x1025 | Issue #03
Last week, the team from PIER71— Singapore's flagship maritime innovation hub, backed by the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore and NUS Enterprise — came through Boston again on their global roadshow for the Smart Port Challenge 2026. Last year I hosted them and sat on a panel. This year I wanted to do more than just show up — so I helped them dig deeper into the Boston startup ecosystem, connecting them with specific teams building in the maritime space.
This programme is personal to me. Back in 2019, my startup Kivio was a grand-finalist of the Smart Port Challenge. Kivio was building infrastructure to tokenize the assets and rights used in liquid bulk maritime trade — bills of lading, cargo claims, charter rights — and make them tradeable via NFTs and atomic swaps, years before either of those terms became fashionable. We didn't win. But the programme put us in rooms we couldn't have otherwise entered, and shaped how I think about what it takes to bring a genuinely new idea to an industry that is centuries old and allergic to change.
For those unfamiliar: the Smart Port Challenge is an annual global competition where PIER71 works with 100+ maritime corporates to translate real industry pain points into innovation opportunities — structured problem statements that startups are invited to solve. This year, they've published 20 innovation opportunities spanning four focus areas: Maritime Green Technologies, Next-Generation Ports, Smart Shipping, and Digitalisation (AI, Cloud, Cybersecurity). Shortlisted teams go through a 10-week SPC Accelerate programme in Singapore — mentorship, workshops, corporate pilot matching — and the top teams compete at the Great Circle Grand Finale in November. Graduates can also apply for MPA's MINT Fund: up to SGD $100,000 for proof-of-concept pilots, and up to SGD $250,000 for new product development. The full list of 20 innovation opportunities is live at pier71.sg/smart-port-challenge-2026— applications close June 15.
Industry briefing - 1 of 2
The MASS Code Is Almost Here — IMO MSC 111 in Session Now
The IMO's Maritime Safety Committee is meeting in London this week — May 13 to 22 — for its 111th session (MSC 111), and the headline item is the long-awaited International Code of Safety for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS Code). After years of regulatory groundwork beginning with a formal scoping exercise in 2017, MSC 111 is expected to finalize and adopt the non-mandatory, goal-based code — a landmark step that will for the first time give the industry a structured international framework for remotely controlled and autonomous ship operations.
Industry briefing - 2 of 2
HII & MetalCraft Marine Deliver Autonomous USV Prototypes to the U.S. Marine Corps — Today
In news that dropped just today, defense shipbuilder HII, in partnership with Canadian boat manufacturer MetalCraft Marine, announced the delivery and successful sea testing of two next-generation autonomous unmanned surface vehicle (USV) prototypes for the U.S. Marine Corps. The vessels are designed for littoral and expeditionary operations — precisely the kind of fast, uncrewed platforms the Marines need for island-hopping and coastal warfare scenarios in contested waters. With this delivery, HII joins Saildrone, Blue Water Autonomy, and Saronic in what is rapidly becoming the most competitive unmanned shipbuilding race in history.
A Final Note
"Progress on this Code represents a significant milestone for the Organization. It demonstrates IMO’s ability to anticipate technological developments and to provide a clear, global and safety driven regulatory framework, ensuring innovation is introduced responsibly and without compromising safety, accountability or the critical role of the human element."