Wärtsilä partners MPA Singapore

(Posted on 26/04/18)

The technology group Wärtsilä has partnered with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to promote maritime innovation and R&D. The partnership covers four different streams: digital acceleration, cyber-physical security, intelligent vessel and port operations. Wärtsilä and MPA have also agreed to support and leverage start-ups and small and medium enterprises in Singapore in these four streams.

“This partnership with MPA is a great example of how combining digitalisation, ecosystems thinking, and collaboration will benefit the maritime industry and drive tangible value at pace. Our joint focus on innovation, cyber-physical security, intelligent vessels and port integration is not only exciting, but will help us both to accelerate our smart marine strategies,” says Marco Ryan, Chief Digital Officer at Wärtsilä.

Digital acceleration will focus on building local venturing activities in Singapore. This will be done through co-creation and mentorship with start-ups, and by participating in the Singapore Smart Port Challenge organised by MPA.

Cyber-physical security collaboration comprises working with institutes of higher learning (IHL) and the maritime community on cyber-physical systems for ships. This will create enhanced operational resilience, including aggregating cyber incidents reported by ships to facilitate coordinated incident response and management.

Through this partnership, the two organisations are developing and field testing intelligent vessels capabilities with local operators, and pathways to safe and sustainable autonomous operations. This will include exploring reliable, secured, and cost-effective data exchange between ports and vessels, supporting just-in-time operations, and other value adding applications.

The organisations will also educate and create awareness on maritime technologies as well as synergise and showcase activities across both the MPA Living Lab and Wärtsilä Digital Acceleration Centre (DAC).

“We are pleased to work with Wärtsilä on its establishment of a DAC in Singapore as it is aligned with our efforts to promote greater digitalisation of the maritime sector. Together with the MPA Living Lab, we believe that Wärtsilä can bring its strong expertise to bear on autonomous and intelligent systems for shipping and ports,” says Andrew Tan, Chief Executive of Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

The partnership was formalised with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed between Marco Ryan and Andrew Tan at the opening of the Singapore Maritime Technology Conference, in the presence of the Finnish Ambassador, Paula Parviainen and Singapore’s Senior Minister of State, Mr Lam Pin Min.