Singapore and the Port of Rotterdam strengthen partnership through a series of collaborative projects on port solutions.
The Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC), the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Academy (MPAA) today co-organised a lecture – The Port and City of Rotterdam – ‘Era of Transition’ that discussed ways in which the port industry can transit towards a sustainable and bio-based economy.
Helmed by the Vice Mayor of Rotterdam Adriaan Visser and the President of the Port of Rotterdam (PoR), Allard Castelein, both shared their insights on creating a port that is considerate towards liveability and adaptability for the region. The session was moderated by Mr Andrew Tan, Chief Executive of MPA.
Following the lecture, on 2nd March 2016, the MPAA will host an interactive roundtable discussion with the PoR to further strengthen the years of strong partnership. The roundtable discussion will include topics like the development of Singapore’s Tuas port, the ground-breaking operation and development of Rotterdam’s Maasvlakte 2, current and major issues relating to LNG bunkering and innovation of ports in relation to a culture of green practices.
Mr Andrew Tan, Chief Executive of MPA, said,
“The dynamic and complex challenges facing the shipping industry brought about by strong economic headwinds, stricter regulations, ever growing vessels and new technologies require port authorities to work more closely with each other and with industry partners to develop innovative solutions to tackle the challenges. The lecture today and the subsequent roundtable discussions involving key industry players will provide more opportunities for exchange of best practices and collaborations to improve efficiency, sustainability, safety and security, as well as the adoption of future-ready technology and infrastructure in ports.”
“MPA and PoR share the same ambition to deliver an efficient, smart, safe and secure and a green and community-oriented port. Through the sharing of collaborative experiences via interactive platforms such as the lecture and roundtable discussion, we can expand on solutions for the development of our ports,” said Allard Castelein, President of the Port of Rotterdam. “Throughout our long-standing partnership with MPA, we’ve shared a goal of leveraging technologies and the exchange of new ideas to develop cutting-edge solutions for the port industry.”
The MPA-PoR Roundtable will be supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands as well as representatives from industry partners and research institutes from Singapore and the Netherlands. Discussions will include sharing of best practices in data analytics and research and development on port efficiency and optimisation.
Both the lecture and the roundtable session follow a series of successful meetings and discussions on joint initiatives and potential projects between MPA and PoR since the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote cooperation and exchange of information, as well as research and development was signed between the two organisations in April 2015.
Since then, MPA and PoR have strengthened their partnership in various joint projects such as the harmonisation of LNG bunkering standards and procedures between Singapore and Rotterdam, and MPA’s participation in the Port Call Optimisation Taskforce initiated by the Port of Rotterdam to standardise and exchange nautical and port information to raise efficiency in our port.
Source: MPA Singapore
