Six Partners Selected by MPA for In-Water Hull Inspection, Cleaning Trials in the Port of Singapore Maritime Activity Reports, Inc. April 22, 2026 © Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has selected six partners under its Call for Proposals (CFP) to advance and scale up in-water hull inspection and cleaning solutions in the Port of Singapore, in support of more efficient and lower-emission shipping. The CFP received 19 proposals from 36 companies across nine countries. The six selected partners – Alicia Bots, C-Leanship, Neptune Robotics, Oceanis Robotics, RINA and SEAHI Robotics – will receive close to USD$2.91 million (SGD $3.7 million) in R&D co-funding from Maritime Innovation and Technology (MINT) Fund to develop and trial in-water robotic hull inspection and cleaning solutions in Singapore’s port waters. The projects will involve technology providers, service operators, classification societies and shipowners working together to validate the solutions under actual operating conditions. Efficient and low-emission shipping Marine growth on a vessel’s hull, known as marine biofouling, increases hydrodynamic drag as the vessel moves through water. This leads to higher fuel consumption and greater emissions. As one of the world’s busiest ports, Singapore handles a high volume of vessel traffic. Efficient and safe hull cleaning solutions that do not disrupt vessel operations will enhance Singapore’s value proposition as a port, improve ships’ operational reliability and support maritime decarbonization efforts. Use at scale in a busy port While commercial in-water hull inspection and cleaning solutions exist today, it remains challenging to deploy them reliably with higher levels of automation and efficiency in a busy port. Current solutions face limitations in handling complex parts of the hull such as propellers, rudders and sea chest, as well as operating reliably under stronger currents. These challenges