The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), together with industry partners, has launched several new initiatives to enhance maritime safety. Announced at the opening of the 13th Singapore Safety@Sea Week, these initiatives will support shared learning, strengthen operational capabilities, and prepare the industry for the safe adoption of new technologies.

2.          Speaking at the opening, Mr Murali Pillai, Senior Minister of State for Law and Transport, highlighted three priorities for strengthening maritime safety: harnessing technology responsibly, preparing early for emerging risks, and keeping people at the centre of safety. He also underscored the importance of strong partnerships across the maritime community in building a strong safety culture.

3.         Organised by MPA from 17 to 21 August 2026, this year’s Safety@Sea Week is themed “All Hands on Deck – Safety First!” About 1,500 participants from across the maritime community are expected to take part in 18 events organised by MPA and its partners. These include the Safety@Sea Symposium, featuring seven speakers across two panel sessions, and three workshops on ammonia bunkering, methanol bunkering, and crew safety awareness. Please visit https://www.safetyatseaweek.gov.sg/ for programme details.

Encouraging Open Reporting and Shared Learning

4.         At the opening of Safety@Sea Week, the National Maritime Safety at Sea Council and the Singapore Shipping Association launched the Singapore Near Miss Reporting System to encourage the reporting and sharing of lessons from near miss incidents.

5.         Modelled on the internationally recognised Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP)[1], the system provides sea space users with a confidential online channel to report near misses. CHIRP will independently receive the submissions and provide anonymised information to the Council, which will distil key safety lessons for sharing with the wider maritime community.

Strengthening Situational Awareness

6.         MPA also announced the operationalisation of the Integrated Port Operations Command, Control and Communications (IPOC) system, developed with the Defence Science and Technology Agency and ST Engineering.

7.         IPOC strengthens MPA’s ability to manage increasingly complex operations and incidents in Singapore’s busy port waters, by bringing together live data from multiple sources to provide MPA officers with a real-time view of port operations and activities. The new map-based tools allow these officers to coordinate operations, share information and identify potential risks, supporting faster and more informed decisions and deployment of resources.

Supporting Safe Autonomous Operations

8.         Safety@Sea Week also saw the announcement of a MOU between MPA and Ocean Infinity[2] to test, evaluate and validate trials for autonomous and remote marine operations in Singapore port waters.

9.         Ocean Infinity will share operational insights and practical lessons from its experience in autonomous and remote maritime operations. MPA will contribute its expertise to guide the design and conduct of trials, and assess the safety and operational considerations arising from them. Both parties will also support capability development, operational experimentation and research partnerships.

10.        The trials will provide further operational insights into autonomous vessels and Remote Operations Centres, and inform how such technologies can be safely introduced in Singapore port waters in the future.

Recognising Industry Contributions to Maritime Safety

11.       Safety@Sea Week also recognises the role of the maritime community in keeping people safe at sea. MPA Chief Executive Mr Ang Wee Keong presented the MPA Safety@Sea Awards to nine companies for their outstanding contributions to search and rescue efforts in 2025.

12.       Letters of Commendation were presented to four companies for rendering assistance to those in distress at sea. Details of the recipients are in the Annex.

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[1] The Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP) is an independent UK-based charity founded in 1982 that operates a world-renowned safety reporting system for the maritime and aviation sectors. Its primary focus is to ensure that individuals involved in aviation and maritime can share safety concerns and report close-call incidents and lessons learned through CHIRP’s confidential reporting service without fear of being identified or harming their careers.

[2] Ocean Infinity is a marine technology company specialising in robotics and large-scale subsea data acquisition. It develops and operates robotic systems, including its Armada fleet, autonomous underwater vehicles and onshore operations centres, enabling safer and more efficient marine operations.