More than 250 of Singapore’s industry leaders across the maritime ecosystem gathered in-person at the Singapore Maritime Foundation New Year Conversations 2022.

Gracing the event as the Guest-of-Honour was Mr. S. Iswaran, Singapore’s Minister for Transport and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations. In his speech, Mr. Iswaran said, “Maritime Singapore has shown itself to be resilient despite the challenges of the pandemic over the past two years. I am confident that the continued strong tripartite partnership between the Government, industry and unions will see us through the recovery phase and allow Maritime Singapore to emerge even stronger.“

A highlight of the evening was a panel discussion on key challenges the industry faces, and the opportunities amid disruptions in the post-pandemic world. The panel discussion was chaired by Mr. Hor Weng Yew, Chairman of the Singapore Maritime Foundation and comprised Mr. Jeremy Nixon, CEO of Ocean Network Express (ONE); Ms. Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA); Mr. Tan Chong Meng CEO of PSA International; Mr. Lars Kastrup, Co-President & Executive Director of Pacific International Lines (PIL); and Mr. Loh Boon Chye, CEO of the Singapore Exchange (SGX).

The programme culminated in the global launch of the 2022 edition of the Leading Maritime Cities of the World report co-developed by DNV and Menon Economics. In the latest edition of the report, Singapore secured the overall top spot as an international maritime centre.

Commenting on the report, Mr. Hor said, “Maritime Singapore’s recognition in the DNV-Menon Leading Maritime Cities of the World 2022 report is a testament of the cohesiveness of the industry players across the ecosystem. The willingness of industry players to collaborate on common challenges—whether it is to address maritime decarbonisation or to support talent development—cannot be taken for granted. The Singapore Maritime Foundation will continue to work with the industry to build connectivity, foster innovation and nurture talent to sustain the growth of the sector.”