DNV and Menon Economics published their 2022 edition of the Leading Maritime Cities (LMC) report, which sees Singapore’s strong performance retain the city-state at the number 1 spot overall.
Highlights
- Singapore retains number 1 position.
- Rotterdam and London feature in the top-3.
- Fourth and 5th place go to Shanghai and Tokyo.
Singapore number 1
According to the report, Singapore maintains its position as it is still number one on the Attractiveness and Competitiveness pillar. It also outperformed all other cities on Maritime Technology.
A consistent strategy for innovation, targeting start-ups, and investment in digital technologies has paved the way for Singapore’s position on Maritime technology
the report said.
However, Singapore loses its number one position in Shipping Centers and Ports and Logistics to Athens and Shanghai respectively. On the Maritime Finance and Law pillar, Singapore lost some ground as well, going from 5th to 8th place.

What’s in the top-3
In addition, three of the top 5 cities are Asian, and two cities are European. Namely, Rotterdam continues its upward trend and takes second place this year.
Despite the fact that it holds 10th position on Shipping and having no first position on any pillar, Rotterdam scores high on most pillars, particularly on Ports and Logistics and Attractiveness and Competitiveness.
London has also climbed from 5th to 3rd position, while Shanghai holds the 4th position, with Tokyo retaining the 5th position.
Maritime cities and clusters are generating unique strategies to cope with these global transformations. They will play a leading role in the green shift, with new business models that drive the transition
added DNV Maritime CEO Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen.
As for Hong Kong, it has lost its position within the top 5 in the Shipping pillar, and Maritime Finance & Law, and dropped from 4th to 7th place in the overall ranking.
Returning to Europe, Athens is back on top of the Shipping pillar, followed by Singapore, Tokyo, and Shanghai. Hamburg has lost ground, falling to 9th place overall, with New York taking the top position on the Maritime Finance & Law pillar, followed by London, Tokyo, and Oslo.
Regarding the Maritime Technology pillar, Singapore sits at the top, with Oslo and Busan ranking 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Digitalization and future
As far as digitalization is concerned, the report finds that Singapore, Oslo, Shanghai, and Copenhagen will be the cities best prepared for the digital transformation of the industry.
More specifically, Oslo has further consolidated its position as the world’s leading center for sustainable technologies and solutions for the oceans, followed by Singapore and Copenhagen.
Looking five years into the future, our experts predict that Singapore will keep its position as the global leader, while Shanghai will grow in importance and become the second most important maritime city
the report explains.
Furthermore, the race to be the leading city in Europe is still open, with London, Oslo, and Rotterdam as the leading contenders.
In the Middle East, India and Africa region, Dubai is the leading maritime center, and at a global level now ranked 12th, mainly due to the split between Dubai and Abu Dhabi in this year’s edition of the LMC.
The report predicts that Dubai will continue to grow in importance and is expected to take 6th place by 2027, albeit with strong competition from Hong Kong, Hamburg, and Copenhagen.