From 24-28 March 2025, Singapore hosted Asia’s leading maritime event, the Singapore Maritime Week (SMW), where Estonia was also represented. The event focused on sustainability, digitalisation, and international cooperation in the maritime sector.
This year’s overarching theme was "Actions Meet Ambition" – a call to take meaningful steps toward ambitious goals in maritime decarbonisation and digitalisation. Estonia’s official delegation to SMW was led by Kaupo Läänerand, Deputy Secretary General for Maritime and Water Affairs at the Ministry of Climate. Participants from Estonia included Professor Kristjan Tabri, who represented TalTech and the Marine Technology Competence Centre of Kuressaare College, as well as Merit Kindsigo, Director of Kuressaare College and Head of the Smart Sea Centre of Excellence, who took part as a representative of the Estonian Maritime Cluster. A number of Estonian maritime companies were also present, including the TalTech spin-off company MindChip, represented by university researcher Heigo Mõlder.
Professor Kristjan Tabri participated in a panel discussion hosted at the Estonian Embassy in Singapore, focusing on the role of new technologies in enhancing the security of underwater critical infrastructure. The session brought together international experts to exchange knowledge and discuss technological solutions in this field.
Merit Kindsigo gave a presentation on the SMW Tech Stage, where she introduced Estonia’s digital governance solutions for the maritime sector, including the possibilities for registering ships under the Estonian flag. She highlighted how developments in e-governance and digital services can make maritime administration more user-friendly and efficient, with strong potential for international application.
The Estonian delegation was actively engaged in high-level discussions and built connections with international partners, including government and industry representatives. Topics ranged from maritime digitalisation and subsea infrastructure security to EU port policy. The programme also included B2B meetings and networking events, where interest in Estonia’s maritime expertise and potential joint development projects was evident.
Participation was supported by Trade with Estonia. The project was funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU and organised in cooperation with the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
