The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) launched its inaugural Singapore Maritime Technology Conference today.

 

Held in conjunction with the 10^th Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) 2015, the two-day conference is jointly organised by MPA and the Singapore Maritime Institute, together with local and overseas partners such as the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore, the Norwegian Embassy and the Research Council of Norway. It aims to bring together the industry, institutes of higher learning, research institutes and international partners to develop, promote and showcase maritime Research and Development (R&D) as well as industry solutions. More than 60 eminent experts from around the world will be speaking on a wide range of topics, from e-navigation and green technologies, to sustainable port development and the use of automated and autonomous technologies. About 300 participants from more than 10 countries will be participating in the conference. 

 

Mrs Josephine Teo, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Transport, officiated the opening of the conference this morning. In her opening address, she announced a series of new initiatives that MPA will be rolling out to leverage on technology and R&D to raise productivity and further strengthen Singapore’s maritime sector:

 

b)        Enhancements to the Green Technology Programme
The Green Technology Programme, under the Maritime Singapore Green Initiative[2], was launched in 2011 to encourage local maritime companies to develop and adopt green technologies. MPA will be extending the Green Technology Programme by another five years until 2021 and will commit another S$25 million to the programme, bringing the total funding to S$50 million. For companies that adopt green technologies that are developed or test-bedded locally, the co-funding level will also be increased from 50% up to 70%, with a cap of S$2 million per project.
 

c)         MPA-A*STAR MOU
On the second day of the conference (24 April), MPA will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with A*STAR. Under the MOU, both agencies will collaborate on the development of maritime technologies and R&D in areas such as communications technology, smart sensors, modelling and simulation, to bolster the competitive edge of Maritime Singapore. This MOU will enable MPA to leverage the combined capabilities of the A*STAR Research Institutes to promote multi-disciplinary R&D projects in maritime technologies between the government, academia and the industry.

 

d)        RCN-MPA MOU and International Call For Proposals
MPA and the Research Council of Norway (RCN) will extend their MOU for another three years till 2018. The MOU, first signed in 2000, aims to promote maritime research collaboration and knowledge exchange through joint R&D projects between the two countries’ research institutions. The MOU signing will be held on 28 April 2015. As part of the MOU, the first international joint call-for-proposals by Norway and Singapore was announced today at the conference. A total of S$6 million has been set aside for this in the areas of navigational safety, ship operations and safety, ship-port operations, as well as arctic shipping.

 

Mr Andrew Tan, Chief Executive, MPA, said, “With greater need for higher productivity and efficiency, as well as a sharper focus on port and maritime safety and environmental sustainability, it is timely that we organise the first Singapore Maritime Technology Conference. The conference provides a platform for maritime experts and the industry to come together to share how port and maritime R&D and technology can be leveraged on to sustain our competitive edge. This inaugural conference provides an opportunity for Singapore to demonstrate thought leadership in maritime technology.”

 

MPA also signed a S$2.42 billion contract agreement with Dredging International Asia Pacific – Daelim Joint Venture for the Tuas Terminal Phase 1 project today. The project includes dredging of the waters, construction of wharfs and reclamation of 294 hectares of land. The joint venture will also tap on the capabilities of local companies.  

 

Singapore will be consolidating its container port activities at Tuas in the long term to meet the future demands of container shipping. Tuas Terminal will see the use of state-of-the-art facilities and technology such as automated cranes and automated guided vehicles for container operations. When completed, it will have the capacity to handle 65 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per annum, almost double the throughput handled by the Port of Singapore in 2014.

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 [1] The MINT Fund was established in 2003 with S$100 million to fund and support R&D and test-bedding of maritime technologies by universities, research institutes and companies in Singapore. over a period of ten years. MPA topped up the MINT Fund in 2013 with an additional S$50 million, bringing the total amount to S$150 million.  

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Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) is the leading maritime event in Singapore. Driven by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), SMW gathers the international maritime community in Singapore for a week of conferences, dialogues, exhibitions and social events in celebration of all things maritime. The range of activities and events organised by MPA, the industry, and research and educational institutions, as well as the cosmopolitan profile of participants, reflect the vibrancy and diversity of Singapore as a major international maritime centre.

 

SMW has grown in significance since the inaugural event in 2006, and is attracting more participants and event organisers from around the world. Participants can experience something new every year, as activities are added to the line-up, and as eminent speakers share their insights and participate in dialogues on topical maritime issues. This dynamism and the good range of issues discussed during SMW are major draws for maritime decision-makers, as are the many business networking platforms. This is why Singapore Maritime Week is all about PEOPLE, IDEAS and OPPORTUNITIES for the maritime community.

 

For more information and the full calendar of events, please visit www.smw.sg.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was established on 2 February 1996, with the mission to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre (IMC), and to advance and safeguard Singapore's strategic maritime interests. MPA is the driving force behind Singapore's port and maritime development, taking on the roles of Port Authority, Port Regulator, Port Planner, IMC Champion, and National Maritime Representative. MPA partners the industry and other agencies to enhance safety, security and environmental protection in our port waters, facilitate port operations and growth, expand the cluster of maritime ancillary services, and promote maritime R&D and manpower development.

 

For media clarification, please contact:

 

Serene Liu

Manager

Corporate Communications Department

Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
DID: (65) 6375-1789
Hp: (65) 9824-6525
Fax: (65) 6276-8927
Email: serene_liu@mpa.gov.sg