Singapore Maritime Week 2026 Opens, Celebrating 20 Years of Maritime Thought Leadership in International Shipping News 21/04/2026 The Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) 2026 was officially launched today by Mr Jeffrey Siow, Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance. This year marks SMW’s 20th edition – reflecting two decades of convening global maritime leaders, shaping ideas and advancing the industry. Organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the annual event is taking place from 20 to 24 April this year, and brings together more than 20,000 participants from close to 80 countries and regions, including Ministers, senior government officials, industry leaders and maritime professionals. Participants will exchange views on shared challenges and practical pathways forward for international shipping. At the opening ceremony, Mr Siow announced the launch of OCEANS-X[1], a new data and Application Programming Interface (API) eXchange platform developed by MPA to enable secure system-to-system connectivity across the maritime ecosystem and more efficient port services, which will strengthen Singapore’s role as a global hub port and international maritime centre. Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr Gan Kim Yong, delivered the Singapore Maritime Lecture at the opening of SMW 2026. Mr Gan also took part in a fireside chat, moderated by Ms Yong Hsin Yue, Managing Director, Kuok Group Singapore. Topics discussed included geopolitical and global trade shifts, structural transformations in areas like digitalisation and decarbonisation, and the ability of maritime hubs to navigate these changes in an increasingly fragmented world. Gathering Thought Leadership at SMW Among the notable attendees at SMW 2026 is Mr Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, who will share perspectives on advancing collective outcomes for global shipping amid differing national priorities. The Ministerial Roundtable, hosted by Mr Jeffrey Siow, will bring together Ministers and heads of maritime organisations from 10 countries to discuss collective actions on sustainability, digitalisation, and regulatory cooperation. The wider conference programme draws perspectives from industry, finance, logistics, sustainability and classification societies. Discussions will cover issues including maritime decarbonisation, digital transformation and innovation, as well as cybersecurity, financing, and workforce transformation. Building Connections in the Maritime Community EXPO@SMW is taking place from 21 to 23 April as the exhibition pillar of SMW. It gathers stakeholders from across the maritime ecosystem to showcase innovative solutions, emerging technologies and collaborative projects supporting the industry’s transformation. A key highlight is the Maritime SG Showcase themed “From Research to Reality: Reimagining Ports and Ships”, featuring projects such as the Maritime Digital Twin Live Simulation Platform, OCEANS-X Digital Platform and other industry-academia research projects led by the Singapore Maritime Institute. The Tech Village will also feature start-ups from across the maritime ecosystem. EXPO@SMW is open to the public. The PIER71TM Smart Port Challenge (SPC) 2026 will also be launched at SMW 2026 on 22 April at EXPO@SMW. Now in its 10th edition, the annual global competition invites startups, both local and foreign, to develop innovative sol