Opening address by Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance Mr Chee Hong Tat at the Singapore-Norway Maritime Digital and Cyber Forum 2024

H.E. Mr Eivind Homme, Ambassador of Norway to Singapore,

Mr Tan Wah Yeow, Non-Resident Ambassador of Singapore to Norway,

Mr Einar Vik Arset, Director General, Norwegian Coastal Administration,

Mr Audun Halvorsen, Executive Director, Norwegian Shipowners’ Association,

Mr T.S. Teo, Chairman of the Digitalisation Committee, Singapore Shipping Association,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1.     Thank you for inviting me to the Singapore-Norway Maritime Digital and Cyber Forum. Much has happened since our last session in November 2022. I am glad that the strong partnership between Norway and Singapore’s maritime communities have continued to flourish – I had the pleasure of attending Nor-Shipping last June in Oslo, where we signed a Memorandum of Understanding to reaffirm our shared vision for the maritime industry, as both Singapore and Norway are maritime nations. We have also been tackling key issues together, such as by jointly organising the IMO-Singapore NextGEN Connect workshop in October 2023 to foster cooperation along shipping routes to support maritime decarbonisation.

2.     Looking ahead, this year 2024 will be a challenging year for the global maritime industry. Persistent inflationary pressures and weak consumer sentiments could slow trade growth. Geopolitical developments – such as the attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea – are affecting global supply chains. These are ongoing, and in fact, there is a risk that some developments could worsen and the situation could get more complicated. So we watch very carefully and ask ourselves how we can prepare ourselves, together with like-minded partners, to be more resilient and ready.

3.     Despite these headwinds, we remain cautiously optimistic. We need to keep up the pace of transformation in important areas such as decarbonisation, talent development and digitalisation. These are long-term capabilities that our industry will need to build up to be future-ready, be it in good or bad times.

Progress in Maritime Digitalisation
4.     Maritime Singapore is digitalising quickly. It’s a work in progress but we are determined to press on with our tripartite partners and industry to overcome obstacles. In recent months, we have achieved some milestones, although there is a long road ahead for u. Let me share some of these with you:

a.     In October 2023, MPA launched the Just-In-Time Planning and Coordination Platform, or JIT Platform for short. This allows vessels calling at PSA Terminal and Jurong Port to optimise their arrival times in Singapore. In addition, it coordinates the provision of marine services such as pilotage and bunkering. The reduced fuel consumption and dwell time through voyage optimisation help our companies to achieve cost savings and reductions in carbon emissions. This is a win-win outcome that is good for both businesses and the environment.

b.     Another catalyst for digital transformation is Maritime 5G. The enhanced connectivity will allow us to deploy new and innovative operating models at scale. This includes remotely assisted pilotage and Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships. We have achieved 5G coverage in our southern port waters since September last year and are on track to deliver full 5G coverage in our anchorages, fairways, terminals and boarding grounds on schedule by mid-2025.

5.     These digitalisation efforts are critical not only because of their productivity, efficiency, and safety gains. They will also refresh the image of our sector, into one that is technology-enabled, modern and exciting. These are important attributes that young people look for in considering their career paths. As the competition for talent increases, it is critical to modernise the maritime sector to remain attractive to younger workers, as well as mid-career entrants that we want to attract. In turn, attracting and retaining these young talents will further expedite our transformation, creating a virtuous circle.

Necessity of Cyber Resilience

6.     As ship and shore-based digital systems become more widely adopted and interconnected, we must expect that the digital attack surface expands correspondingly; this is the flip side. Conversely, the upside is that information flows more conveniently, and we can extract more value with data. As things become more interconnected, the impact of successful cyberattacks will become more disruptive.
7.     Just a few months ago, we witnessed how cyberattacks disrupted operations at numerous Australian ports, resulting in delays to cargoes entering and leaving the country. As vessels become equipped with more digital applications, we must prepare for a larger number of cyberattacks directed not just at ports, but also at vessels.

8.     It is therefore essential that maritime digitalisation is accompanied by advancements in maritime cybersecurity. You will be hearing more from distinguished speakers and panellists today from Singapore and Norway on how we can further strengthen our cybersecurity systems and practices. If I could sum up Singapore’s approach for becoming more cyber resilient, I would frame it under three “C”s – capabilities, constant vigilance, and cooperation.

Three “C”s to Improve Cyber Resilience

Capabilities

9.     Firstly – Capabilities. It feels like we are in a race against time to build up technological capabilities to protect ourselves against the real and present danger of cyberattacks. Whatever we do, the attackers will find another way; it is like a cat-and-mouse game. To accelerate the development and efficacy of cybersecurity solutions tailored to the operating systems of the maritime industry, Singapore University of Technology and Design and its partners are developing a Maritime Testbed of Shipboard Operational Technology system, or MariOT (“Marriot”) for short. When ready, MariOT will be a cyber-physical platform equipped with essential shipboard operational technology systems. Companies from Singapore, Norway and around the world can tap on this realistic testing environment to design and validate new cybersecurity technologies, before deploying them onboard vessels. I hope that this platform will enable companies to test out new solutions, by lowering the cost and time required.

10.    In addition to technological capabilities, we need to navigate the human element by building up the cybersecurity capabilities of our workforce. Otherwise, we would have the hardware, but not enough skilled workers who are able to use these tools. To upskill our workers, the Maritime Cybersecurity Roundtable, spearheaded by the Singapore Shipping Association and involving MPA and the industry, has been working with Institutes of Higher Learning such as Singapore Institute of Technology, to develop maritime cybersecurity courses for industry professionals. This will prepare our workforce to respond to cyber incidents and build up a larger pool of subject matter experts. Good progress has been made on this front, and we will share more details at this year’s Singapore Maritime Week.

Constant Vigilance

11.    The second ‘C’ is Constant Vigilance. New attacks and methods are emerging frequently, so we must not let our guard down.

12.    SSA and MPA are working on initiatives to build greater awareness and agility relating to cybersecurity. One such measure is the development of a self-assessment tool for cybersecurity maturity. When ready, the tool will help ship owners and operators understand their cybersecurity readiness and vulnerabilities, particularly in their operating technology systems. This tool is intended to be simple and user-friendly, and I hope it will help maritime companies – including SMEs – to conduct a quick health check to ascertain if their cybersecurity defence is up to date.

13.    I would like to thank the SSA and its partners for driving this and other ground-up initiatives that will benefit our companies, and look forward to hearing more about the tool when it is completed.

Cooperation

14.    The third and last C, and perhaps the most important one – Cooperation. Working closely together as one maritime community is key to enhancing our defence and resilience against cyberattacks.

15.    It was in this spirit that MPA established the Port Authorities Chief Information Officer Cybersecurity Network initiative, or PACC-Net (“pack-net”) in 2020 to strengthen responses to cybersecurity threats through information sharing and collaboration. During a Table Top Exercise in 2023 which simulated cyberattacks affecting multiple ports, PACC-Net identified shortcomings in existing information-sharing procedures, such as ambiguity of the details to be shared, and misalignment in information-sharing timelines. PACC-Net has since been working on solutions to streamline such information flows.

Conclusion
16.    Before I conclude, I wish to thank our friends and partners from Norway, including Ambassador Homme who has done a lot to strengthen bilateral relations between Singapore and Norway. I enjoy working with him and his team, as well as our industry friends from Singapore and Norway to strengthen our collaboration and tackle common challenges such as cybersecurity, digitalisation, decarbonisation and talent development. Although Singapore and Norway may have different cultures and are in different parts of the world, we share common values such as collaboration and cooperation. Hence, when our companies and people come together, it is not difficult to leverage the existing rapport and trust to achieve win-win outcomes for both countries. Eventually, I also hope that some of these collaborations can be extended beyond Singapore and Norway to benefit other countries.

17.    We have a strong track record of collaborating on complex and cutting-edge maritime issues, including some challenging and long-term issues. We had started working on these issues as both Singapore and Norway value thinking beyond the here and now, to the impact that we leave behind for future generations. We want to leave behind a better future for them, and hence we start today to bring to fruition some initiatives that will take time to bear fruit. I trust that today’s conversations will likewise lead to tangible collaborations that will not only accelerate our nations’ maritime digital transformation, but also contribute to the global maritime sector’s resilience to cyber threats.

18.    I wish everyone a fruitful forum. Thank you.