MPA awards grants in Smart Port start-up drive

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has, alongside the National University of Singapore (NUS), awarded grants to 12 start-ups to conduct and test-bed smart port-related prototypes and solutions.

In a statement, the MPA said the start-ups had each been awarded $35,000 to pilot their solutions over the next 12 months as part of the Port Innovation Reimagined @ BLOCK71 (PIER71) 2019.

The start-ups will work in collaboration with the MPA and NUS Enterprise, the NUS’ entrepreneurial arm. The grant applications were assessed based on the solutions’ viability in addressing maritime challenges.

They focus on technologies, such as artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, blockchain, robotics and more.

Ms Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive of MPA, said: “Although the global COVID-19 situation has caused widespread disruption, we push ahead with innovation in the maritime sector.

“Singapore continues to support the use of emerging technologies to transform the maritime industry, uplift the way companies do their business and strengthen our resilience as a maritime nation.

“These grants represent MPA’s commitment to supporting innovation as part of Singapore’s Sea Transport Industry Transformation Map, and we are heartened by the results we’ve seen to date from previous grant recipients.”

https://www.porttechnology.org/news/mpa-awards-grants-in-smart-port-start-up-drive/