Singapore-Norway research grant call targets alternative fuel infrastructure and bunkering

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the Research Council of Norway (RCN) and the Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) have launched a joint research grant call to develop solutions to support the decarbonisation of international shipping.

The joint grant call brings together the research, technology and industry capabilities of Singapore’s and Norway’s maritime innovation ecosystems to address shared technological and operational challenges and develop solutions applicable across international shipping. The grant call builds on the MPA-RCN Memorandum of Understanding signed in April 2024 on maritime research, development, education and training.

The grant call will focus on three areas:

• Alternative fuels and energy infrastructure: Improving the safety and handling of alternative marine fuels, developing bunkering and fuel storage technologies, and advancing charging infrastructure for electric vessels.
• Vessel energy efficiency and emissions reduction: Developing technologies to improve vessel performance, optimise onboard energy consumption and reduce fuel use.
• Digitalisation and greener shipping operations: Advancing voyage optimisation, just-in-time arrivals, autonomous operations and ship-port data exchange to improve operational efficiency and reduce emissions.

SMI will provide up to SGD 2.7 million (USD 2.1 million) for Singapore research partners, while RCN will make available up to NOK 20 million (USD 2.2 million) for Norwegian research partners. Each proposal must involve research institutions and industry partners from both countries to ensure that the research addresses practical industry needs. Selected projects may receive funding for up to four years.

This is the third Singapore–Norway joint research grant call, following earlier calls in 2015 and 2018 which supported four research projects in maritime energy efficiency, emissions reduction and emerging technologies.

Applications open on 2 December 2026 and close on 20 January 2027. 

Note: Further information, including application requirements and the submission process, will be available here. 

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 5 November, 2026