagues overcome challenges and make their work easier and better. When I see their eyes light up with enthusiasm and excitement after developing a solution, it’s incredibly rewarding!”

For Yi Lin, she believes that GenAI has been a real game-changer for EMA’s innovation culture. "Three years ago, many of our ideas needed a lot of technical expertise to implement. Now, with Whole-of-Government (WOG) and EMA’s in-house GenAI tools, even those without any technical background can prototype solutions and try out new ideas. It has made innovation accessible to everyone."