​Singapore Maritime Week 2026 -

SMU Maritime Thought Leadership Conference

Singapore Suntec Convention Centre

23rd April, Thursday 9:00AM to 12:00PM

(Breakfast Networking from 8:00AM)

Register here

Stakeholder Integration - Towards a Future Maritime Ecosystem Empowered by AI

The integration of maritime stakeholders through digitalization has taken place for the last 15-20 years - but in an accelerating pace. It is notable how for instance vessels have been connected to shore through low orbit satellites including the StarLink and the OneWeb network in the last 2-3 years. In this conference we discuss the consequences of the increasing stakeholder integration through digitalization with a specific focus in the discussion: AI.

AI change the bar for implementation of digital solutions because in principle any decisions can be empowered instantly by massive data generation at relatively low costs (Lambrou, 2025). What we face with AI in the maritime sector is ultimately the integration of past (collective) experiences into present (individual) decisions (Iversen, 2025).

Our main purpose of this conference is to investigate the consequences of new AI-driven transactions in shipping. We look at internal processes in the maritime companies as well as on the relations between maritime companies and customers or between public authorities and private actors.

The overall question is to what extent AI changes the fundamental logics of the maritime ecosystem – and in cases where it does, what implications does it have for the stakeholders of our industry.

The SMU Maritime Thought Leadership Conference will explore this in two themes:

Theme 1: AI Driven Transformations

Speakers' presentations

Panel Debate 

Theme 2: Changing Transactions Through AI

Speakers' presentations

Panel Debate

Agenda:

8.00 AM  

Breakfast Networking

8.30 AM

Registration (Seating on first-come-first-serve basis)

9.00 AM  

Welcome Address

Professor Marcus Ang, Academic Director and Track Coordinator, International Trading Institute, Singapore Management University

9.05 AM  

Introduction to the session and motivation of the theme "Stakeholder Integration - Towards a Future Maritime Ecosystem Empowered by AI"

MPA Professor Martin Jes Iversen, MPA Professor in Maritime Business, Singapore Management University, and Associate Professor, Copenhagen Business School

9.25 AM

Keynote Speaker: Towards a New Maritime Ecosystem

Mr. Kenneth Lim, Ministry Chief Information Officer, MND Ministry of National Development Singapore

9.40 AM  

Theme 1: AI Driven Transformations

Speaker Presentations

Panel Debate and Q&A

10.15 AM - 10.40 AM

Tea Break

10.45 AM  

Theme 2: Changing Transactions Through AI

Speaker Presentations

Panel Debate and Q&A

12.10 PM to 1.30 PM

Networking Lunch with Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) and delegates

For enquiries, email janelai@smu.edu.sg / iti@smu.edu.sg or call +65 6826 4989