Opening Remarks by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and Sustainability and the Environment Mr Baey Yam Keng at the MaritimeONE Case Summit 2024 Awards Ceremony

Mr Hor Weng Yew, Chairman, Singapore Maritime Foundation,

SMF Board Members,

Distinguished guests and students,

Introduction

1.     Good evening. I am delighted to join you here this evening, in the company of a passionate group of promising young talent.

2.     We have with us more than 70 students from different universities and polytechnics, with backgrounds in both maritime and non-maritime courses, coming together to address real challenges that the maritime industry is facing.

3.     Maritime Singapore has grown from strength to strength over the years. We are now both a global hub port and the world’s leading International Maritime Centre. Last year, we achieved remarkable milestones in annual vessel arrival tonnage, in container throughput and also in bunker fuel sales. We are also home to over 180 international shipping companies across various segments.

4.     Looking ahead, we expect to face challenges, especially in the areas of digitalisation and sustainability. At the same time, these challenges present exciting opportunities for learning and development for youths who interested are in entering the industry. Let me touch on some of these opportunities.

Digitalisation and Cybersecurity

5.     First, digitalisation is happening at a rapid pace in the maritime industry, with the integration of smart technologies, data analytics, and artificial intelligence to enhance efficiency, safety, and sustainability.

6.     For example, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) launched the digital bunkering initiative last November. This initiative improves safety and enables the seamless and secure electronic transmission of bunker sales data. It also enhances productivity and transparency and is expected to help the industry save close to 40,000 man-days annually.

7.     From 1 April 2025, all bunker suppliers will be required to provide digital bunkering services and issue electronic bunker delivery notes as a default. This will anchor Singapore’s position as a trusted and efficient bunkering hub.

8.     However, greater digitalisation increases the surface area that can potentially be exposed to cyberattacks. We need stronger cybersecurity measures as ship and shore-based digital systems become more widely adopted and interconnected.

9.     The Maritime Cyber Assurance and Operations Centre, established by MPA, serves as a collaborative platform bringing together the shipping community, government agencies, and research institutes to identify and defend against cyber threats. The Centre aims to strengthen incident prevention through real-time monitoring, information dissemination on threats and system recovery, and the identification of vulnerabilities.

Sustainability

10.    Second, sustainability. As international shipping works towards the International Maritime Organization's target of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by or around 2050, the rising demand for alternative fuels and renewable technologies opens up new areas for research and growth.

11.    Maritime Singapore is committed to the goal of reducing greenhouse gases and preparations are underway for a multi-fuel future.

12.    MPA is working with industry partners and institutes of higher learning to conduct trials of higher biofuel blends and develop standards for blends up to B100, expected to be ready in 2025. In the past two years, the Port of Singapore has conducted the world’s first ship-to-containership bunkering and simultaneous container and bunkering operations for methanol. We have also conducted shore-to-ship loading of ammonia and ammonia fuel operations at our port.

13.    Soon, students at the Singapore Maritime Academy will also be trained on new fuels as part of their curriculum to prepare them for the fuels of the future. I highly encourage other institutes of higher learning present today to also identify and include similar skills as part of your course curriculum. 

14.    MPA will also be establishing the Maritime Energy Training Facility with 22 partners, which will be operational in 2026. This will help to ensure that maritime personnel are well prepared to handle alternative fuels safely.

15.    This facility marks a significant step towards equipping seafarers to operate these new engines and fuels safely and effectively.

16.    With these initiatives, professionals will have the opportunity to reskill and upskill throughout their careers. This prepares them for the widespread adoption of alternative fuels and further solidifies Singapore's position as a global hub port and multi-fuel bunkering hub.

Growing Interest Among the Youth for Maritime

17.    As you can see, Maritime Singapore presents exciting opportunities for learning, development and growth. The potential in the maritime sector can only be realised through the dedication, talent and efforts of our people. This is why Maritime Singapore places great emphasis on developing and investing in our workforce, and the next generation of maritime talent, including all of you here. 

18.    As students, one way that you can gain firsthand insight into the maritime industry is through internships.

19.    The MaritimeONE Internship Programme spearheaded by SMF provides an excellent start.  We have observed growing interest in the internship programme, with the number of successful placements for the summer internship increasing from 16 to 68 between 2022 and 2024. This is very encouraging, and I urge both students and companies to continue to make good use of the MaritimeONE Internship Programme. 

20.    The MPA Global Internship Award is a unique platform which provides students with overseas experiential learning and exposure to international maritime business practices. Since its inception in 2013, nearly 400 students have been awarded the internship, with a significant proportion of 45% – coming from non-maritime programmes like Computing, Data Science, Engineering, Law, and Business.

21.    Scholarships are another avenue that provides students with opportunities to connect with the industry.

22.    The MaritimeONE Scholarship not only supports your academic pursuits but connects you to a community of like-minded individuals. I recently spoke at the MaritimeONE and Tripartite Maritime Scholarships awards ceremony, where we awarded scholarships to a record 63 students, up from 60 last year.

23.    Our scholars come from diverse educational backgrounds, and take courses such as accountancy, data science, artificial intelligence, business analytics, engineering, and law. These different perspectives will contribute to the maritime industry's growth and innovation.

The Roles of Industry and IHLs in Nurturing Talent

24.    Nurturing the talent pool for the sector requires the support of the entire industry. It takes significant investments by companies to set aside time, manpower and resources to provide opportunities for youths to learn about the sector.

25.    SMF has been engaging the industry to come on board the MaritimeONE suite of talent development programmes, and I encourage more companies to consider doing so. As an industry, we can make a greater impact when we come together as one.

26.     On this note, I thank the four sponsor companies of this edition of the MaritimeONE Case Summit – CMA CGM, Pacific Carriers Limited, Petredec Global, and TotalEnergies Marine Fuels – for partnering SMF to grow the maritime talent pool. The time you took over the past month to mentor the finalist teams demonstrates that the wider maritime industry is willing to put in the time and effort to coach our next generation.

27.    I would also like to commend our institutes of higher learning for supporting their students’ interest in the maritime sector. By staying abreast of industry trends and fostering partnerships with companies, the tertiary institutes play a crucial role in preparing the next generation to meet the evolving demands of the maritime sector.

Conclusion

28.    To conclude, I would like to congratulate all the finalists for your outstanding performance, and innovative proposals to address real challenges in the maritime sector.

29.    Congratulations to SMF for achieving the highest participation rate in the Case Summit since its inception. I look forward to the presentations later by our champion teams. I look forward to an enjoyable evening and all the best to the teams and everyone else.

30.    Thank you.