MPA, IBM strike partnership to improve port technologyMPA, IBM strike partnership to improve port technology

With vessel traffic projected to continue increasing in Singapore port, the research collaboration between MPA and IBM will serve to ease potential traffic congestion and elevate safety standards, and secure Singapore’s position as a global hub port and a leading international maritime centre.

“MPA is happy to partner IBM on this important MOU to leverage new technologies and harness data analytics that not only enhance current maritime operations, but support our smart port initiatives for the Tuas Next Generation Port,” said Andrew Tan, chief executive of MPA.

“Our collaboration with IBM will see a good mix of our research expertise, software technologies and maritime domain knowledge to create new capabilities for the maritime industry to support Singapore’s vision towards a safe, smart and efficient port,” Tan added.

As part of the two-year agreement, IBM will create a unified platform to integrate real time data and provide a consistent view of data points across MPA to empower port operators to make more informed decisions. For example, with vessel positional and weather data, the platform will report on any vessel path inferences to avoid accidents.

Using the IBM Traffic Prediction Tool, predictive analytics will be applied to forecast vessel arrival timings and potential traffic congestion. The partnership will also uncover new methods for sense-making and aid in event monitoring to detect unusual behavior of vessels and prevent illegal bunkering through fusion analytics, anomaly detection and data mining, leveraging the IBM Incident Detection Module and IBM System G.

Tim Greisinger, managing director, IBM Singapore, said: “The capabilities that will be created in this initiative are aligned to Singapore’s aspirations to be a smart nation, and we are honoured to be partnering MPA in our joint commitment to improve the long-term efficiencies of the maritime industry and enhance Singapore’s position as a world-class international maritime centre.”