To be held from 6-14 April this year, the 14th edition of SMW will feature 24 forums and conferences, eight networking receptions and four public outreach activities, with a projected 40,000 participants with 15,000 from anchor event Sea Asia, 8,000 from industry events and 17,000 from outreach events.
“With the bicentennial, SMW 2019 will be an excellent time to take stock of where we are and how to overcome challenges ahead,” said Quah Ley Hoon, chief executive of Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).
“During the nine-day event, attendees will get to hear from the brightest minds and influential business leaders from shipping and adjacent sectors, as they go beyond the present to debate the strategies needed for a future-ready maritime industry,” she said.
Themed around ‘Driving Connectivity, Innovation and Talent’, SMW 2019 will look deeper into the role of maritime industry in trade, interconnectivity and global supply chains; innovation in the areas of technology and disruptions so as to develop a vibrant ecosystem and digitalisation; and addressing the growing talent crunch to nurture a skilled workforce.
Returning for its seventh edition during SMW is the biennial Sea Asia, co-organised by UBM (Seatrade) and the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF), where the Global Forum will feature shipowners and cargo interests deliberate key issues facing the industry. In addition, speakers at the popular Parliamentary Debate will present their case for the motion of ‘This house believes that too much is expected of the shipping industry on environmental matters.’
Read more: Innovation Arena at Sea Asia to showcase new generation of solutions for maritime
This year’s Singapore Maritime Lecture will see Chan Chun Sing, Singapore’s minister for trade and industry, deliver a keynote speech title ‘Whither Singapore as a Maritime Hub?’ that will cover global and regional developments before zooming in on Singapore. He will join a panel discussion thereafter, moderated by Andreas Sohmen-Pao, chairman of BW Group and SMF.
For the first time at SMW, an exclusive closed-door gathering of 15 major industry players will discuss issues on ship classification and regulations as well as the strategic direction to be taken to embrace rapid technological and market changes at the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) Roundtable.
During SMW, MPA will unveil its Maritime Innovation Lab. The purpose-built facility is set up to provide an environment for experimentation and test bedding of innovative port services and intelligent ship operations through digital and regulatory enablers and ecosystem partnership.
The 4th Singapore Maritime Technology Conference will provoke thoughts about technology as an enabler for growth, promote the maritime start-up scene and home in on cybersecurity.
Safety at sea will also be discussed at the 3rd Asian Marine Casualty Forum which aims to raise industry standards, boost cross-industry cooperation, and reduce the risks and challenges involved in future major salvage and wreck removal operations.
On the talent front, a Breakfast Conference by Faststream held for the first time at SMW will discuss maritime talent development trends and human resource-related issues so that companies can tailor their talent development programme accordingly.
For more information on SMW 2019, visit: www.smw.sg
For more details on Sea Asia and how to participate, visit: www.sea-asia.com
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