Singapore port executive shares his insights

MARITIME and Port Authority of Singapore assistant chief executive Hoe Soon Tan has called for closer cooperation between ports in overcoming challenges in such areas as cyber security and clean energy. 

Speaking at the 2025 Safe Ships, Safe Ports Forum in Perth, Mr Tan said there had been several cases were ports and shipping companies had been the subject of damaging cyberattacks. 

“More ports have to come together to look at how they can share more information. In Singapore we often hold forums like this to bring together to raise awareness,” he said. 

Mr Tan was asked about the green and shipping corridor between Australia and Singapore, something announced last year. 

The idea is to help decarbonise and digitalise shipping routes between the two nations. 

Both countries formalised their cooperation on  establishing a Green and Digital Shipping Corridor by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 5 March 2024.  

“We are still at the starting phase of the shipping corridor between Singapore and Australia,” Mr Tan said. 

“We have some items that agree and areas that we want to focus on. Australia has a lot of environmental advantages that Singapore doesn’t have,” he said. 

“Australia has the huge potential to be a major exporter of greenhouse fuels so these are the things [on which] we want to collaborate.” 

Mr Tan spoke of several alternative fuel projects that were being developed and there was an opportunity for cooperation with Australian partners. 

“We have to look at how we can deploy technology for maritime and port operations. 

“We also have projects on how we can reduce emissions in the maritime sector,” he said. 

“We will have greater clarity in the next couple of months ahead on how we make progress on these projects.”