SMW Conference Day 1 and 2

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.

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.

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.

Singapore's maritime pathway to decarbonisation 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.

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 

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. 

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. 

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.

Innovation Rapid Showcase

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.