Singapore partners Amazon Web Services, S&P and more to boost maritime sector’s digital capabilities

SINGAPORE is partnering academic institutions and corporations such as Amazon Web Services and S&P Global Market Intelligence to improve its maritime industry’s digital capabilities and cybersecurity.

Four memorandums of understanding (MOUs) were signed on Tuesday (Apr 16) between the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and such partners at Singapore Maritime Week.

David Foo, MPA assistant chief executive for operations technology, said: “The maritime industry’s future lies in the industry’s ability to both embrace digitalisation and strengthen cybersecurity defences.”

Collaborating with industry players “helps expand technology solutions and builds capacity to navigate the increasingly connected and complex digital environment”, he added.

Solutions derived from these collaborations can benefit the broader maritime community when applied to green and digital shipping corridors, he added.

A green shipping corridor is a route that reduces emissions through using cleaner ships and measures such as reducing how long vessels spend in port.

GET BT IN YOUR INBOX DAILY

Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign UpVIEW ALL

Under one of the newly-signed agreements, MPA will collaborate with Amazon Web Services to develop a digital hub for applying artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to the maritime industry.

The hub, which is the first of its kind in Asean, could provide solutions to be trialled on green shipping corridors for route and fuel optimisation, carbon emissions accounting, and just-in-time arrivals, allowing ships to operate more efficiently and safely.

Both parties will conduct training for maritime entities – especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – in data analytics, AI and ML, with the first programme expected by the end of 2024.

At the opening of Singapore Maritime Week on Monday, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said: “Instead of building this capability on our own, we think it is quicker and better to work with a leading company like Amazon Web Services.”

Under another agreement, MPA, S&P Global Market Intelligence and Bunkerchain will trial digital ship identities at the Port of Singapore, for faster procedures such as refuelling and port clearance.

Another two MOUs were related to maritime cybersecurity.

One involves MPA working with two Estonian entities – Tallinn University of Technology and state cybersecurity research body Foundation CR14 – as well as the Singapore Maritime Institute and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

Joint training exercises will be conducted with Foundation CR14, using an SUTD-developed testbed to find vulnerabilities and solutions.

Under the other MOU, MPA will collaborate with Singapore Shipping Association, Singapore Institute of Technology and SUTD to gather industry input on the validation of new cybersecurity technologies. They will also work together on developing a training curriculum and using simulations.

On Tuesday, the MaritimeSG Shipping CyberSafe Scorecard was also launched. This allows ship owners and operators – including SMEs – to find out their cybersecurity level through a self-assessment and take steps to improve it.