Home-grown Singapore lifeboat manufacturer, Vanguard Composite Engineering Private Limited (Vanguard), won her first international award at the Lloyds’ List Award Asia 2011 under the Innovation Category, held in Hong Kong on 26 October 2011.
It was a case of David and Goliath as Vanguard competed against ‘Big Boys’ in the industry such as APL, ClassNK, DNV and Germanischer Lloyd (China).
Fortunately, Cjewel, an enhanced night vision kit, won the hearts of the judges with its simple yet ingenious concept of instilling LED lights to a net measuring 2m x 3m.
Cjewel serves the purpose of enhancing the visibility of lifeboats at night and with its waterproof and buoyancy qualities, it provides versatility – to either put it on lifeboats as a lit canopy or spreading it on water to increase the footprints of the lifeboats at sea.
Mr Murali Dharan, CEO of Vanguard was pleased to be given this recognition from an international establishment together with other Singapore companies such as PSA, Keppel FELS and Keppel Shipyards who have also won awards in other categories.
”We are very honoured to be accoladed for our effort to improve the safety of our seafarers using innovation. Vanguard is definitely going to continue to pump in resources to develop new, better and innovative products that will redefine safety at sea for our seamen!’
A simple concept that turned into an award winning product; a Singapore firm getting international recognition.
Just as Mr Dharan aptly put it ‘It is all about dreaming big…and turning the dreams into reality’.