SIBCON 2026: Digital bunkering foundations enable Singapore to scale AI maritime solutions, states MPA

Singapore is positioning itself at the forefront of maritime digital transformation, leveraging its established digital bunkering infrastructure as a springboard for artificial intelligence (AI) integration, states the Chief Digital Officer & Director (Technology & Innovation), Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

Thomas Ting was participating in the panel discussion AI in Bunkering Trading & Forecasting at the Pre-Conference Symposium of the 24th Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON 2026) on Tuesday (13 October) when he shared the city-state’s implementation of digital bunkering at scale has created a robust foundation for future technological advancements.

This digital infrastructure, supported by data standards such as Singapore Standard SS 709:2024 (Specification for digital bunkering supply chain documentation), ensures interoperability across the ecosystem, allowing stakeholders – including buyers, suppliers, and regulators – to access near real-time data and shared visibility.

However, as the industry looks to transition from simple digitalisation to AI-powered intelligence, Thomas emphasised that technical implementation must be balanced with rigorous governance.

A recent survey of over 70 maritime companies revealed that many organisations currently lack confidence and readiness regarding AI ethics and governance.

Thomas noted that data privacy, security, and algorithmic bias remain the primary drivers of AI failure according to one research.

To mitigate these risks, he pointed to established international standards, such as ISO/IEC 42001 for organisational AI governance and ISO 23894 for AI risk management, as essential tools for companies embarking on AI projects.

To further support this transition, Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has developed the “AI Verify” framework, which provides software toolkits for testing and system verification.

This multi-layered approach – addressing corporate governance, project-level risk, and system-level testing – is intended to build the necessary trust for scaling AI applications.

Looking ahead, the industry focus will shift toward harvesting data to optimise procurement, demand forecasting, operational scheduling, and anomaly detection.

Thomas indicated that upcoming industry announcements will invite partners to participate in experimentation trials to push the frontier of maritime innovation.

Ultimately, he stressed the human element remains critical to this transformation. He advocated for comprehensive training programs to ensure the workforce is familiar with AI, arguing that such initiatives are “no-regret moves” necessary to minimise resistance and ensure employees can effectively contribute to an AI-augmented value chain.

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 19 October 2026