SMW Conference

Over two days, global leaders, innovators, and decision-makers will tackle the industry’s most pressing priorities, and discuss issues that have strategic relevance to business priorities and drive the industry forward.

Continuing with the overarching theme “Actions Meet Ambition”, SMW 2026 will spotlight key areas including geopolitical trends, digitalisation, decarbonisation, logistics services, and talent development - bringing together leaders to transform bold commitments into tangible outcomes.

Delegates can look forward to insightful presentations and dynamic discussions featuring prominent voices and experts from across the global and local maritime communities.

SMW Conference

21 April 22 April

Time	Programme
1:20Pm - 1:50pm	Registration
1:50Pm - 2:30pm	Session 1: In Conversation with IMO Secretary-General In a fireside chat moderated by Ms Quah Ley Hoon, IMO Secretary General will address the critical transition from regulatory planning to global implementation, covering the broad spectrum of current maritime challenges from decarbonisation timelines and maritime security to seafarer welfare. Speaker: Arsenio Dominguez Secretary-General International Maritime Organization (IMO) Moderator: Quah Ley Hoon Group Chief Corporate Officer CapitaLand Investment
2:30 - 3:30pm	Session 2: Digital Transformation & AI: Strategic Imperative or Expensive Experiment? Discuss the extent to which AI can deliver impact and value, or whether it introduces increased uncertainty and cost for maritime enterprises in their digital transformation journey. Explore how digital transformation and emerging technologies are enabling agility and efficiency across maritime supply chains. As data‑privacy walls rise and global tech becomes increasingly distinct between East and West — where dynamics, data standards, and digital ecosystems are reshaping how maritime players choose partners, platforms, and strategies — this session examines whether digitalisation and AI are truly transforming operations and delivering impact or simply riding waves of hype. Featured Speaker: Matthieu de Tugny Executive Vice President Industrial & Commodities Bureau Veritas Panel Discussion Moderator: Nakul Malhotra Vice President Emerging Opportunities Wilhelmsen Group Panellists: Patrick Ryan Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer ABS Francois-Xavier Accard Managing Director CMA CGM International Shipping Company Chakib Abi Saab Chief Technology & Innovation Officer Lloyd's Register Teo Teng Seng President Singapore Shipping Association
3:30Pm - 3:55Pm	Announcements
3:55Pm - 4:15Pm	Networking Tea Break
4:15Pm - 4:55Pm	Session 3: Reconfiguring Trade Flows: What is the Future of Logistics? Singapore's position as a leading maritime and aviation hub offers opportunities for innovative approaches to supply chain resilience and integration - from sea-air connectivity to integrated logistics and digital trade flows. This panel examines how industry leaders are rethinking network design, building adaptive logistics strategies, and using cross-modal connectivity to stay competitive amid shifting trade patterns and rising disruption risks. Panellists will also explore the partnerships and operating models needed to make integration work in practice while sustaining efficiency, responsiveness and future-readiness in global trade networks.   Moderator: Anand Veeraraghavan Managing Director & Senior Partner Boston Consulting Group Panellists: Jacques Vandermeiren Chief Executive Officer Port of Antwerp-Bruges Olivier Boccara Regional Leader - Asia Pacifc CEVA Logistics Niki Frank CEO Asia Pacific DHL Global Forwarding Seow Hwee Head of Port Ecosystem for Southeast Asia PSA
4:55Pm - 5:35Pm	Session 4: Defending the Digital Tide: IT, OT, and Human Factors Navigate the evolving maritime cybersecurity landscape as digital security is transforming under the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing. This panel explores how maritime cybersecurity strategies, risk models, and governance frameworks across solution providers, port authorities and shipping companies are being reshaped, and the transformative potential and risks of these technologies in ship and shore contexts. Moderator: Ong Chin Beng Director (Cybersecurity & Data Governance) / Chief Information Security Officer Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Panellists: Rebecca Carpenter Assistant Secretary, Screening and Maritime Security Policy Department of Home Affairs, Australian Government Phil Venables Strategic Security Advisor Google Partner Ballistic Ventures Dr Quang-Vu Pham Head of Data Privacy and Information Security Hamburg Port Authority Christopher Fong Chief Information Security Officer Pacific International Lines

21 April 2026

1.20pm to 5:35pm

Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre, Hall 406

Time	Programme
8:30am - 9:00am	Registration
9:00am - 9:10am	Opening Remarks
9:10am - 9:40am	Session 1: In Conversation with Dr Martin Stopford The opening session of Day Two offers a forward-looking conversation that reflects on the forces reshaping maritime trade and challenges our audience to think beyond the horizon. The dialogue will explore critical actions and long-term strategic alignments necessary to drive the sector's next phase of growth. Speaker: Dr Martin Stopford Economist & Author Moderator: Ang Wee Keong Chief Executive Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
9:40AM - 10:00AM	Session 2: Special Address by UNCTAD Speaker: Pedro Manuel Moreno Deputy Secretary-General UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
10:00am - 10:05am	Announcements
10:05am - 10:25Am	Session 3: Presentation
10:25am - 10:45Am	Networking Tea Break
10:45Am - 11:45Am	Session 4: Is Maritime Decarbonsation Falling Behind - What's At Stake? While the industry agrees on Net Zero as a destination, the pace of progress is under scrutiny. This session examines the complexities of maritime decarbonisation amidst contested pathways and political headwinds, asking what’s at stake if momentum falters, and what does progress look like in an era of uncertainty? Expect robust discussion on fuel choices, whether today’s investments risk becoming stranded assets, and how technology, regulations and standard modes of practice need to evolve to support such high-stakes decisions. Moderator: Prof. Lynn Loo Chief Executive Officer Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation Panellists: Leonardo Sonzio Vice President, Head of Fleet Management & Technology A.P. Moller Maersk Alexander Saverys Chief Executive Officer CMB.TECH Marie-Caroline Laurent Group Senior Vice President, Maritime Policy and Government Affairs Mediterranean Shipping Company Kazuki Yamaguchi General Manager, Maritime Energy Solution Strategic Business Unit Sumitomo Corporation Stefan Nysjö Vice President, Power Supply Wärtsilä Marine Power
11:45AM - 11:55AM	Session 5: Methanol Bunkering Contract by SCMA This presentation introduces the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA), an arbitral institution in Singapore focused on the maritime and international trading sectors. The presentation will cover the SCMA arbitration framework which the industry can use for dispute resolution, as well as the work that SCMA has undertaken in respect of thought leadership on the usage of new fuels such as methanol. Speaker: Kendall Tan Board Member Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration
11:55AM - 12:05PM	Session 6: Building Trust in the Energy Transition - Standards Enabling a Multi-Fuel Future for Singapore Singapore's maritime pathway to decarbonisationn depends on transforming Singapore into a resilient multii-fuel bunkering hub. But scaling low-carbon marine fuels requires more than ambition - it requires confidence. Discover how robust Standards and Conformance systems create the certainty, credibility, and market trust needed to unlock investment, enable adoption, and power the next chapter of the global shipping industry. Speaker: Choy Sauw Kook Director-General, Quality & Excellence Group Enterprise Singapore
12:05PM - 12:15PM	Announcements
12:15PM - 12:55PM	Session 7: Is Electrification Ready to Power Maritime Decarbonisation? Electrification is a promising pathway for decarbonising coastal and short-sea shipping. This session explores the trajectory of battery technologies and charging infrastructure development and their role in redefining the maritime energy landscape. Presentation 1: Battery Technologies in Maritime Electrification: How Batteries are Shaping the Future Maritime Landscape Speaker: Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker Managing Director Maritime Battery Forum Presentation 2: Lessons Learned from Deploying the World’s First Marine Megawatt Charging System Speaker: Leif Algermissen Global Product Manager - Onshore Charging Systems ABB
12:55PM - 2:00PM	Networking Lunch
2:00PM - 2:15PM	Session 8: Finance at the Crossroads: Driving Sustainable Growth in Global Shipping and Enabling Maritime Innovation As the maritime sector navigates shifting geopolitical dynamics, decarbonization requirements and accelerating technological change, it is also entering a phase where capital deployment is now inextricably linked to ESG performance and digital transparency. The pressing question remains: how and where will the next wave of growth be funded? This session provides a strategic overview of the macroeconomic forces shaping shipping markets and evolving ship financing trends. It examines the shift from sustainability ambition to execution – including fleet electrification and digital transformation – and how these structural changes are reshaping investment and financing landscape that will define the next era of maritime growth. Featured Speaker: Han Kwee Juan Group Executive and Group Head of Institutional Banking DBS
2:15PM - 3:00PM	Session 9: Navigating Capital and Risk: Financing the Global Fleet Examine the evolving dynamics of ship finance and emerging risks as regulatory changes, geopolitical shifts, and sustainability requirements reshape investment decisions. This panel brings together ship owners, financers and insurers to unpack how they are reassessing risk as decarbonisation rules evolve, geopolitics disrupts trade, and operational exposures rise. Moderator: Su Yin Anand Partner IBM Singapore Board Member Hafnia Panellists: Cyril Ducau Chief Executive Officer Eastern Pacific Shipping Rolf Thore Roppestad Chair International Group of P&I Clubs CEO Gard Bing Chen President & CEO Seaspan Corporation Paul Taylor Global Head of Maritime Industries Societe Generale Chairman Poseidon Principles Association
3:00PM - 3:20PM	Networking Tea Break
3:20PM - 4:05PM	Session 10: In Search of the Next Big Maritime Tech - Startups Rapid Fire Six maritime technology companies and startups will each take the stage for a rapid five-minute spotlight, sharing how their innovation addresses key industry challenges and support industry transformation. The session concludes with a dialogue on market opportunity, what it takes to move from POCs/pilots to commercialisation and deployment at scale, and how to shorten the conversion cycle. Innovation Rapid Showcase Speakers: Inder Mukhopadhyay Founder & CEO AliciaBots James Kim Co-Founder & CEO elxa Leon Lim Co-Founder & CEO Groundup.AI Dr Vishram Misra Founder & CEO Microsec Tommy Phun Founder & CEO Pyxis Closing Dialogue: From Pilots to Scale Speakers: Marc Dragon Managing Director Reefknot Investments Daniele Calderoni Parronchi Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer RINA
4:05PM 4:50PM	Session 11: The Evolution of Workforce in an Era of Robots As AI, digitalisation, and automation reshape the maritime landscape, the industry's greatest asset - its people - must evolve in tandem. This panel brings together talent development experts and industry leaders to examine the skills, mindsets, and workforce profiles needed to thrive in an era of rapid technological transformation. Hear insights on how these technologies will reshape job roles whilst creating new opportunities, and how technology can be a tool for workforce augmentation. Panellists will also share strategies for identifying skills gaps and upskilling employees, ensuring a resilient workforce that can steer the sector confidently into the next wave of innovation. Moderator: Steen Lund Chief Executive Officer RightShip Panellists: Cristina Saenz de Santa Maria Interim CEO, Maritime DNV Sebastian von Hardenberg President InterManager CEO Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement Tay Ai Lin Senior Vice President, Global Human Resources and ONE Academy Ocean Network Express Bernard Nee Deputy President (Industry & Community) Singapore Institute of Technology