JOINT MEDIA RELEASE

Singapore, 10 June 2025

1.  The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and NUS Enterprise, the entrepreneurial arm of National University of Singapore (NUS), jointly launched the 9^th edition of the PIER71™ Smart Port Challenge (SPC) 2025 today. This global competition invites start-ups to develop innovative solutions addressing challenges in the maritime industry.

2. SPC2025 was officially launched by Mr Teo Eng Dih, MPA Chief Executive, Dr Tan Sian Wee, NUS Senior Vice President (Innovation & Enterprise), and supporting partner Plug and Play, represented by Mr Jupe Tan, Managing Partner APAC, at Echelon 2025 – Asia’s premier tech and start-up conference. The PIER71™ event drew over 200 international start-ups, venture capitalists, and maritime partners. The opening ceremony also featured a panel discussion “Scaling Smart: Maritime Start-ups, Strategic Capital, and Global Growth”, which provided valuable insights for start-ups navigating today’s complex investment landscape. Please refer to Annex A for the SPC2025 launch programme.

Applications Open for PIER71™ SPC2025: Global Roadshows

3. To broaden its global outreach, PIER71™ will conduct 15 roadshows across 13 cities¹  in June, in partnership with its global innovation network. Locations include the United States, Europe, South Korea, China, and India. This will be the first time roadshows are held in Los Angeles and Boston (US), Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, as well as in China and India.

4. SPC 2025 features 15 challenge statements spanning four focus areas: Maritime Green Technologies, Smart Shipping, Next-Generation Ports, and Digitalisation (see Annex B), supported by over 20 innovation partners². Shortlisted start-ups will participate in a 10-week SPC Accelerate programme, which now offers a more targeted mentorship structure.

Participating start-ups will receive tailored guidance, hands-on workshops, and opportunities for market validation based on their specific stage of development.

5. Upon completion of the programme, participants may apply for support from MPA’s Maritime Innovation and Technology (MINT) Fund for proof-of-concept, pilot projects, and product development. The top start-ups will be awarded cash prizes at the SPC2025 Great Circle finals in November 2025. Start-ups can submit their proposals at https://pier71.sg by 11 July 2025.

66 Grant Recipients, S$130M Raised, 27 Solutions Deployed to Date

6. Five maritime technology (MarineTech) start-ups from SPC2024 were supported, bringing the total number of grant recipients to 66, with over 27 innovative technologies already deployed in the maritime industry following successful trials. The latest round of start-up grant recipients will support the development of a virtual fuel sensor (VFS), an intelligent document processing (IDP) platform for maritime documentation, an AI/ML platform to optimise commercial operations, and trials of next-generation batteries for maritime applications, including sodium-ion and lithium-sulphur solutions. Please see Annex C for information on the five start-ups.

7. Since its inception in 2018, PIER71™ has supported close to 150 start-ups, which have collectively raised more than S$130 million in venture capital. In 2025 alone, four alumni – Seadronix, Clear Robotics, STAX Engineering, and Groundup.ai – secured a combined total of S$34 million in investment funding. Seadronix raised S$15 million in Series B funding – the largest amount raised by any PIER71™ start-up to date – to expand global deployment of its AI-powered autonomous ship navigation technology.

8. Mr Teo Eng Dih, MPA’s Chief Executive, said, “The Smart Port Challenge is a valuable platform to advance innovations for the maritime sector bringing new ideas and solutions for development leading to industry pilots. The engagement and exchange of insights between industry and start-ups in tackling real-world problem statements strengthens Singapore’s maritime innovation ecosystem and helps accelerate the development of practical solutions. We look forward to the innovative solutions that will emerge from SPC 2025.”

9. Dr Tan Sian Wee, Senior Vice President (Innovation & Enterprise), NUS, said, “The future of maritime innovation is anchored in global connectivity, convergence, and ever-deeper industry integration. Since its launch in 2018, PIER71 has catalysed more than 110 innovation opportunities in partnership with over 60 leading maritime corporates. With Singapore recognised as the world’s top maritime centre for the 11th consecutive year, our innovation ecosystem is poised to make a global impact. By joining forces with industry stakeholders across the ecosystem, we are building a resilient and sustainable maritime future—one that is innovative, collaborative, and ready to navigate the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.”

¹ Innovation partners sponsoring the SPC2025 challenge statements include American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), AL Group, BW Epic Kosan, CMA CGM, Columbia Group, Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Equatorial Marine Fuel Management Services, Golden Ocean, Inchcape Shipping Service, Jurong Port, LR OneOcean, Marina Offshore, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) Asia Oceania, NCS, Orient Maritime Group, Pacific International Lines (PIL), PSA Singapore, PSA Ventures, RightShip, RINA, SeaTech Solutions International (SSI) Singapore, Teekay, Wilhelmsen Ships Service, ZEBOX.

² PIER71™ Smart Port Challenge in-person roadshows scheduled in June across 13 cities – China (Guangzhou, Shenzhen), Europe (Hamburg, London, Rotterdam), South Korea (Busan, Seoul), India (Chennai, Mumbai), Singapore, and the United States (Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco).

Annex A: Smart Port Challenge 2025 Launch Programme

Annex B: Smart Port Challenge 2025 Challenge Statements

Annex C: Recipients of Maritime Innovation and Technology (MINT) Grant