Welcome Address by Senior Minister of State for Transport Mr Chee Hong Tat at the Singapore-Norway Maritime Digital and Cyber Forum

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1.     Thank you for inviting me to the inaugural Singapore-Norway Maritime Digital and Cyber Forum 2022, organised in conjunction with the One Ocean Expedition.

2.     The One Ocean Expedition is a round-the-globe sailing by the beautiful Norwegian tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl. The exhibition, which is part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, is a commendable effort to raise global awareness about the crucial role of the ocean.  

3.     Statsraad Lehmkuhl may be 108 years old, but it is equipped with state-of-the-art research equipment that collects data throughout its voyage, such as the amount of carbon dioxide, microplastic, and water samples at different locations.  It also has a hydrophone to collect sounds from mammals and ocean noise. This voyage brings together the community – there are professional crew on board but also students, researchers, professionals, and trainees to gather experience and learn more about the ocean. 

4.     As a global hub port and an international maritime centre, Singapore is proud to be one of the ports of call for the Statsraad Lehmkuhl on this important journey. 

Importance of Digital Connectivity and Cyber Resilience in Maritime

5.     When ships like the Statsraad Lehmkuhl were first built, seafarers relied on paper maps and the constellations to chart their course. Seafarers today use advanced shipboard and sensor systems such as the Electronic Chart Display and Information System or ECDIS, radar, GPS and the Automatic Identification System or AIS, to safely navigate the oceans. 

6.     In ports, the development of maritime single windows and ship-to-shore interfaces has made it safer and more efficient for us to berth mega-size container vessels. All these navigational tools are important for us to ensure safety. Today, we rely more than ever on digital technologies for safe and efficient navigation. 

7.     At the global level, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has also taken steps over the years to enhance digital connectivity. As early as 2011, the IMO amended the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, or the SOLAS Convention, to make the ECDIS mandatory for ships. 

8.     More recently in 2019, the IMO amended the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic, or the FAL Convention, to require public authorities to establish systems for electronic exchange of information between ships and ports. 

9.     Digital connectivity will grow in importance, and as the maritime industry looks to the future, it is something we have to embrace and prepare our companies and workers for. On sustainability, vessels and ports will have to rely on digital tools to facilitate carbon inventory tracking and just-in-time operations, to minimise the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. To address the global shortage of manpower in the industry, digitalisation and automation can make certain tasks safer and more efficient for port workers and seafarers. We will also need to upskill our maritime workforce to effectively use and benefit from these solutions.  

10.    As digital connectivity grows, ports, ship and shore-based systems will also become increasingly interconnected. This is a good development, but it also means that the risk and scope of cyber-attacks will increase, and the impact of such cyber-attacks will be larger. Cyber resilience is therefore a key capability we need to develop and strengthen. To safeguard our digital assets, companies and regulators alike will have to up our game against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats and coordinated attackers. Attackers will think of new ways to attack, and we will have to anticipate and respond accordingly. We have to stay vigilant, be alert, and work together.

11.    Singapore is glad to be a part of today’s conversations and to work with our partners – many of whom are present here today – to build a future-ready maritime industry, underpinned by digital connectivity and cyber resilience. 

Singapore’s Efforts in Digital Connectivity and Cyber Resilience

12.    Allow me to share a bit more about Singapore’s efforts in digital connectivity and cyber resilience.

Digital Connectivity

13.    In August this year, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide full Maritime 5G coverage in our major anchorages, fairways, terminals, and boarding grounds by mid-2025. 

14.    Once ready, this will enable us to accelerate MarineTech research, as well as develop, test and deploy new digital applications over the next decade. This has great potential to improve maritime efficiency and navigational safety, and enhance the efficacy of technological aids such as the Vessel Traffic Information System, Remotely-Assisted Pilotage Advisory, digital bunkering, delivery drones and telemedicine.

15.    As we encourage the industry to go digital, we are especially excited about the potential of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships, or MASS, to transform shipping operations. MASS is another potential Maritime 5G use-case that will encourage companies to develop smart systems enhancing ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communications, autonomous navigation, as well as remote control and monitoring capabilities. 

16.    Maritime 5G will provide a secure, high-performance network for the exchange of data between MASS and shore-based control centres, such as data critical to navigational safety which is especially crucial in our congested and heavily used port waters.

17.    Beyond developing the technical capabilities for MASS, Singapore has also started working with international partners, including Norway, through the MASSPorts initiative. MASSPorts aims to establish common terminology, forms, and standards to enhance inter-operability of MASS systems across different ports, and to facilitate port-to-port trials. 

18.    The experiences from our 5G use cases can be shared with industry players and regulators from other countries; this is an area where we try to learn from one another and discover better ways of doing things. This will speed up our learning and maximise our chances of success, and we want to work together with partners from government and industry.  If we can do this across different hub ports and key nodes of the supply chain, it will improve overall supply chain efficiency.

19.    Singapore has been working closely with the Norwegian government, industry players, and other knowledge partners to exchange ideas and expertise in the areas of maritime technology development and MASS. 

20.    To date, MPA, the Research Council of Norway, the Singapore Maritime Institute and SINTEF Ocean have jointly organised three editions of the International Maritime and Port Technology and Development Conference, or MTEC.

21.    MTEC has been well received as a platform for knowledge exchange and community building and was held in conjunction with the International Conference for MASS earlier this year during the Singapore Maritime Week. The combined conference garnered more than 130 submissions from 24 countries, spanning topics such as smart shipping, decarbonisation and maritime safety. 

Cyber Resilience

22.    Next, on cyber resilience, failure to adequately protect against cyber-attacks will increase the risk of disruptions to maritime supply chains. As we become more global, there will be a chain effect and far-reaching repercussions on the global economy.  We must do our best to work together to prevent such a scenario from happening.

23.    To strengthen cyber resiliency and response to these threats through information sharing and collaboration, MPA established the Port Authorities Chief Information Officer Cybersecurity Network initiative, or PACC-Net, in 2020. We hope we can grow this network over time to include more participants and members, and to further deepen collaboration among existing members. There are currently 11 international ports and port authorities that have joined PACC-Net, and we welcome Norwegian ports to also come on board this network.

24.    In April this year, MPA signed an MoU with the Singapore Shipping Association and seven industry partners to advance maritime cybersecurity capabilities. Together, we aim to develop Singapore into a maritime cybersecurity centre of excellence, with a leading talent pool at the forefront of maritime cyber skills.

25.    One key step we have taken is the establishment of a Maritime Cybersecurity Roundtable, which complements PACC-Net and recommends new initiatives relating to cybersecurity capability and talent development, information sharing, exercises to test our system, and collaborative projects. The inaugural Roundtable in June this year saw good participation from all seven partners, who agreed on joint initiatives to strengthen the cyber resilience of shipping companies over the next three years. This initiative has had a good start, but we need to do more as attackers continue to look for ways to penetrate our system. We have done well but we need to look ahead, run together and run even faster.

26.    Insights from the Roundtable will also help MPA develop our new Maritime Integrated Cybersecurity Operations Hub, which will safeguard our digital assets against cyber threats.

27.    We welcome Norwegian partners, whether from government, industry, or academia, to join us in building our collective cybersecurity capabilities.

Conclusion

28.    Let me conclude by going back to the example of the Statsraad Lehmkuhl. I mentioned at the start of my speech how this is a wonderful example of marrying our rich maritime heritage with cutting-edge digital capabilities. 

29.    By extending that same approach of marrying maritime traditions with new ways of doing things and following the innovative spirit of the Statsraad Lehmkuhl. I hope we can work together to transform our maritime industry to make it more digital and cyber-ready.

30.    I wish you all a very fruitful Forum ahead. Thank you.