Singapore Maritime Week: Sustainable Marine Transportation Conference
Latest trends and technologies on green shipping and ports

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Royal Norwegian Embassy/ Innovation Norway, with support from the Singapore Maritime Institute, Research Council of Norway and Norwegian Business Association of Singapore, jointly organised the Sustainable Marine Transportation Conference 2014 on Tuesday, 8 April 2014.

The conference, themed "Green Shipping and Ports", is one of the key events of the Singapore Maritime Week 2014. It aims to provide a platform for maritime leaders and experts to identify existing industry challenges and explore potential research and development opportunities.

"Norway and Singapore are maritime nations with different strengths - derived from something we have in common - namely complete clusters of maritime industry. Innovation and collaboration are crucial to keep these industries competitive, and that is why we value our close partnership with Singapore", said Ms Dilek Ayhan, State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries.

Mr Andrew Tan, Chief Executive, MPA said, "Norway and Singapore share a common vision to promote our maritime research and development efforts. This conference provides a good platform to profile the present and future technology solutions for both countries' maritime industry, and highlight potential areas of exploration and collaboration among the industry players in key technological areas."

Key international maritime officials and executives shared their expertise and insights throughout the conference. Ms Dilek Ayhan, State Secretary of the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, gave a keynote speech from a governmental perspective on a green future for the maritime industry. Captain M Segar, MPA's Assistant Chief Executive (Operations), spoke about a sustainable next generation port. Other distinguished speakers for the event included officials from the Norwegian Coastal Administration, Norwegian Marine Technology Research Institute (MARINTEK), as well as representatives from the port and the shipping industry.

The first session covered the development of ports and ships of the future. The topics ranged from liquefied natural gas (LNG) distribution, small LNG carrier and eco-ship designs, to implementation of intelligent systems to manage port traffic and the move towards a greener and sustainable port.

Maritime operations and electronic navigation were key focus in the second session. Maritime experts shared their insights on improvement of vessel safety and navigation through electronic navigation systems, efficient ship operations, limits of ultra large container vessels and future unmanned ships. The sessions were capped off with an insightful panel discussion.

The conference was attended by some 200 participants from the local maritime industry, a Norwegian delegation led by the Research Council of Norway, members of the Norwegian business community in Singapore, Norwegian maritime trainees, and researchers from the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University.

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Jointly issued by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and Norwegian Embassy/ Innovation Norway

About the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was established on 2 February 1996, with the mission to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre (IMC), and to advance and safeguard Singapore's strategic maritime interests. MPA is the driving force behind Singapore's port and maritime development, taking on the roles of Port Authority, Port Regulator, Port Planner, IMC Champion, and National Maritime Representative. MPA partners the industry and other agencies to enhance safety, security and environmental protection in our port waters, facilitate port operations and growth, expand the cluster of maritime ancillary services, and promote maritime R&D and manpower development.

About the Royal Norwegian Embassy
The Embassy contributes to strengthening Norwegian competitiveness through business promotion along with assisting Norwegian companies and institutions in building fruitful relations in Singapore.

More than 200 Norwegian companies are established in Singapore - 80 % of them within the maritime and offshore sector. These companies represent one of the highest concentrations of Norwegian business interests in any city outside Norway. Assistance to companies is given in cooperation with Innovation Norway, Norwegian Seafood Council and the Norwegian Business Association in Singapore (NBAS). Together we communicate the core of Norwegian competitive advantages - including offshore technology, sustainable shipping, renewable energy and seafood among others.

About Innovation Norway
Innovation Norway's objective is to promote private- and socio-economic profitable business development throughout the country, and to release the commercial opportunities of the districts and regions by encouraging innovation, internationalization and image-building. The state owned company employs more than 700 people. Innovation Norway has offices in all the Norwegian counties and in more than 30 countries worldwide. The head office is situated in Oslo. Our vision is: We give local ideas global opportunities.

About Singapore Maritime Week (6 - 11 April 2014)
Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) is the leading maritime event in Singapore. Driven by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), SMW gathers the international maritime community in Singapore for a week of conferences, dialogues, exhibitions and social events in celebration of all things maritime. The range of activities and events organised by MPA, the industry, and research and educational institutions, as well as the cosmopolitan profile of participants, reflect the vibrancy and diversity of Singapore as a major international maritime centre.

SMW has grown in size and significance since the inaugural event in 2006, and is attracting more participants and event organisers from around the world. Participants can experience something new every year, as activities are added to the line-up, and as eminent speakers share their insights and participate in dialogues on topical maritime issues. This dynamism and the good range of issues discussed during SMW are major draws for maritime decision-makers, as are the many business networking platforms. This is why Singapore Maritime Week is all about PEOPLE, IDEAS and OPPORTUNITIES for the maritime community.

For more information and the full calendar of events, please visit www.smw.sg.