Singapore’s first Maritime Drone Estate (MDE) has been launched by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). Located near the island’s Marina South Pier, the new MDE is in close proximity to anchorages and aims to provide a safe location for developing and testing drone technologies for maritime applications, shore-to-ship deliveries and remote ship inspections. The launch event featured cutting-edge drone technologies, engineering systems, additive manufacturing, and communication services showcased by 11 industry players as innovative drone solutions for the maritime sector.
Chee Hong Tat, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Transport, was present at the launch event, where he loaded 3D-printed part into a drone carriage. The drone then went on to deliver the package from the MDE to a vessel located at an anchorage close by. “Technology has played a pivotal role in helping the maritime sector remain resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic. The launch of the Maritime Drone Estate marks an important milestone in advancing Singapore’s journey towards the use of emerging technologies in the maritime sector. As we embark on this exciting future, we look forward to supporting our industry partners and growing more start-ups to build a thriving maritime innovation ecosystem,” Chee said.
Aiding Innovation
The 11 companies present at the event comprised of Airbus, Avetics Global, F-drones, Garuda Robotics, M1, Nova Systems Asia, Skyports, ST Engineering, ThyssenKrupp, Wilhelmsen Ships Service, and Volocopter. Drone trials have already been conducted at MDE by nine companies. Wilhelmsen and Airbus, Foodpanda and ST Engineering, and F-drones have already conducted trials for shore-to-ship use-cases. Drones were trialled for surveillance by CWT Aerospace, while Avetics Global trialled Beyond-Visual-Line-Of-Sight (BVLOS) drones for surveillance and remote ship inspection. Other innovative technologies are also being tested at the MDE, including 5G network and technology trials to enable safe and robust maritime drone operations by Airbus and M1 with the support of Infocomm Media Development Authority. The use of an unmanned aircraft traffic management system to enable large-scale drone operations is also being tested by Nova Systems Asia.
Maritime Future
Being a maritime nation, Singapore has a strong interest in drone technologies that can transform traditional maritime operations. The MDE supports the development of drone applications in the maritime context by providing a sandbox for the test-bedding of technologies and operations. This sandbox is part of the island nation’s Sea Transport Industry Transformation Map to invest in new port capabilities.
There is growing interest within Singapore for maritime applications for drones such as shore-ship deliveries and remote inspections of ships and container cranes. The innovative application of drone technologies in Singapore can deliver significant benefits in increased productivity, reduced need for manpower, lower costs, and driving growth in this domain. Singapore is looking to be an early adopter in harnessing emerging technologies to build a thriving maritime innovation ecosystem and strengthen Singapore’s position as an international maritime hub.
NB: Images courtesy: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.