Sharing the Value of Engineering
CEO and co-founder of leading engineering firm HOPE Technik Mr Peter Ho (Engineering ’03) proves that confidence and hard work go a long way.
WHO IS HE?
Mr Peter Ho is the CEO and co-founder of HOPE Technik. In this role, he guides the engineering firm towards long-term technical and business goals. He has seen the company grow from a start-up in 2006 to the multi-million dollar group it is today. Involved in nearly all of its projects, Mr Ho is a thought leader in the global engineering scene. He was awarded the NUS Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 2007 and was a finalist for ‘Singaporean of the Year 2015’ by The Straits Times.
Mr Peter Ho fondly recalls the day he began HOPE Technik with three of his fellow University mates. “We each went to the ATM to withdraw $2,500 (for paid-up capital) but we had to do it over two days, because there was a daily withdrawal limit of $2,000,” he quipped. This was in 2006, three years after Mr Ho had graduated from NUS with a Second Class (Upper) Honours in Mechanical Engineering. In that time, he had excelled in the race car engineering scene, rising to the rank of Chief Engineer at Team Petronas Touring Cars.
Having satisfied his thirst for race car engineering, Mr Ho returned home. The reason and motivation to start HOPE Technik was simple and clear: “To do what we liked doing — engineering and building things — and make a lot of money doing it.” But there was more to it. “When we first started, everybody wanted to become an investment banker and none of us could understand that,” he said. “Engineers are the ones who build planes, roads, defibrillators. We wanted to showcase the value of engineering again.”
But Mr Ho and his fellow founders quickly realised that it would be an uphill task. “We had little money, we didn’t know about accounting matters,” he said. One member of the audience was curious about how they got the confidence to go on with the company, despite this lack of resources. To this, Mr Ho replied that it was an unshakeable confidence in each of his co-founders, and vice-versa. “We felt that we had all been in this engineering field for some time and had our own victories, in the race car scene for example.”
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Mr Ho was reunited onstage with NUS Engineering Dean Prof Chua Kee Chaing (right) and Prof Seah Kar Heng (left).
TAKING THE LONG ROAD
It’s fair to say that HOPE Technik has succeeded in its mission to showcase the value of engineering. As a self-described “engineering mercenary” firm, it now specialises in niche areas of high-tech engineering, with departments in unmanned systems, defence, smart logistics and special vehicle arenas. It has also amassed an impressive list of clients, among them Airbus and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
The Red Rhino fire truck was borne out of a project for the latter. But getting it ready for the roads was no mean feat. As the team was well aware, they were stepping into the well-established fire truck manufacturing industry with little experience. “All we knew was that we wanted to try, because if others could do it, why couldn’t we,” explained Mr Ho, displaying his famous can-do attitude. It was this attitude that pulled them through the challenge of designing a new fire engine. “We had no big idea, just small modifications: for instance, making the trucks leaner, with the ability to shoot water a little further.”
All we knew was that we wanted to try, because if others could do it, why couldn’t we?
The attitude was matched by a hard work ethic. “There were seven of us and we did everything,” said Mr Ho. “On Saturday nights, we took turns washing the toilet.” But their efforts paid off when SCDF commissioned them — in a sub-contract with another engineering firm — to manufacture the Red Rhino. Since its initial days, the vehicle grown to become one of the SCDF’s signature frontline vehicles. Adaptations of the Red Rhino have been offered to other countries as well. The project also drew the attention of aviation giant Airbus Defence and Space and in 2012, HOPE Technik clinched a deal to build a research prototype plane to take passengers to the edge of space. Since then, they have also built automated guiding vehicles and a range of defence and security solutions.
THE KEY TO GOING GLOBAL
Hearing this, U@live moderator Mr Viswa Sadasivan (Arts and Social Sciences ’83) asked why there were so few stories of Singaporean companies taking the global stage in this way. Mr Ho agreed with the observation and credited it to Singapore’s history. “When we gained independence, we were immediately concerned with the most basic needs — which we have met in one generation,” he noted. “But we never had the historical prosperity of the United States, which is probably why you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t own something from an American brand,” he concluded, adding that as Singapore becomes more prosperous, it is likely that more local brands will draw international attention.
The evening ended with a touching reunion, with the Dean of NUS Engineering Professor Chua Kee Chaing (Engineering ’87) and Professor Seah Kar Heng joining Mr Ho on stage. “I’m still very scared of this man,” joked Mr Ho, referring to Prof Chua. Prof Seah then recounted his early memories of Mr Ho: “He was a very special student. I examined his design projects and saw that he could think out of the box.” By the end of the evening, what was clear to Prof Seah had become evident to the audience at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House.
FOUR FOR THE FUTURE
The four co-founders of HOPE Technik:
- Mr Peter Ho (Engineering ‘03)
- Mr Michael Leong (Engineering ’04)
- Mr Ng Kiang Loong (Engineering ’05)
- Mr Jeff Tang (Engineering ’06)
Mr Ho spoke on 25 October 2017 at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House in NUS.