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Singapore Maritime Week 2021 to discuss industry’s ‘New Frontiers, Shifting Paradigms’

Event will provide a platform for maritime leaders to discuss new opportunities and key competencies for Singapore to achieve its vision of a global maritime hub.

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The 15th Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) 2021 is organised by the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), in collaboration with industry stakeholders and research and educational institutions.

It is to be held from Monday, 19 April to Friday, 23 April 2021.

This week-long event will bring together industry experts and thought leaders in the maritime sector to discuss the changing face of the industry, and explore solutions that will enable the industry to thrive in the post-Covid-19 environment.

Themed “New Frontiers, Shifting Paradigms”, the 15th SMW will provide a platform for maritime leaders to discuss new opportunities and key competencies for Singapore to achieve its vision of a global maritime hub for connectivity, innovation and talent, said the MPA.

With the Covid-19 pandemic accelerating transformation in the maritime industry, this year’s SMW will place the spotlight on how the industry is pushing new frontiers in a post-pandemic world, with closer collaboration to enable resilient operations, deeper adoption of digital solutions, a renewed focus on maritime decarbonisation, and increased emphasis on developing a future-ready maritime workforce.

This year’s programme will see 19 events take place through a mix of virtual and hybrid formats. Ong Ye Kung, Singapore’s Minister for Transport, will open the Singapore Maritime Week on 19 April 2021.

At the opening ceremony, he will launch the second phase of digitalPORT@SGTM which will progressively roll out a Just-In-Time (JIT) module for port stakeholders such as ship owners, agents, terminal operators and marine service providers. This will enhance the turnaround time of ships calling at the Port of Singapore, increase port efficiency and reduce business costs.

“The maritime industry is at a critical juncture, with resilience, digitalisation, decarbonisation and talent development at the forefront of change for sustainable growth SMW 2021 is an opportune moment for the industry to come together to share knowledge and best practices in these areas to drive effective industry transformation,” said Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive, MPA.

In support of the main theme, SMW’s agenda will include the following highlights:

Strengthening maritime resilience and pursuing new growth

This year’s SMW Lecture will focus on the major challenges facing the industry and emerging opportunities for growth with the transformation of international trade.

Yee Yang Chien, President and CEO of MISC Berhad will deliver a keynote speech “Making the Future Possible”. This will be followed by a panel discussion on “How Can the Maritime Sector Transform through Digitalisation and Decarbonisation to Stay Ahead in the New Normal?”.

Panellists include Vandita Pant, Chief Commercial Officer, BHP, Pang Mei Yee, Head of Asia Pacific, Global Practice Lead for Supply Chain and Analytics Practice, DHL Consulting  and Simon Kuik, President of the Association of Singapore Marine Industries and Head of Research and Development at Sembcorp Marine.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set a mandate that the global regulatory framework for international shipping accommodate the adoption of new technologies to improve safety, to protect the marine environment and facilitate trade, while providing the necessary impetus for decarbonisation.

With this in view, the inaugural IMO-Singapore Future of Shipping Conference on 23 April 2021 will see maritime stakeholders sharing views on a coordinated global approach and new opportunities for safer, cleaner and more efficient shipping. Minister Ong Ye Kung and Kitack Lim, Secretary-General, IMO, will open the conference with keynote speeches. Speakers include:

  • Nicholas Ryan, Vice President, Operated Fleet, BP shipping
  • Brian Østergaard Sørensen, Vice President, Head of Research & Development, Two-Stroke, MAN Energy Solutions
  • Andreas Sohmen-Pao, Chairman BW Group and Co-Chair of the International Advisory Panel on Maritime Decarbonisation;
  • Wong Weng Sun, President and CEO of Sembcorp Marine Ltd and Co-Chair of the International Advisory Panel on Maritime Decarbonisation

The Covid-19 pandemic posed significant disruptions to the maritime industry, with unfulfilled contractual obligations and other emerging issues threatening commercial relationships.

Cognisant of the challenges and changes in marine dispute resolution during the pandemic, the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration will host an event titled “Arbitration’s Role In Dispute Resolution And The New Normal: Enhancing SCMA’s Relevance”.

The panel discussion on 21 April 2021 will offer viewpoints on the future of arbitration and innovative solutions that have been developed for the post-pandemic landscape. Similarly, Marine Insurance Asia from 21 to 23 April will convene on issues of seafarer safety and crew wellbeing as a three-day virtual conference.

Market-leading insurers, brokers and service providers will share viewpoints on the concerns facing shippers and insurers and discuss how ongoing sustainability efforts in the industry will impact marine insurance.

The Moore Stephens – BNP Paribas: Singapore Shipping Forum also returns to SMW on Thursday, 22 April, to provide perspectives on the macro-economic situation in the new decade, and how industry players can capture new opportunities in the shipping markets.

Sustainability takes centre stage at this year’s forum, with decarbonisation and green financing at the top of the agenda at this annual seminar. Financing opportunities will also be covered at Capital Link’s 3rd Annual Singapore Maritime Forum on 20 April 2021, with industry leaders exploring environmental regulations, technology and fleet renewal.

An anchor event at SMW since its inception, Sea Asia will also return as a hybrid trade event from 21 to 22 April. The Sea Asia Virtual Preview will be a precursor for the main show in September 2021 and provides a platform for exhibitors and sponsors to connect and engage with its target audiences.

Attendees can look forward to exhibitors’ virtual showcase, complimentary webinars, business matchmaking, networking opportunities and seminar content specially curated by the conference team.

Analysts and industry leaders from the dry bulk freight and freight forward agreement sectors will gather to discuss how the freight and commodities markets have fared over the past year, and how world economies might impact the demand for bulk commodities in the coming years at the Baltic Freight and Commodity Forum by the Baltic Exchange.

Two forums will take place over 20 and 21 April, focused on Dry Bulk and Tanker and Gas respectively, with panel discussions moderated by Mark Jackson, CEO of Baltic Exchange.

Capturing new opportunities with an agile, digitally empowered maritime ecosystem

Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State for Transport and Foreign Affairs, will officiate the opening of Singapore’s Maritime Drone Estate during SMW on 20 April 2021.

With its close proximity to anchorages, the facility provides a conducive environment to test-bed and develop drone technology for maritime applications.

Industry partners, research institutes and drone developers will be able to tap this regulatory sandbox to conduct sea trials for maritime drone operations and services. Several industry-led use cases will be showcased at the launch event.

Themed “A New Era in Technology & Innovation”, this year’s Singapore Maritime Technology Conference runs from 19 to 22 April and adopts a hybrid format.

This flagship event for SMW will take place over four days, and participants can experience both physical engagements onsite and online via a virtual platform.

Industry leaders and senior executives from the maritime industry will come together with leaders in the tech, R&D and start-up ecosystem to share insights of their maritime transformation and innovation journeys, and explore digital and decarbonisation technologies and their commercial applications.

A call-for-proposal for electronic Bill of Lading (e-BL) solutions fulfilling the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR) framework and other maritime innovation initiatives will be announced on the opening day of the conference.

With the ongoing disruptions and challenges in the containerised cargo industry, TOC Asia will return to SMW as a virtual event with the theme of “Refocus and Recovery” at the top of the agenda. The event which takes place from 19 to 23 April will consist of several webinars with high-level industry stakeholders who will be discussing hot topics like market intelligence, automation, the green transition and how they will affect the container supply chain. 

Towards a sustainable maritime industry

In recognition of the individuals and companies that have contributed to Singapore’s development as a global hub port and leading international maritime centre, the Singapore International Maritime Awards 2021 will be held in conjunction with the SMW Opening Ceremony.

The prestigious biennial awards ceremony, now in its 11th run, has introduced new categories in keeping with the push towards environmental sustainability. 

The “Sustainability Award” will honour a company that has contributed significantly to sustainability efforts in the maritime industry.

The “SRS Green Ship of the Year Award” will be awarded to a quality, green Singapore-registered ship and “SRS Green Ship Owner Award” will recognise the shipowner with the largest proportion of ships participating in the Green Ship Programme, respectively.

The International Advisory Panel on Maritime Decarbonisation (IAP) will announce a set of recommendations on 21 April for Maritime Singapore to support decarbonisation of the industry. The IAP was set up in July 2020 by the Singapore Maritime Foundation, with support from MPA.

Looking towards IMO’s target to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50 percent in 2050, SMW will serve as a platform for governments and the shipping industry to meet and discuss how to work together to reach these goals.

Gard Charterers & Traders will be organising a virtual event titled “Taking Aim – Reaching Carbon Emissions Reduction Targets” on 20 April.

Prashanth Athipar, Head of Ocean Freight at BHP Billiton, will join speakers from Gard’s Charterers & Traders and Loss Prevention teams to offer insights on how GHG emissions targets are being approached by regulators and the industry, and how this will impact ship vetting.

MPA notes international collaboration is critical to ensuring the development of zero-emission shipping.

With this in mind, the Royal Danish Embassy in Singapore and the Danish Maritime Authority will host “Greening Tomorrow, Today: Partnerships For Zero Carbon Shipping” on 22 April, a virtual event where maritime players will explore areas for increased international public-private collaboration towards emission-free shipping.

Topics for discussion include developing the frameworks for innovation across the entire value chain to support the development of new energy systems and technologies for decarbonising shipping, and strategies to enable international collaboration across the maritime value chain.

To further encourage knowledge-sharing, the Norwegian Business Association Singapore, in partnership with MPA, the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Singapore and Innovation Norway, will host a special insights panel on decarbonisation in the maritime industry. 

The panel, titled “Towards zero emissions – sharing the Norwegian experience” on 21 April will explore how “Norwegian” fuel sources, like electrification, green ammonia and hydrogen, can contribute to overall decarbonisation efforts.

The World Bank will also be hosting a webinar titled “Charting A Course For Decarbonizing Maritime Transport For Policymakers And Industry” on 23 April to discuss how governments, the shipping industry, and the World Bank can work together to create an enabling environment for mobilising investments in zero-carbon shipping.

This event will launch two technical reports  on the prospects of decarbonising maritime transport. Each report will be accompanied by an “Executive Briefing for Policymakers and Industry,” summarizing the key findings from a development perspective.

To promote more efficient shipping procedures and reduce carbon emissions, BIMCO is encouraging wider adoption of just-in-time arrival principles in the bulk sector.

In a webinar titled “Successful Just-In-Time Arrivals” on 22 April, an expert panel representing ports, shipowners, charterers and agents will explore the challenges that lie between the current “hurry up and wait” regime and Just-In-Time (JIT) arrivals regime, and discuss ways to overcome the obstacles to implementing JIT arrivals in the bulk and tanker sector. This is in line with the digitalPORT Phase 2 objectives for the JIT module.

Developing a future-ready maritime workforce

With the deepened focus on digitalisation and business transformation, there is a growing need to shape the workforce to adapt and thrive. 

Current and future generations will require new skill sets and perspectives to ensure greater productivity and overall job satisfaction.

The Maritime Manpower Forum on 22 April co-organised by MPA and the Singapore Maritime Foundation will discuss these issues of talent attraction and retention, efforts to future-ready the workforce, and the relevance of job redesign given shifting jobs and skills needs.

Further contributing to conversations on maritime leadership and organisation development, 20 maritime and port authority officials will convene at the 4th Advanced Maritime Leaders’ Programme from 19 to 23 April to examine key techniques and skills that will enable workforce transformation, share best practices and challenges, and learn from their peers to enhance their leadership skills.

 With its myriad of knowledge exchange platforms, engaging dialogues and insightful conferences, SMW 2021 will shine a spotlight on critical areas for the continued vibrancy and diversity of Singapore as a global hub port and leading international maritime centre.


Photo credit: SMW
Published: 12 April, 2021

 

 

 

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Legal

Helmsman on Inter-Pacific Petroleum legal battle: When ignorance meets fraud

Lester Ho, Associate Director of law firm Helmsman shared his timely key takeaways on the recent case of Goh Jin Hian against defunct Singapore bunker supplier Inter-Pacific Petroleum.

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Lester Ho Helmsman

Lester Ho, Associate Director of multi-disciplinary law firm Helmsman LLC shared his timely key takeaways on the recent case of Goh Jin Hian v Inter-Pacific Petroleum when the Appellate Division of the High Court in Singapore overturned the High Court’s finding that Mr Goh’s breach had caused IPP to incur the losses:

The collapse of a company often prompts a search for blame, especially where the downfall stems from deliberate misconduct such as fraud that appears avoidable in hindsight. Unsurprisingly, a company’s directors are frequently perceived as the root of the problem and become prime suspects in the inevitable witch hunt for accountability. The recent case of Goh Jin Hian v Inter-Pacific Petroleum Pte Ltd (in liquidation) [2025] SGHC(A) 7 is a timely reminder of a director’s duties as well as the legal risks in the event of breach.

The downfall of Inter-Pacific Petroleum Pte Ltd (“IPP”) is well-documented. The Maritime Port Authority of Singapore suspended IPP’s bunker craft operator licence after discovering that the mass flow meter of a bunker tanker chartered by IPP had been tampered with. Concerns raised by IPP’s banks in relation to its business led its non-executive director, Mr Goh Jin Hian, to discover that it was heavily indebted to the banks. It was also discovered that the facilities had been used on sham sale and purchase transactions.

IPP was subsequently placed in compulsory liquidation, and Mr Goh was sued for breach of his director’s duties. It was alleged that the sham transactions could have been prevented had Mr Goh discharged his duties and that he was therefore responsible for IPP’s losses. At first instance, the High Court found that Mr Goh had breached his duty of care and ordered him to compensate IPP for approximately US$146 million in losses (Inter-Pacific Petroleum Pte Ltd (in liquidation) v Goh Jin Hian [2024] SGHC 178). Among other things, the High Court found that Mr Goh was in breach because he was entirely ignorant of IPP’s cargo trading business.

The Appellate Division of the High Court upheld the finding that Mr Goh had breached his duty for having been unaware of IPP’s cargo trading business. However, it overturned the High Court’s finding that Mr Goh’s breach had caused IPP to incur the losses. The Appellate Division found that IPP failed to prove that Mr Goh would have uncovered the sham transactions even if he had discharged his duty. Accordingly, Mr Goh was absolved of his liability to compensate IPP.

There are two broad takeaways from the decision.

The first takeaway is that every director, both executive and non-executive, is held to a minimum standard of care. This standard requires directors to take reasonable steps to put themselves in a position where they can guide and monitor the management of the company. Put simply, ignorance of a company’s business is no defence, even for non-executive directors that are not involved in everyday operations. Accordingly, although Mr Goh was a non-executive director, the fact that he was unaware that IPP was carrying on the business of cargo trading meant that he was in breach of his duties.

It may be surprising that a director could be entirely unaware of an important part of a company’s business. But the reality is that modern day companies have become commercial behemoths with complex and layered operations that makes it all too easy for directors (especially non-executive directors) to delegate oversight over critical business decisions and lose visibility of what their companies do. It is therefore important for directors, regardless of their formal titles, to ensure that there is a robust chain of reporting and command such that they have sufficient knowledge of the company’s operations to discharge their duties.

The second is that, while the law imposes high standards on directors, it does not demand unrealistic standards. As noted, the Appellate Division accepted that Mr Goh had breached his duties for having been unaware of IPP’s cargo trading business. However, it was not persuaded that, even if Mr Goh had discharged his duties and had been properly informed of IPP’s activities, the sham transactions could have been prevented. IPP was affected by what the Appellate Division considered a “deep-seated fraud” that had gone undetected even by IPP’s auditors. In the circumstances, it was far from clear that Mr Goh could have prevented the loss even if he had discharged his duty.

However, just because the law does not expect directors to be superhuman does mean that directors can afford to be complacent. Directors would still do well to take reasonable and diligent steps to ensure that they have a good grasp of the company’s operations and engage competent professionals (e.g., auditors) to help surface risks that they may otherwise miss. In a sense, Mr Goh avoided liability not because his breach was minor, but because the extent of the fraud perpetrated meant that the gravity of his breach cannot be said to have caused the loss. In other words, a less sophisticated or extensive fraud might have yielded a drastically different outcome – directors should take heed.

A timeline organised list of events preceding the current development of Inter-Pacific Petroleum has been recorded by Manifold Times below:

Related: Singapore: Ex-Director of Inter-Pacific Petroleum wins appeal against former company

Related: Singapore: Ex-Director of Inter-Pacific Petroleum appeals High Court decision
Related: Singapore: Former auditors of Inter-Pacific Petroleum undergo private oral examination at court
Related: Singapore: Civil trial between Inter-Pacific Petroleum and Dr Goh Jin Hian begins
Related: Former Singapore Director of Inter-Pacific Petroleum sued for USD 156 million
Related: Inter-Pacific Petroleum creditors authorised to fund lawsuit against former Director
Related: New Silkroutes under investigation over possible breach of Securities and Futures Act
Related: Judicial Managers considering to take former Singapore Director of Inter-Pacific Petroleum to court
Related: Singapore: Inter-Pacific Group receives winding up order from High Court
Related: Singapore: Inter-Pacific Group files for winding up application at High Court
Related: MPA revokes Inter-Pacific Petroleum Pte Ltd bunker supplier licence
Related: Co-heads of Trade and Commodities Finance for Asia-Pacific leave SocGen
Related: Inter-Pacific Group, Inter-Pacific Petroleum to hold creditors’ meet
Related: NewOcean detains Singapore-flagged bunker tanker “Pacific Energy 28”
Related: SocGen lawsuit against NewOcean Petroleum dropped, party to counterclaim
Related: MPA revokes Inter-Pacific Petroleum bunker craft operator licence
Related: Magnets on MFMs: Trial starts for former bunker clerk of “Consort Justice
Related: First suspect charged over MFM tampering in landmark case
Related: With nearly $180 million of debt, IPP proposes interim judicial management
Related: Inter-Pacific Group, Inter-Pacific Petroleum under judicial management
Related: Magnets on MFMs: “Consort Justice” crew pleads ‘not guilty’ to tampering charge
Related: IPP responds to temporary suspension of bunker craft operator licence
Related: MPA temporarily suspends IPP bunker craft operator licence
Related: Singapore: Bunker Cargo officer, crew face charges over alleged MFM tampering

 

Photo credit: Helmsman
Published: 13 June, 2025

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Alternative Fuels

China’s SDARI receives AiPs for alternative-fuelled ships including ammonia bunker vessel

CSSC’s SDARI obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) certificates from classification societies ABS, RINA and LR for four vessel designs including a 50,000 cubic metre ammonia bunkering vessel.

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China’s SDARI receives AiPs for alternative-fuelled ships including ammonia bunker vessel

China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s (CSSC) Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI) recently obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) certificates from several classification societies for four vessel designs. 

Among the four is a 50,000 cubic metre (m3) ammonia bunkering vessel, which received AiP certificate from American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). 

It integrates liquid ammonia transportation and bunkering functions and can meet the long-distance transportation needs of liquefied gas goods such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquid ammonia. 

The ship is equipped with three IMO Type A independent liquid cargo tanks, and uses zero-carbon ammonia fuel to drive the main engine and generator, meeting the IMO greenhouse gas emission reduction strategy and actively responding to the latest greenhouse gas intensity (GFI) requirements of the 83rd meeting of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 83). 

The entire ship is equipped with two independent 1,000 m3 deck liquid ammonia storage tanks, taking into account the ammonia fuel endurance requirements under multi-cargo loading and unloading, significantly improving operational economy and flexibility. 

In response to the needs of bunkering operations, it is specially equipped with a retractable bow thruster, side thruster and adjustable propellers to meet ABS’ DPS-1 notation and adapt to the complex port environment of bunkering operations. 

China’s SDARI receives AiPs for alternative-fuelled ships including ammonia bunker vessel

Meanwhile, a dual-fuel LNG/hydrogen-powered Ultramax bulker design and a 30,000 GT Roll-On/Roll-Off Passenger (ROPAX) ship designed to sail in the Mediterranean Sea received AiP certificates from RINA. 

SDARI also received AiP from Lloyd’s Register (LR) for a 113,000 dwt ammonia dual-fuel liquid cargo ship. The optimised propulsion system, specially configured with an ammonia dual-fuel power system and a wind-assisted propulsion system, is expected to save more than 10% energy, especially at low speeds. 

 

Photo credit: Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute
Published: 12 June, 2025

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Alternative Fuels

GCMD-BCG survey: 77% of shipowners, operators view net zero as high strategic priority

Survey also found the use of bio-blended bunker fuels has more than doubled to 46% and methanol use has increased from 3% to 6% but uptake of more nascent technologies such as ammonia remains limited.

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GCMD-BCG survey: 77% of shipowners, operators view net zero as high strategic priority

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) on Wednesday (11 June) said a survey found 77% of shipowners and operators now consider achieving net zero a high priority in their strategy, up from 73% two years ago.

This was among the findings of the second edition of the Global Maritime Decarbonisation Survey, jointly conducted by GCMD and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) between October 2024 and February 2025.

The survey gathered 114 responses from shipowners and operators across a range of vessel types, fleet sizes, and regions. While the survey was conducted before the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) MEPC 83 session in April, its findings already reflected sustained commitment across the industry. The outcomes of MEPC 83—introducing new regulatory targets and incentives—are expected to reinforce these ambitions and further accelerate momentum.

Survey results show that 60% of respondents have now set net-zero targets (up from 54%), while the use of bio-blended fuels has more than doubled to 46%, and methanol use has increased from 3% to 6%. However, uptake of more nascent technologies—such as ammonia, wind-assisted propulsion systems, solar panels, super-light ships, and air lubrication—remains limited.

The survey also reflects the industry’s desire for policies and regulations to create a level playing field. Nearly three-quarters of respondents identified either compliance measures or financial incentives as the most important policy objectives. A level playing field will ensure that early adopters are not competitively disadvantaged on cost and stakeholders with limited resources can benefit from financial support to overcome economic barriers.

The survey also gathered insights from key bunkering ports, whose support is critical for maritime decarbonisation. Most surveyed ports have roadmaps and dedicated teams focused on initiatives to facilitate maritime decarbonisation, and all of them, namely Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Port of Long Beach, Port of New York and New Jersey, Port of Rotterdam, and Port of Singapore, offer green incentives. 

A significant concern for ports, however, is the lack of demand certainty from shipping companies for both low-carbon fuels and Onboard Carbon Capture Systems (OCCS). This ‘chicken-and-egg’ dilemma hinders ports to take on the investment decision to develop the requisite infrastructure, though the recently introduced GHG pricing mechanism is expected to strengthen demand signals for low-carbon fuels.

Dr Sanjay C Kuttan, Chief Strategy Officer of GCMD, said, “Positive developments in maritime policy, especially from the IMO, which further tighten limits on GHG emissions, along with the increased ambitions voiced by survey respondents, are encouraging signals. Greater cooperation with the ports and pertinent stakeholders across the various value chains will be required to address challenges across the broader ecosystem. With the right investments and collaborative actions, the maritime industry can chart a course to a future where sustainable decarbonisation and commercial success can co-exist.

Anand Veeraraghavan, Managing Director and Senior Partner of BCG, said, “It is encouraging to see that even in the face of global uncertainties, the maritime industry’s decarbonisation ambitions remain intact and steadfast. The recent MEPC outcomes mark a pivotal step forward, sharpening demand signals with incentives for exceeding compliance goals and penalty mechanisms for shortfalls. Now is the time for the industry—both ships and ports—to build on this momentum.

Note: The second edition of the GCMD–BCG Global Maritime Decarbonisation Survey report can be viewed here

 

Photo credit: Lukas Blazek on Unsplash
Published: 12 June, 2025

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