Singapore Maritime Week

Singapore Maritime Week
Name	Singapore Maritime Week
Genre	Maritime industry conference and festival
Location	Marina Bay, Singapore
First	2008
Organiser	Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Frequency	Annual

Singapore Maritime Week is an annual maritime industry gathering hosted in Marina Bay, Singapore that brings together stakeholders across shipping, ports, shipbuilding, offshore, finance, and technology. The week features conferences, exhibitions, awards, and public outreach that connect policymakers, regulators, shipowners, classification societies, and academia to discuss developments in sustainability, digitalisation, safety, and maritime security. Events are attended by delegations from major ports, flag states, and global organisations to foster collaboration and competitiveness in the maritime sector.

Overview

Singapore Maritime Week functions as a convening platform linking entities such as the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, International Maritime Organization, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, World Maritime University, International Chamber of Shipping, and Baltic and International Maritime Council. It addresses technical topics involving DNV, Lloyd's Register, Bureau Veritas, American Bureau of Shipping, and ClassNK alongside commercial operators like Maersk, Mediterranean Shipping Company, CMA CGM, Evergreen Marine Corporation, COSCO Shipping, and Hapag-Lloyd. Financial institutions such as Standard Chartered, DBS Bank, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, and ABN AMRO participate, reflecting the intersection with maritime finance, insurance, and commodity trading houses like Trafigura, Glencore, and Vitol.

History

Launched in 2008 by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore with support from partners including Singapore Maritime Foundation, Singapore Economic Development Board, and Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) International, the event evolved amid shifts driven by incidents and regulatory change involving Exxon Valdez oil spill, MV Derbyshire, and the adoption of International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). Early editions featured dialogues with representatives from Port of Rotterdam, Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Port of Hamburg, Shanghai International Port Group, and Hong Kong Port and Maritime Board. Over successive years, programming expanded to include delegations from Republic of Korea, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, People's Liberation Army Navy, Royal Australian Navy, and civil maritime administrations such as United States Coast Guard, United Kingdom Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and Norwegian Maritime Authority.

Organisation and Partners

The principal organiser, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, coordinates with institutional partners including Singapore Maritime Foundation, Singapore Shipping Association, Singapore Logistics Association, and academic partners like National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University, Singapore Institute of Technology, and Singapore University of Social Sciences. Industry collaborators comprise ports and terminal operators such as PSA International, Jurong Port, Keppel Corporation, Sembcorp Marine, Wilhelmsen, Anglo-Eastern Ship Management, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, and technology firms like A.P. Moller - Maersk Digital, Kongsberg Maritime, Siemens Energy, ABB Group, Autonomous Ship Alliance. Multilateral and standards partners include International Labour Organization, International Association of Classification Societies, Global Maritime Forum, BIMCO, OCIMF, ICS, and IMO Member States delegations.

Events and Programmes

Programming spans ministerial panels, technical symposia, start-up pitch competitions, and public outreach including port tours. Regular fixtures include the Sea Asia-style investment forum, regulatory roundtables with IMO Maritime Safety Committee delegates, innovation showcases featuring accelerators like Plug and Play Tech Center, hackathons with Singularity University-style partners, and workshops with classification societies such as DNV and Lloyd's Register. Exhibitions present technologies from shipyards like Keppel Offshore & Marine, Chengxi Shipyard, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, and equipment suppliers like Wärtsilä, MAN Energy Solutions, Rolls-Royce Holdings, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Hyundai Heavy Industries. Public programmes collaborate with Marina Bay Sands venues and cultural partners like National Gallery Singapore for outreach.

Industry Impact and Initiatives

Outcomes have influenced adoption of low-carbon fuels and technologies including trials of liquefied natural gas bunkering in collaboration with Shell, BP, TotalEnergies, and ExxonMobil. Policy dialogues have shaped national initiatives linking Singapore Green Plan 2030, decarbonisation roadmaps promoted by Global Maritime Forum and Getting to Zero Coalition, and regulatory alignment involving IMO 2020 sulphur cap and IMO Initial GHG Strategy. Technology transfer and digitalisation initiatives emphasise blockchain platforms promoted by TradeLens and Global Shipping Business Network, autonomous vessel trials featuring Yara Birkeland-style prototypes, and port digital twin projects aligned with Smart Nation Singapore objectives. Workforce development partnerships involve maritime training with Singapore Polytechnic, Institute of Technical Education, seafarer welfare NGOs like The Mission to Seafarers and International Transport Workers' Federation, and scholarship programmes supported by Singapore Maritime Foundation.

Notable Participants and Speakers

Speakers and delegates have included ministers and senior officials from Ministry of Transport (Singapore), heads of state-owned carriers and flagship companies such as PSA International executives, CEOs from Maersk and COSCO Shipping, heads of classification societies including DNV and Lloyd's Register, and leaders from intergovernmental organisations like IMO Secretary-General, UNCTAD Secretary-General, and chairs of Global Maritime Forum. Academic contributors have included faculty from National University of Singapore, University of Southampton, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, and Technical University of Denmark. Thought-leaders from finance and insurance such as executives from Allianz, Gard, Skuld, and Swiss Re have delivered panels.

Awards and Recognitions

The week features awards recognising innovation, sustainability, and service excellence presented by partners like Singapore Shipping Association, Singapore Maritime Foundation, Drewry, and Lloyd's List. Categories have honoured advances in green shipping, crew welfare, port efficiency, and maritime technology, with recipients ranging from shipowners such as BW Group and NYK Line to tech start-ups incubated by BLOCK71 and accelerator winners backed by Enterprise Singapore. Institutional recognitions include plaques and citations by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and endorsements from International Maritime Organization committees.

Category:Maritime events Category:Events in Singapore