• Leading the Global Marine and Offshore Engineering Market
• A Cluster of Marine-Related Expertise
• Maintaining its Leadership in a Sea of Opportunities
• Multiple R&D Links Between Academia and Industry
• Cultivating and Motivating Marine Manpower
• Excellent Logistics Infrastructure

It may be in the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico or in the Middle East – but there’s a good probability that a jack-up rig extracting oil and gas offshore was designed or made by a Singapore-based company. Singapore is the top player in the global market for oil and gas drilling units and offshore support vessels. Local conglomerates Keppel and SembCorp are also renowned names in the global industry.

Today, Singapore is the largest manufacturer of jack-up rigs, and commands 70 per cent of the world market. It also has 70 per cent of the global market for the conversion of Floating Production Storage Offloading units. In ship repair, it has a 20 per cent share of the world market.

The marine and offshore industry is on a roll, buoyed by high oil and gas prices and an ageing offshore fleet. Singapore has been a big beneficiary of the boom, having carved a reputation for consistent high quality and timely delivery. An expert cluster of marine-related service companies such as those providing classification services, maritime law and insurance services, and offshore support services has developed here. The industry also reaps significant gains from the country’s robust and dynamic supply chain and precision engineering infrastructure. In 2007, output from the marine and offshore industry grew to S$13 billion.

As the global market scales up, the Republic plans to sharpen its competitive advantages to entrench itself as the marine and offshore hub of choice. It will work to draw players with superior expertise and channel investments and resources to the entire value chain. The chain stretches from its world-class shipyards to entities offering naval architecture and marine engineering capabilities, component manufacturing and supply, classification services, complex marine systems and R&D activities.

Technology is a key driver for the marine engineering sector. To stay at the leading edge of the industry, Singapore actively promotes R&D collaboration between its educational institutions and the private sector. Key initiatives include the Centre for Offshore Research & Engineering and Centre of Innovation – Marine & Offshore Technology. Additionally, both the Marine Centre of Innovation @ Singapore Polytechnic and Maritime Research Centre @ NTU work closely with local yards (such as Keppel, SembCorp, and ST Marine) to forge innovations.

Well-trained manpower is a critical component of the technology-heavy marine engineering sector. With its marine industry stretching back to 1963, Singapore has built up a pool of skilled and experienced marine professionals. Meanwhile, its tertiary institutes have stepped up efforts to groom manpower for the sector. The National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University have final-year specialisations and Master’s degree courses in Marine & Offshore Engineering. In addition, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Singapore Polytechnic are working with University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, to roll out a full-fledged Bachelor’s degree in naval architecture and marine/ocean engineering.

Singapore’s reputation for reliability and speed in delivery is made possible by its world-class logistics infrastructure. The country’s world-class sea ports and air freight facilities, superior warehousing and delivery channels, and unparalleled connectivity regionally and globally make it an optimal base for global sourcing and complex manufacturing.  Efficient supply chain management is especially critical for rig building, where the equipment can come from various parts of the world, including Japan, the US and Europe.