Former director for research and technology in the German Federal Ministry of Defence, Mr Erwin Bernhard, received the Singapore Defence Technology Distinguished Fellowship from Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen at the Defence Ministry (Mindef) on Monday.

The fellowship was established in 1996 for individuals who have contributed significantly to bilateral defence technology cooperation. Mr Bernhard was recognised for his contributions to expanding defence technology cooperation and enhancing defence technology relations between Singapore and Germany.

He was the first co-chairman of the Singapore-Germany Defence Research and Technology Dialogue from its inauguration in July 2009 to March 2012. Under his leadership, Mr Bernhard forged closer linkages between research institutes and technical experts from Singapore and Germany, and the level of research cooperation between both countries expanded significantly, said Mindef in a statement.