Singapore Youths Propose Innovative Ways to Address Maritime Challenges at the MaritimeONE Case Summit 2025
November 14, 2025
Students from Singapore’s leading universities clinched top prizes in the 6th edition of this case challenge led by the Singapore Maritime Foundation in partnership with ARROW Asia, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, NorthStandard, and Ocean Network Express
Singapore, 14 Nov 2025 — At the MaritimeONE Case Summit (MCS) 2025 Grand Finals and Award Ceremony held last evening, the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) announced the champion teams for the respective challenge statements issued by sponsor companies ARROW Asia, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), NorthStandard and Ocean Network Express (ONE). Mr. Loh Khum Yean, Deputy Chairman of MPA, graced the event as the Guest-of-Honour.
The MaritimeONE Case Summit is organised annually in partnership with leading maritime organisations. Tertiary students from diverse educational backgrounds and institutions are invited to respond to industry challenges that require interdisciplinary thinking. This year, students developed tech-driven solutions in market intelligence, proposed maritime digital twin applications, and designed strategies to build a future-ready maritime workforce. The champions this year came from Singapore’s leading public universities, and for the first time, a polytechnic team pursuing applied AI and analytics. The prizes were sponsored by the partner companies and SMF.
Quote from SMF Chairman
“The MaritimeONE Case Summit continues to attract strong interest—this year saw participation from 386 tertiary students across 119 teams. This momentum suggests a growing awareness among youths in our universities and polytechnics of the importance of the maritime sector and the opportunities it offers. I thank our sponsors ARROW Asia, MPA, NorthStandard and ONE for joining SMF in growing the talent pipeline for the collective good of the industry,” said Mr. Hor Weng Yew, Chairman, Singapore Maritime Foundation.
The following are the winning teams of the MCS 2025:
ORGANISATION | CHALLENGE SYNOPSIS | WINNING TEAMS |
To analyse how Panamax dry bulk shipbroking has evolved between 2015–2025 and identify future challenges and opportunities. Propose technology and AI-driven strategies in market intelligence or risk management to help shipbrokers stay relevant amid shifting commodities, climate change, regulatory complexity, and digital transformation. | Champion Team: MerryTime Institution: NTU 1st Runner-up Team: LYLC Institution: NUS
2nd Runner-up Team: Ship Happens Institution: NTU Merit Prizes Team: CTWS Institution: NTU Team: Trident Institution: NUS | |
Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)
| To develop innovative, tech-driven solutions using the Maritime Digital Twin–a real-time virtual model of the port–to optimise vessel traffic, reduce wait time , enhance stakeholder coordination, and support safe and sustainable operations. The proposed solutions should be practical, scalable, and user-focused, aiming to improve decision-making, resource use and overall port performance. | Champion Team: Imagine Winning Institution: NYP 1st Runner-up Team: Pundit Institution: NUS
2nd Runner-up Team: Tideology Institutions: SP and NYP Merit Prizes Team: MAKE Institution: SUSS Team: blue wave Institution: NTU |
To assume the role of marine risk consultants advising a P&I Club on underwriting nuclear-powered vessels. The proposal should include: a summary of current public perceptions and strategies to reshape them; a stakeholder risk map outlining liabilities; a comparison of traditional and nuclear-related P&I claims; a risk matrix against other alternative fuels; and a clear recommendation on insuring nuclear-powered ships. | Champion Team: COSTA CREW Institution: NTU 1st Runner-up Team: Nuclear Navigators Institution: NTU
2nd Runner-up Team: Quantum Cruisers Institution: NTU Merit Prizes Team: Post Merlion Institution: NUS Team: True North Institution: NTU | |
To propose bold, practical strategies to attract, develop, and retain next-generation talent – fostering adaptable mindsets, future-ready skills, and meaningful career experiences to position ONE Global HR as a driver of business transformation. These strategies should aim to build a future-ready workforce with the right mindsets, skillsets, and experiences to thrive in an evolving maritime landscape. | Champion Team: Tide Turner Institutions: NTU and NUS 1st Runner-up Team: BlueWave Strategies Institution: SIT
2nd Runner-up Team: Maris Partners Institutions: SIM and NUS Merit Prizes Team: North Hill Hydration Institution: NTU Team: Jurniq Institution: NUS |
Quotes from ARROW Asia and Champion Team
“ARROW is proud to recognise the top three teams in the MaritimeONE Case Summit 2025 for their innovative proposals on how AI and technology can support Panamax dry bulk shipbrokers. Engaging with these talented students has been a privilege as they brought fresh perspectives and creative solutions to the maritime sector.
“We extend our sincere thanks to the Singapore Maritime Foundation for providing this valuable platform that connects industry professionals with emerging talent. As a proud sponsor of the summit, ARROW looks forward to supporting more initiatives that foster collaboration between students and Singapore’s maritime community,” said Mr. Philipp Schulte-Westhof, Managing Director, ARROW Asia.
“Our team was looking forward to translating the concepts we had learned into solutions for real-world challenges. These competitions encourage Singaporean youth to go beyond their comfort zones, while also providing an opportunity to network with industry professionals. Through this, we were able to gain insights into the day-to-day operations of ARROW shipbrokers,” said Team MerryTime, champion team of ARROW Asia.
Quotes from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and Champion Team
“We are impressed by the quality and creativity of this year’s proposals, which showcase the depth of innovation within our maritime community. We look forward to seeing these ideas, many of which make good use of the Maritime Digital Twin, tested and applied to enhance port operations in Singapore,” said Mr. Ang Wee Keong, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
“When we first joined the MaritimeONE Case Summit, we honestly didn’t expect to make it this far. What started as a simple idea to improve berth utilisation evolved into DockyAI, an AI-driven tool to optimise anchorage management. This journey showed us how technology can make a real difference in port efficiency, and inspired us to keep exploring how youths can shape Singapore’s maritime future,” said Team Imagine Winning, champion team of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
Quotes from NorthStandard and Champion Team
“We are truly impressed by the dedication and insight shown by all the student teams in this year’s MaritimeONE Case Summit. They took on a complex and unfamiliar topic—the risks and opportunities of nuclear propulsion—and approached it with remarkable curiosity, depth, and professionalism. It was a pleasure to work with the teams during the mentoring period and to see their ideas develop into thoughtful, well-reasoned proposals. The creativity and analytical rigour they displayed have provided valuable perspectives for us at NorthStandard as we continue our work in leading the industry’s understanding of emerging maritime risks. Congratulations to all the participants, and our sincere thanks to the Singapore Maritime Foundation for creating this inspiring platform,” said Mr Michael Hustler, Head of Asia Pacific, NorthStandard.
“We were inspired to apply our diverse backgrounds to solve real-world maritime challenges as it meant that regardless of what we study, all Singaporean youths with curiosity can contribute to the future of shipping. The topics used in the case competition are often complex problems that companies face and participating in this means that we gain exposure to problem-solving that enhances our learning experience,” said Team COSTA CREW, champion team of NorthStandard.
Quotes from Ocean Network Express and Champion Team
“I extend my sincere congratulations to the winning teams and my heartfelt thanks to all participants for their creative and forward-thinking contributions. We were truly impressed by the quality and depth of ideas on how to redesign our talent strategy for the future. Initiatives like this reaffirm ONE’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of maritime professionals who will drive digital transformation and sustainable growth across our industry. By investing in talent today, we strengthen not only our organisation but also the wider maritime ecosystem. We thank the Singapore Maritime Foundation for organising this meaningful event, which has provided students with a valuable opportunity to tackle real-world challenges while offering organisations like ours fresh perspectives to help shape the future of global shipping,” said Mr. Jeremy Nixon, Chief Executive Officer, Ocean Network Express.
“Youths face an increasingly difficult job landscape due to fierce competition in popular sectors like finance and technology. Our team wanted to highlight the maritime industry as a desirable place to build a career on par with popular sectors. This challenge gave us the platform to expand our innovative ideas on how to transform the perceptions many youths have regarding the industry and open up alternative career paths for youths of the future,” said Team Tide Turner, champion team of Ocean Network Express.
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About the Singapore Maritime Foundation
Established in 2004, the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) fosters public-and-private sector collaboration, promotes Singapore as an international maritime centre, and develops a talent pipeline and skilled workforce to position Maritime Singapore for continued growth.
About ARROW
Founded in 1990 from London, ARROW is now one of the world’s largest privately-owned shipping and energy brokerage groups. With a global team of 400 professionals across 18 international offices, we deliver leading expertise in sale & purchase and newbuilding, dry and wet chartering, derivatives, valuations and research advisory solutions.
Our well-established reputation is built on proven track record performance, trust and deep market insight enabling our clients to navigate complex markets with confidence.
About Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)
MPA was established on 2 February 1996 with the mission to develop Singapore as a global hub port and international maritime centre, and to advance and safeguard Singapore’s strategic maritime interests. MPA takes on multiple roles as Singapore’s maritime and port regulator and planner, international maritime centre champion, national maritime representative, and champion of maritime digitalisation and decarbonisation efforts. MPA partners industry, research community and other agencies to enhance safety, security and environmental protection, facilitate maritime and port operations and growth, expand multi-domain capabilities, and support the cluster of maritime services and manpower development.
For more information, please visit www.mpa.gov.sg/.
About NorthStandard
NorthStandard offers an unmatched breadth and depth of service that supports your operations, embraces your potential, and helps your business thrive.
With the largest product range in the International Group, we provide over 10 bespoke options including P&I insurance, FD&D, Hull, War, Offshore, Strike & Delay, and more.
Our offices span all main shipping regions, including Asia (China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan), Australasia (Australia and New Zealand), Europe (UK, Ireland and Greece), and the USA.
We employ over 600 people globally for an unrivalled claims and underwriting experience, plus decades of expertise and understanding.
NorthStandard – Taking on Tomorrow, Together.
About Ocean Network Express (ONE)
Ocean Network Express (ONE), headquartered in Singapore, is one of the world’s leading liner shipping companies. It operates a fleet of over 260 vessels with a capacity exceeding 2 million TEUs. Through its extensive global network, ONE provides reliable container shipping services to over 120 countries.
For more information, please visit www.one-line.com.
Media Contacts
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