Green tech start-ups claim the prizes at Singapore’s Smart Port Challenge 2022 

Three start-ups focusing on green technology have won the first three prizes at this year’s Smart Port Challenge, launched by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the National University of Singapore (NUS).

The first, second, and third-place winners under Port Innovation Ecosystem Reimagined @ BLOCK71 (PIER71™) are digital logistics services companyGotSurge, GreenCOP, a company specializing in producing biofuels by up-cycling biowaste, and AI-technology developer Seadronix. The winning teams walked away with cash prizes of S$10,000, S$5,000 and S$3,000 respectively. 

“This year’s finalists have a strong focus on green technology, addressing the need for more sustainable energy and waste management. Solutions also include use of data and artificial intelligence to optimise safety and efficiency in vessel operations and supply chain management,” MPA Singapore said.

“The finalists have completed PIER71^TM Accelerate, a six-week market validation and customer discovery programme and are now eligible to apply for a grant of up to S$50,000 from MPA to embark on pilot projects with maritime companies.”

MPA Singapore and NUS have signed a  Partnership Agreement with the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) during the SPC Grand Final. The partnership agreement connects start-ups with SSA’s member companies to validate their solutions, gain test-bedding support, and leverage on networking opportunities with the maritime industry. This support channel is expected to broaden the engagement efforts of PIER71™ by connecting start-ups with industry partners that have not participated in PIER71™’s programmes before.

“Beyond Smart Port Challenge, start-ups that continue to maintain an active engagement within the PIER71™ ecosystem have the advantage of gaining further exposure and industry traction. It is through this tightly-knit community of innovative thinkers that synergies can be discovered and become the driving force for transformation and new ideas. NUS provides a pivotal platform to incubate and nurture promising start-ups through our corporate partnerships and global network, allowing them to uncover new opportunities,” Brian Koh, Director, Corporate Partnerships, NUS Enterprise, said.

“The Smart Port Challenge has connected GotSurge to potential partners and clients. In fact, the validation we received by participating in SPC allowed us to secure our first investor. With their financial support, together with the SPC prize money, we shall be accelerating the development of our suite of apps to efficiently manage the fast-moving nature of goods in the marine supplies sector. We are now finalizing the execution plan of our “Green Marine Supplies” supply-chain, including setting up a consolidation centre. This should be up and running by first half of 2023,” said Eric Chean, Managing Director, Got Surge. 

The company aims to tackle the issue of paper-based documentation and use of phone communication by digitalizing the supply chain and providing a one-stop digital platform seeking to increase the efficiency of the process and reduce costs by up to 30 percent.

The sixth edition of the SPC received 146 applications from start-ups around the world and 18 were shortlisted as finalists.