At the crossroads of major trade and shipping routes, Singapore is an International Maritime Centre (IMC) with a vibrant cluster of maritime activities.  A world of international maritime service providers calls Singapore home. They include ship managers, shipbrokers, ship agents, ship operators, ship financiers, marine insurers and P&I Clubs, classification societies, and maritime legal firms.

We are plugged into the global economy and our many Free Trade Agreements, bilateral agreements and more than 45 Double Taxation Treaties offer our maritime business clients greater access into other key markets, and enhance trade and investment flows.  We have a pro-business fiscal regime.
 
Singapore is a quality flag and the preferred choice of many international shipowners. Our merchant fleet is the largest in Asia and 6th largest in the world. There are many benefits of flagging with the Singapore Registry of Ships.

The MPA champions and drives Singapore’s ongoing development as an IMC.  We spearhead and facilitate attractive programmes for the maritime industry. These have an impact on a wide spectrum of the maritime clusters. Our S$100 million Maritime Innovation and Technology (MINT) Fund, for instance, helps jumpstart maritime R&D through academia-industry interaction and promoting R&D entrepreneurship in:

• Maritime Transport and Logistics
• Marine Environment and Resources
• Offshore and Marine Engineering
• Ship Terminal and Port Operations and Security
• Maritime IT and Communications

Foreign companies may also apply for funds to develop or commercialise new maritime technologies in Singapore.

Other initiatives include the Maritime Enterprise IT (MERIT) Development Programme to assist Small-Medium Enterprises to upgrade their IT capabilities.

Find out more in this section.