MPA Singapore and the National University of Singapore (NUS) enhanced their support for start-ups under the PIER71 (Port Innovation Ecosystem Reimagined @ BLOCK71) initiative by signing a Partnership Agreement with the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) during the Smart Port Challenge 2022 (SPC) Grand Final.
The partnership agreement connects start-ups with SSA’s member companies to validate their solutions, gain test-bedding support, and leverage on networking opportunities with the maritime industry through the Start-Up Engagement Workgroup.
This support channel will broaden the engagement efforts of PIER71 by connecting start-ups with industry partners that have not participated in PIER71’s programmes before.
The three winners of SPC 2022 were also announced at the event. The first, second and third place winners are GotSurge, GreenCOP and Seadronix. These winners were selected following an evaluation by a panel of judges on their proposed solution, business model, market potential, impact to the maritime industry and overall team capability. The winning teams walked away with cash prizes of S$10,000, S$5,000 and S$3,000 respectively.
GotSurge aims to change this through its one-stop digital logistics platform, where customers and suppliers benefit from end-to-end visibility of all deliveries from a single dashboard. This will result in greater efficiencies, reduced costs of up to 30% and an improved customer experience.
This year’s finalists have a strong focus on green technology, addressing the need for more sustainable energy and waste management. Solutions also include use of data and artificial intelligence to optimise safety and efficiency in vessel operations and supply chain management.
The finalists have completed PIER71TM Accelerate, a six-week market validation and customer discovery programme and are now eligible to apply for a grant of up to S$50,000 from MPA to embark on pilot projects with maritime companies.
Strong collaboration is essential to supporting digital and decarbonisation transformation efforts in the maritime industry
stated Kenneth Lim, Assistant Chief Executive (Industry and Transformation), MPA.
