Maritime industry flies flag in Singapore

The Asia Pacific Maritime (APM) Exhibition 2012, running from March 14–16, 2012 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore, lets visitors learn about the newest marine solutions, including some 130 new products that improve fleet efficiency and increase fuel savings.

Visitors can also view the latest technology in satellite-based navigation systems, ballast water management and ship safety and security features through a series of presentations by leading maritime companies.

With rising fuel costs, piracy concerns and tightening environmental regulations on the shipping industry, trimming costs and implementation of green, energy-efficient vessel operations have become urgent tasks.

The 11 conferences at this year’s APM focus on assist industry players with as much help as possible. More than 70 maritime experts and top business figures in the shipping world will analyse the trends and concerns dominating current shipping discussions.

With shipping trade in Asia going strong, industry experts have expressed confidence in the rise of Asia’s influence as a major player in global shipping.

“China, Korea, and Japan have long been the world’s leading shipbuilding nations, and they are home to a large and growing number of ship owners, manufacturers and related industries. At the same time, Singapore has grown to become a maritime centre unparalleled around in the world in terms of its concentration of ship owners, operators, and financial institutions,” said Noboru Ueda, president of Japan’s ClassNK Group and vice chairman of the International Association of Classification Societies Ltd. Council.  
 
“With the growing importance of South Asian countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka to not only manning, but also shipbuilding, ship owning, and offshore energy development, Asia is truly the engine of the maritime world,” Ueda said.

Simon Bennett, external relations director of Singapore’s International Chamber of Shipping, said 2012 was expected to be filled with ups and downs. While offshore marine and green shipping were showing promise, the global shipping industry continued to wrestle with familiar problems of overcapacity and low charter rates, tighter credit financing and keeping pace with stricter environmental regulations on bunker quality, carbon emissions and ballast water management.

“With the global shipping slump forecasted to continue into 2013 by credit ratings firms, the recovery process will be restrained,” he said.

According to the event’s organizers, APM is seeing a 40 per cent hike in exhibitor participation on 2010. They see this as a strong indicator of the stability and resilience of Asia’s shipping industry and robust interest from international players in the region’s growth.