The 17th edition of Asia Pacific Maritime (APM), Southeast Asia’s maritime, workboat and offshore exhibition and conference, was officially opened by Ms Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), this morning at the Sands Exhibition and Convention Centre.
The first large-scale in-person maritime tradeshow since the pandemic, which will be held from 16 to 18 March 2022, will attract 7,000 attendees from Asia and beyond including industry professionals, decision-makers, subject experts, and government officials, as well as more than 250 exhibitors from 27 countries and regions, and eight official pavilions from Australia, Germany, Singapore, South Korea (two contingents), the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Organised by RX Singapore, APM 2022 has implemented contactless features at the show such as contactless registration and Lead Retrieval mobile app, as part of its efforts to reduce touch points during this pandemic.
Besides the exhibition, APM 2022 also hosts a three-day conference, comprising the Asia Container Shipping & Ports, Maritime Cyber Security and Maritime Technology and Sustainability Forums. The conference is offered free to all attendees to support the government’s upskilling and learning initiatives.
Over 60 top executives are physically present to lead in-depth discussions focusing on decarbonisation, digitalisation, and sustainability of the maritime sector as a whole. A notable feature of this year’s conference is the participation of speakers outside of the maritime industry, such as professional services firm KPMG who will lead the maritime cyber security panel discussion, drawing upon their wealth of experience in conducting cyber risk assessments and threat modelling.
In his welcome address, Mr Yip Je Choong, Managing Director of RX said, “For the last 30 years, APM has been known to be the place where the latest maritime innovations and solutions are presented; where engaging discussions to chart the future of the industry are conducted; and where significant business deals are sealed. Despite the advent of digital in the last 2 years, we know that it complements, but will never replace face to face engagement. Nothing builds stronger relationships than in-person interactions.”
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Guest-of-Honour Ms Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive, MPA said: “Shipping is a global business and all industry and government stakeholders share a common set of challenges. These include supply chain resilience, sustainability, maritime cyber security as well as attracting and nurturing talent. Events like Asia Pacific Maritime play an important role to bring together insights and ideas and to help build partnerships to address these challenges. Collaboration is key. On this note, I would like to congratulate ASMI and the Korea Marine Equipment Association (KOMEA), on your signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to promote collaboration and opportunities in marine and offshore projects.”
Enabling Partnerships – First MOU inked between ASMI and KOMEA
Apart from knowledge exchange and networking in-person, APM 2022 is also the platform for the maritime community across Asia and beyond to forge strategic partnerships.
At APM 2022, an important milestone was achieved with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement between the Association of Singapore Marine Industries (ASMI) and Korea Marine Equipment Association (KOMEA). As the first of its kind between the two countries, the MOU will enable both associations to forge stronger business relations, facilitate cross-border collaboration and leverage growth opportunities for their members in the shipbuilding and offshore sectors.
ASMI is a non-profit trade organisation representing over 250 corporate members in the business of ship repair, ship conversion, shipbuilding, rig building and offshore engineering in Singapore, while KOMEA is a non-profit trade association that promotes the development of the Korean shipbuilding and marine equipment industry and has a membership of over 200 companies.
Mr Alex Choe, Chairman of the Enterprise & Productivity Committee at ASMI said, “We’re excited to work in close partnership with KOMEA. Companies in the Korea and Singapore Marine & Offshore Engineering sectors have always been working together from time to time to support the maritime sector both globally and in the region. The MOU formalises these working relationships and paves the way for greater collaborations among members of both trade associations. It will also open opportunities for local SMEs to expand and pivot towards the international markets.”
Specifically, the agreement will enable both associations to leverage shared networks and expertise and work together to develop joint offerings and more comprehensive solutions to asset owners and managers of the global maritime sector.
Explaining the timeliness of the MOU, Mr Choe said: “With the growth of the regional offshore industry, including the renewables markets, we are seeing a corresponding rise in demand for offshore installation vessels and other support vessels. This MOU will put us in a stronger position to create a wider range of greener, and more competitive and sustainable solutions to the maritime sector. This covers repairs, maintenance, modifications, and upgrades of vessels, as well as offshore renewables.”
Mr Kim Sung Jun, Executive Director, KOMEA, commented, “We are delighted to successfully conclude the MOU which will lay the groundwork for further co-operation between both associations. KOMEA can leverage ASMI’s strong international networks to deepen our efforts to boost the M&OE sector in this region. In return, Singapore-based ASMI members can tap into the vast growth opportunities in the shipbuilding industry in South Korea where several of the world’s largest shipyards and notable marine manufacturers are based. In addition, South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has drawn up ambitious goals and strategies to achieve up to 75 percent of the market share for eco-friendly vessels with zero carbon emissions by 2030, up from 66% today. We firmly believe that our collaboration will deliver mutual benefits and accelerate our business growth in the marine and offshore sectors.”
For more and the latest information on APM 2022, please visit APM's website, LinkedIn or Facebook.
