Ladies and gentlemen, good morning.

Introduction

1    I am pleased to join you today at the Maritime Engineering Technical Seminar. I must confess that I am not an engineer by training. But after many years working with engineers, I have come to appreciate three things.

2    First, engineers have a structured way of thinking. Second, engineers love to solve problems and are always ready to stand up to the challenge. And third, while engineers do not like frequent changes in requirements, they will do their utmost to deliver the desired outcomes.

3    Maritime Singapore is, in many ways, one of the largest and longest-running engineering projects Singapore has undertaken. Like every engineering project, it began with a “design brief”. Ours was clear, but certainly not easy.

4    Singapore has limited land, few natural resources and a small domestic market. We therefore had to make every inch of land and sea space count, move people and cargo efficiently, and connect ourselves to the world.

5    Generations of engineers have risen to this challenge. They reclaimed land, built terminals, designed vessels and navigation systems, and developed the infrastructure that keeps our port safe, efficient and connected. In doing so, they helped transform a small island into one of the world’s leading maritime hubs.

6    However, the requirements are evolving. Decarbonisation, digitalisation, geopolitics, shifting supply chains and climate change are redefining how ships are designed, how ports are operated and how global trade moves.

7    In that sense, the design brief has changed. This is why maritime engineers are more important than ever. You are the ones who will turn these new requirements into the vessels, infrastructure and systems that make Maritime Singapore safer, greener, smarter and more resilient.

First Message

8    Let me share three key messages this morning. First, Maritime Singapore offers engineers a world of opportunity.

9    The new design brief calls for a much wider range of engineers than the old one. Maritime is no longer just about ships, ports and moving cargo. It is increasingly technology-driven, innovation-focused and multi-disciplinary.

10    Let’s take Tuas Port as an example. When fully developed, it will be the world’s largest fully automated container terminal in a single location. Its operations will use electrified automated yard cranes and automated guided vehicles, managed remotely through advanced control systems.

11    Now imagine a single container moving through Tuas Port. A civil engineer helped create and stabilise the land underneath it. A mechanical or electrical engineer powers the crane that lifts it. A software engineer developed the logic that determines where it should go. A data engineer optimises its journey. A cybersecurity engineer protects the systems behind it. And a systems engineer makes sure every component works together safely and reliably.

12    What looks like a simple movement of one container is, in reality, a relay across many different engineering capabilities. That is what modern maritime engineering looks like: it is an integrated ecosystem where physical infrastructure, digital technology and human judgement work together.

13    Traditional fields such as naval architecture, civil, mechanical, electrical and marine engineering remain essential. But they now work alongside specialists in artificial intelligence, robotics, data science, cybersecurity, advanced materials and energy systems. 

14    For students and young professionals, this opens up a much wider range of careers, both at sea and ashore. You may design state-of-the-art vessels and systems, or even work on technologies that have not yet been invented. So, do not think of maritime as an industry of the past. Maritime is where the future is being built.

Second Message

15    My second message is that we must engineer our future, and not wait for it. The world around us is changing fast. Climate change is altering the risks that our infrastructure must withstand. Global shipping is under pressure to reduce its emissions. Digitalisation creates new possibilities, but also introduces new vulnerabilities. And for Singapore, our competing ports and maritime centres are certainly not standing still. 

16    To prepare for these changes, MPA and the Ministry of Transport are co-creating the Maritime Singapore Master Plan with industry partners and the public. Targeted for release in 2027, it will guide long-term investment, business development, workforce transformation and capability building across the maritime ecosystem.

17    But a master plan is only the beginning. Let me highlight three examples where our engineers can make a real difference.

18    First, climate adaptation. Rising sea levels and less predictable weather mean our engineers must design port facilities that resist flooding, protect critical equipment and strengthen our coastlines and waterfront assets. We must build infrastructure that can continue operating safely, even under more challenging conditions. 

19    Second, sustainability and circularity. As a resource-constrained country, Singapore has always had to do more with less. Today, engineers are exploring how materials can be recovered and reused, how waste can support future reclamation needs, and how batteries from electric vessels can be given a second life. The question is no longer simply, “Can we build it?” We must also ask, “Can we build it with fewer resources, lower emissions and less waste?”

20    Third, digitalisation. As our maritime ecosystem becomes more interconnected, data can help us plan better and spot risks earlier. AI can help detect unusual vessel behaviour, predict equipment failures and support safer operations. Digital twins of vessels, terminals and port systems can let us test different scenarios before making changes in the real world. 

21   I am glad that we are delving deeper into these three areas during the technical seminar this afternoon. 

22    None of these challenges can be solved by one single organisation or discipline. It takes an “all hands-on deck” approach. Government understands national priorities and policymaking. Industry understands commercial and operational realities. Researchers bring new knowledge. And engineers bring these together and turn them into practical solutions.

Third Message

23    My third message is about nurturing the next generation of engineering talents.

24    New infrastructure and technology matter. But ultimately, the future of Maritime Singapore will depend on people with the competence, curiosity and courage to use them well.

25    This starts with building a strong talent pipeline. The Singapore Maritime Technology and Research Roadmap 2026 will help turn research into solutions that can be tested and used in the industry, while improving productivity and driving the adoption of new technologies. We hope this will help create a pathway and vision forward for young people to see new opportunities in Maritime. 

26    Last year, MPA worked together with the Singapore Maritime Foundation to provide scholarships to young promising students, with the support of our industry partners. In total, we awarded 60 scholarships through 39 sponsoring organisations. Recipients are studying not only traditional maritime subjects, but also engineering, computer science, law, business and accountancy. This reflects the breadth of skills Maritime Singapore needs.

27    The MPA Global Internship Award provides another pathway. Last year, 42 participants gained overseas experience through the programme, giving them first-hand exposure to an industry that operates across borders every day. 

28    We are also strengthening partnerships with educational and professional institutions, in Singapore and overseas. Our renewed partnership with the World Maritime University in Sweden continues the field-study programmes that have brought more than 400 students from 70 countries to Singapore since 2004. It also gives maritime professionals more opportunities to develop their skills. 

29    And through partnerships with professional bodies such as the Institution of Engineers Singapore, we can also reach students earlier and show them what a career in maritime engineering can offer.

30    But developing the next generation is only one part of the equation. Those already in the industry must continue learning too. As technology changes, engineers must be ready to learn new skills. Let me give one example.

31    The International Maritime Organization’s strategy sets an ambition for international shipping to reach net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by or around 2050.

32    Here in Singapore, from 2030, all new harbour craft operating in the Port of Singapore must be fully electric, capable of using B100 biofuel or compatible with net-zero fuels. For ocean-going vessels, we are also positioning Singapore as a multi-fuel bunkering hub. This ambition will require engineers to master technologies that many were not formally taught.

33     The Maritime Engineering Doctoral Training Centre, established by the Singapore Institute of Technology with industry partners, is one-way we are working to support this. Through SIT’s Industrial Doctorate and Industrial Master’s programmes, professionals can work on real industry problems in areas such as marine electrification and battery safety, and apply their research directly in the maritime sector. 

Conclusion

34    In conclusion, let me return to where I began. Maritime Singapore was built by generations of engineers who overcame our physical constraints and connected Singapore to the world. 

35    Today, the challenge is different. We must build a Maritime Singapore that is greener, smarter and more resilient – one that moves global trade sustainably, stays secure as it becomes more connected, and embraces automation while continuing to value human judgement and expertise. To achieve this, we need all hands-on deck – and engineers across many disciplines. 

36    So, to our students: enter the industry with curiosity. To our young engineers: build deep expertise, but look beyond your own discipline. And to our experienced engineers and industry leaders: please mentor the next generation, make room for new ideas, and be willing to learn from them too.

Thank you, and I wish all of you a fruitful and inspiring seminar.