At the MaritimeONE Case Summit (MCS) 2025 Grand Finals and Award Ceremony held last evening, the Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) announced the champion teams for the respective challenge statements issued by sponsor companies ARROW Asia, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), NorthStandard and Ocean Network Express (ONE). Mr. Loh Khum Yean, Deputy Chairman of MPA, graced the event as the Guest-of-Honour.
The MaritimeONE Case Summit is organized annually in partnership with leading maritime organizations. Tertiary students from diverse educational backgrounds and institutions are invited to respond to industry challenges that require interdisciplinary thinking. This year, students developed tech-driven solutions in market intelligence, proposed maritime digital twin applications, and designed strategies to build a future-ready maritime workforce. The champions this year came from Singapore’s leading public universities, and for the first time, a polytechnic team pursuing applied AI and analytics. The prizes were sponsored by the partner companies and SMF.
“The MaritimeONE Case Summit continues to attract strong interest—this year saw participation from 386 tertiary students across 119 teams. This momentum suggests a growing awareness among youths in our universities and polytechnics of the importance of the maritime sector and the opportunities it offers. I thank our sponsors ARROW Asia, MPA, NorthStandard and ONE for joining SMF in growing the talent pipeline for the collective good of the industry,” said Mr. Hor Weng Yew, Chairman, Singapore Maritime Foundation.
“ARROW is proud to recognize the top three teams in the MaritimeONE Case Summit 2025 for their innovative proposals on how AI and technology can support Panamax dry bulk shipbrokers. Engaging with these talented students has been a privilege as they brought fresh perspectives and creative solutions to the maritime sector.
“We extend our sincere thanks to the Singapore Maritime Foundation for providing this valuable platform that connects industry professionals with emerging talent. As a proud sponsor of the summit, ARROW looks forward to supporting more initiatives that foster collaboration between students and Singapore’s maritime community,” said Mr. Philipp Schulte-Westhof, Managing Director, ARROW Asia.
“Our team was looking forward to translating the concepts we had learned into solutions for real-world challenges. These competitions encourage Singaporean youth to go beyond their comfort zones, while also providing an opportunity to network with industry professionals. Through this, we were able to gain insights into the day-to-day operations of ARROW shipbrokers,” said Team MerryTime, champion team of ARROW Asia.
“We are impressed by the quality and creativity of this year’s proposals, which showcase the depth of innovation within our maritime community. We look forward to seeing these ideas, many of which make good use of the Maritime Digital Twin, tested and applied to enhance port operations in Singapore,” said Mr. Ang Wee Keong, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
“When we first joined the MaritimeONE Case Summit, we honestly didn’t expect to make it this far. What started as a simple idea to improve berth utilization evolved into DockyAI, an AI-driven tool to optimize anchorage management. This journey showed us how technology can make a real difference in port efficiency, and inspired us to keep exploring how youths can shape Singapore’s maritime future,” said Team Imagine Winning, champion team of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
“We are truly impressed by the dedication and insight shown by all the student teams in this year’s MaritimeONE Case Summit. They took on a complex and unfamiliar topic—the risks and opportunities of nuclear propulsion—and approached it with remarkable curiosity, depth, and professionalism. It was a pleasure to work with the teams during the mentoring period and to see their ideas develop into thoughtful, well-reasoned proposals. The creativity and analytical rigour they displayed have provided valuable perspectives for us at NorthStandard as we continue our work in leading the industry’s understanding of emerging maritime risks. Congratulations to all the participants, and our sincere thanks to the Singapore Maritime Foundation for creating this inspiring platform,” said Mr Michael Hustler, Head of Asia Pacific, NorthStandard.
“We were inspired to apply our diverse backgrounds to solve real-world maritime challenges as it meant that regardless of what we study, all Singaporean youths with curiosity can contribute to the future of shipping. The topics used in the case competition are often complex problems that companies face and participating in this means that we gain exposure to problem-solving that enhances our learning experience,” said Team COSTA CREW, champion team of NorthStandard.
“I extend my sincere congratulations to the winning teams and my heartfelt thanks to all participants for their creative and forward-thinking contributions. We were truly impressed by the quality and depth of ideas on how to redesign our talent strategy for the future. Initiatives like this reaffirm ONE’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of maritime professionals who will drive digital transformation and sustainable growth across our industry. By investing in talent today, we strengthen not only our organization but also the wider maritime ecosystem. We thank the Singapore Maritime Foundation for organizing this meaningful event, which has provided students with a valuable opportunity to tackle real-world challenges while offering organizations like ours fresh perspectives to help shape the future of global shipping,” said Mr. Jeremy Nixon, Chief Executive Officer, Ocean Network Express.
“Youths face an increasingly difficult job landscape due to fierce competition in popular sectors like finance and technology. Our team wanted to highlight the maritime industry as a desirable place to build a career on par with popular sectors. This challenge gave us the platform to expand our innovative ideas on how to transform the perceptions many youths have regarding the industry and open up alternative career paths for youths of the future,” said Team Tide Turner, champion team of Ocean Network Express.
Source: Singapore Maritime Foundation
