The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is developing the Maritime Singapore Master Plan, an industry-wide blueprint to guide the sector's longer-term development.
Targeted for release in 2027, the Master Plan will outline strategies and plans to strengthen Singapore's competitiveness as a global hub port; enhance Singapore's attractiveness as an International Maritime Centre; grow Singapore as a centre for maritime technology, innovation, including in Artificial Intelligence, and R&D; and develop a skilled maritime workforce.
"Amidst a more complex and uncertain operating environment, MPA is charting the long-term direction for Maritime Singapore. This includes developing strategies to seize growth opportunities and strengthen Singapore's position as a key node in global trade, while continuing to drive innovation, accelerate technology adoption, and develop a future-ready workforce," MPA said.
The Master Plan will chart out the long-term business planning, investment, and skills development across the maritime ecosystem.
It builds on the sector's steady growth and transformation, which has anchored more than 200 international shipping groups, and created some 2,000 PME jobs for locals over the last five years.
To reinforce Singapore's position as a global centre for maritime innovation, MPA will introduce a new innovation track under the Maritime Cluster Fund – Business Development (MCF-BD) scheme — aimed to attract maritime companies to anchor their innovation and technology leaders, product teams, and corporate venture capital (CVC) functions in Singapore. The scheme enhances support for companies setting up innovation and technology desks or CVCs in Singapore, co-funding qualifying costs such as rentals and salaries of key personnel.
Companies will also gain access to R&D expertise and resources, regulatory sandboxes, and co-funding support to pursue innovation activities.
From the second half of 2026, MPA will expand trials of unmanned surface vessels in Singapore's port waters to improve safety, efficiency and operational resilience. The programme will test AI‑enabled USVs for surveillance, early‑warning detection and hazard monitoring in high‑traffic areas, as well as for hydrographic survey work in locations that are difficult for conventional vessels to access, helping MPA maintain up‑to‑date charting with lower manpower needs.
MPA noted that findings from the trials will support the safe and scalable integration of USVs in port operations.
MPA will roll out new industry tools on its Maritime Digital Twin from 2026, starting with two pilot projects aimed at improving marine service delivery. A pilot on supply‑service and job coordination will begin in Q1 2026, allowing service providers to use real‑time visualisation and shared operational data to reduce vessel idle time. A second pilot, starting in Q2, will integrate vessel‑traffic data, weather information, drone feeds and plume‑modelling tools to strengthen incident‑response decision‑making and multi‑agency coordination.
MPA has also worked with IMDA and M1 to complete the roll-out of Maritime 5G coverage in Singapore's major fairways, anchorages, terminals, and boarding grounds in 2025.
In the coming months, MPA and the Ministry of Transport will engage businesses, industry stakeholders, and the public to gather feedback and ideas and co-create a common vision. A local industry panel comprising key business leaders will also be convened to provide their expertise on opportunities and challenges for the industry.
