MPA grooms Singapore as leading maritime academic centre

Agency to invest $200mln to establish Singapore Maritime Institute in collaboration with A*STAR and EDB.

The maritime education, training and Research and Development (R&D) landscape in Singapore is set to benefit from two new initiatives.

The first initiative, the Singapore Maritime Institute (MI), will be launched as part of efforts to support the growth of Singapore as an International Maritime Centre. The second initiative consists of enhancements to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s (MPA) Maritime Cluster Fund (MCF), according to an MPA report.

Singapore Maritime Institute
A joint effort by MPA, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the Economic Development Board (EDB) in partnership with local Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), the Singapore MI reflects Singapore’s continued commitment to the maritime industry. The Singapore MI aims to develop strategies and programmes related to the academic, policy and R&D aspects of the maritime industry. Key focus areas of the MI include sectors such as shipping, port and maritime services, as well as offshore and marine engineering.

The Singapore MI will coordinate and align the strategic activities of the various maritime institutes to be established at our local IHLs. It will work towards attracting renowned academics and researchers to base in Singapore and groom the next generation of local maritime academia talent. It also aims to increase the pool of maritime-trained students and professionals in Singapore. The Singapore MI will also encourage more industry R&D projects to be undertaken in Singapore.

MPA will commit up to $200 million in funding over the next 10 years for the Singapore MI. This would be supplemented by further research co-funding from A*STAR and EDB. MPA, A*STAR and EDB will actively work with key IHLs, government agencies and the industry to define and drive the Singapore MI’s focus areas. The set up of the Singapore MI will strengthen Singapore’s manpower, research capabilities and enhance overall competitiveness.

Speaking at the Singapore Shipping Association’s 25th Anniversary Gala Dinner, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, Mr Teo Chee Hean, announced the Singapore MI initiative.

“The Singapore MI will adopt a holistic approach to maritime education. It will drive research and development in key areas such as green shipping, maritime logistics and operations, as well as marine and offshore engineering. It will also attract renowned academics and researchers to Singapore, and groom the next generation of local maritime talent. The Singapore MI will also coordinate the strategic activities of various maritime institutes and centres at our local Institutes of Higher Learning,” said DPM Teo.

Mr Teo Siong Seng, President of the Singapore Shipping Association and Managing Director of Pacific International Lines (Pte) Ltd has been identified to be the inaugural Chairman of the Singapore MI Governing Council.

Enhancements to maritime cluster fund
Three broad new schemes will be introduced to MPA’s MCF to further encourage the development of quality maritime manpower in Singapore. The three manpower schemes are: (a) Training@Maritime Singapore; (b) Talent@Maritime Singapore; and (c) InvestManpower@Maritime Singapore. These enhancements will allow maritime organisations and individuals to benefit from an expanded scope of supportable training and development activities.

In-house training activities will now be eligible under the Training@Maritime Singapore scheme to encourage maritime enterprises to provide customised training programmes for their employees in Singapore.

Talent@Maritime Singapore aims to support the grooming of local talent for management and leadership positions.
The third scheme, InvestManpower@Maritime Singapore, supports enterprise-specific and industry-wide training for maritime staff. This scheme encourages maritime companies to invest in training infrastructure or adopt structured human resource tools and processes in order to develop their talent pool. Accredited maritime certification programmes and the establishment of training facilities are potential projects covered under this scheme.

“The Singapore MI and the enhancements to the MCF are initiatives aimed at bringing maritime R&D and manpower capabilities in Singapore to the next level to meet the needs of the growing number of maritime companies here,” said MPA Chief Executive Mr Lam Yi Young. “These initiatives are important in building a sustainable pool of maritime talent to support Maritime Singapore’s growth and are in line with MPA’s mission to develop Singapore as an International Maritime Centre.”