SMI and RISE sign MoU to collaborate in Maritime Research and Development

The Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) and the Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate in common areas of interest on maritime research and development (R&D). Mr Tan Cheng Peng, Executive Director of SMI and Professor Mikael Lind, Senior Strategic Research Advisor of RISE, signed the MoU on the side-lines of the Nordic Maritime Singapore 2022 event which was held in conjunction with the Singapore Maritime Week today. The MoU was witnessed by Mr Kent Härstedt, Ambassador of Sweden to Singapore and Mr Wong Weng Sun, Chairman of SMI Board and Governing Council.

Under the three-year MoU, both RISE and SMI will work together to identify common R&D areas of interest in four broad areas of maritime informatics, supply chain innovation and efficiency, decarbonisation and sustainability, and safety and security.

Ambassador Kent Härstedt said, “RISE and the Singapore Maritime Institute are two organisations with a solid track record on sustainability and innovation. This collaboration marks a great milestone responding to organisational, human, and societal concerns now and for the future.”

“Sweden has a large business cluster in Singapore with around 300 companies present. Promoting maritime research is vital to our innovation capacity. I am very happy to see this Memorandum of Understanding with SMI and I look forward to the results of our cooperation,” said Associate Professor Pia Sandvik, CEO of RISE.

Mr Wong Weng Sun said, “The global maritime industry is on a digitalisation journey, leveraging on technology to enhance efficiencies and innovation. There is also a commitment on developing sustainable pathways towards decarbonisation. SMI is pleased to partner with like-minded institute such as RISE, to develop synergies and concrete projects in the four identified areas of R&D which will address some of the key challenges and opportunities posed by digitalisation and decarbonisation trends.” 

Following the MoU signing, RISE and SMI will be organising a virtual workshop on 5 April 2022 where experts and researchers from RISE and SMI, together with industry representatives from both countries, will meet to identify applicational areas of collaboration, in particular those that may be empowered by digitalisation. 

Said Professor Mikael Lind, “This collaboration will contribute to enhanced efficiency, sustainability and resilience for the global transport and maritime industry.”

Mr Tan Cheng Peng added, “The joint workshop is the first step towards catalysing discussions between SMI, RISE and the research partners of both countries. It aims to formulate project ideas and identify common research topics for future joint grant calls. Our Centres of Excellence will also benefit from working with the researchers in Sweden as they share their domain knowledge and explore potential collaboration opportunities.” 

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