Covering Disruptive Technology Powering Business in The Digital Age

The leadership team of Australian-owned Nova Systems’ Asia business has successfully completed a management buyout of Nova’s technology business today. Renamed Heron Technology Pte Ltd (“Heron Technology”), the company will forge ahead in its core competencies in Cyber Security and Digital Aviation, charting new paths in the Cyber Security and UAS markets in Singapore and the region.

Mr Ryan Lee, CEO of Heron Technology, said: “Our team is backed by years of industry experience and knowledge, having worked with a diverse portfolio of clients, from both public and private sectors, to integrate technology safely into their operations and businesses.  Major milestones have been achieved in the last few years, most recently, with the completion of Singapore’s first baseline UAS Traffic Management system in 2021.

In Singapore and across the globe, we have seen growing interest in harnessing the potential of UAS technologies to revolutionise industries and build a more empowering future for all. At the same time, these complex cyber-physical systems need to be managed safely as we continue to embrace the age of Industry 4.0, in order to integrate autonomous systems and technologies meaningfully.

Heron symbolises strength, patience, and focus, which are the company’s critical pillars of success as we branch out from Nova. The name also reflects our commitment to the aviation industry and aspiration to soar above and beyond in the global market. This next phase of our journey marks the natural next step in the team’s vision to develop world-class capabilities, technologies and talent in the UAS and Cyber Security domains – right from Singapore’s shores.”

The journey to Heron Technology

The management buyout is the result of the Nova Group’s decision to divest its Cyber Security and UAS business in Asia. Led by Mr Lee, who was formerly Managing Director Asia at Nova, Heron Technology will continue to expand its capabilities in these two domains as its key business streams.

Nova’s Asia operations began in Singapore more than six years ago, where its Cyber Security and UAS capabilities were established in 2017. Over the last four years, the Singaporean-led management team spearheaded the development of these capabilities within the Nova Group, establishing strong relationships with government agencies, industry partners, and business enterprise customers.

Together with the team, Mr Lee led the achievement of various milestones for Nova Asia, critically in the areas of Cyber Security and the research and development of UAS Traffic Management (“UTM”) technologies in Singapore. In September 2020, Nova Asia’s penetration testing solutions were awarded the CREST accreditation, validating its steadfast commitment in delivering top-notch cybersecurity services. In March 2021, the team successfully deployed Singapore’s first baseline UTM system customised for the country’s unique urban environment, as part of a two-year consortium project that was co-funded by the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

The team at Nova Asia will transition to their respective appointments at Heron Technology, while the core management team remains unchanged. With a predominantly homegrown team of consultants, engineers, and software specialists, Heron Technology is committed to grooming the nation’s tech talent to take on the new opportunities that lie ahead. Through various training programmes and traineeships, the company’s long-term strategy is to build a strong team of local and global talents, to strengthen the team’s diversity and global competitiveness.

Scaling new heights

As Singapore continues its journey to becoming a Smart Nation, Heron Technology is already involved in a range of national projects that are looking into establishing the necessary regulations, infrastructure and education for the safe deployment of UAS applications at scale, as well as the strengthening of cybersecurity measures for critical information infrastructure.

Among its strong pipeline of projects, the company will work closely with various government agencies and regulators, telecommunication operators, as well as other private sector stakeholders, to establish remote area connectivity in Singapore for systems to better leverage on the Internet of Things and give flight to the continued development of large-scale drone operations.

Heron Technology also looks forward to becoming a vital contributor to Singapore’s UAS ecosystem, through continued collaboration with all stakeholders to build and deploy UTM solutions that are customised to the country’s unique landscape and regulatory frameworks.

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