S’pore to develop maritime masterplan to guide sector’s development in coming decades
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Singapore must continue to serve as a key node in global supply chains, said Senior Minister of State for Transport Murali Pillai.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
SINGAPORE - Singapore is developing a masterplan for the maritime sector that will set out strategies to strengthen the Republic’s competitiveness as a global hub port, and enhance its appeal as an international maritime centre.
Announcing this on March 4, Senior Minister of State for Transport Murali Pillai said the industry blueprint also seeks to develop a future-ready workforce and position Singapore as a world leader in maritime innovation, including in artificial intelligence.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will set up a local industry panel comprising key business leaders to gather views, as well as engage unions and the public, he said during the debate on the Transport Ministry’s budget.
MPA aims to formalise the Maritime Singapore Master Plan by 2027, he added.
Noting that “the sea has always been Singapore’s open passage to the world”, he said the Republic must continue to serve as a key node in global supply chains, which have been rocked by disruptions.
Oil and gas prices have soared US and Israel launched a strike
Amid this upheaval, the maritime sector can be a “steady conduit” for Singapore, Mr Murali said in response to Mr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Changi GRC), who asked how the ministry plans to keep the sector competitive in the face of increased competition, mounting costs and rapid digitalisation.
Responding to Ms Tin Pei Ling (Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC) on Tuas Port, he said reclamation works for phase two of the port’s development are close to 80 per cent complete, with planning for phase three under way.
A total of 12 berths are currently operational
On the technology front, MPA will expand its trials of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) in the second half of 2026. One such vessel has already been in use for shallow hydrographic surveys, or the study of physical features of water bodies, since 2022.
In the expanded trials, the authority is looking to deploy at least one larger drone boat to support such surveys, while another will be used for surveillance and detection.
These drone boats will be able to operate autonomously, but can be piloted remotely if necessary. The findings will be used to scale up the safe integration of USVs into port operations.
MPA will also allow relevant stakeholders in the maritime sector to tap its maritime digital twin system, which provides a real-time virtual model of the Port of Singapore, integrating live data from vessels, port operations and environmental sensors.
First introduced as a prototype in 2025
From the first quarter of 2026, selected marine services providers, port service operators and supply chain partners will be able to use the system to optimise ship supply services for vessels calling at the port.
Currently, providing such supplies requires manual coordination between suppliers and ship agents, which often results in delays.
With the digital twin, however, this coordination can be done in advance, “reducing vessel idle time and improving service reliability”, said MPA.
In the second quarter, MPA will begin testing incident coordination on the digital twin, using data from multiple sources to improve decision-making in the event of incidents such as oil spills.
Both tests will run for nine months each.
Separately, the authority is looking to strengthen the sector’s talent pipeline by making changes to the Maritime Cluster Fund.
The first change is the introduction of a new Global Rotation area under the fund, in which Singaporean middle managers who take on regional or global supervisory roles will have their overseas deployments co-funded by MPA.
It added that it will make it easier for firms to join the Maritime Cluster Fund – Management Associate scheme, which gives young maritime professionals opportunities to rotate across different commercial and operational roles.
Finally, MPA will introduce an innovation track under the fund’s business development scheme to attract maritime firms and get them to base certain individuals and functions, such as product teams, in Singapore.
This will reinforce the Republic as a global centre for maritime innovation, said MPA, adding that it will co-fund certain costs, such as rentals and the salaries of key personnel.
