SINGAPORE, one of the world’s busiest ports, is taking a step into the future with the launch of a facility to develop digital technologies and decision-making tools used by maritime operators such as analysis of vessel routes, traffic hotspots prediction and detection of potential collision situations.

The S$9.9m ($7.3M) Next Generation Vessel Traffic Management System was launched by ST Engineering and Kongsberg Norcontrol on Tuesday during Singapore Maritime Week.

The lab is supported by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s Maritime Innovation and Technology Fund under the MPA Living Lab initiative. The facility will use smart algorithms to predict high-traffic areas and avoid potential collision situations.

To be completed in 2021, the system is slated to realise the development of new capabilities that will help maritime authorities to further enhance navigational safety, handle higher vessel traffic volumes within crowded shipping lanes with increased safety, security and efficiency and enable the seamless and autonomous exchange of information across unmanned vessels.

With the digital transformation of Singapore’s port services and operations and advent of smart shipping and autonomous technology, the VTMS will play a mission-critical role in ensuring the navigational safety and efficiency of Singapore port waters and the Singapore Strait, the partners said in a press release.

To ensure that the VTMS continues to be at the forefront of the industry, the new lab will focus on research, discovery, conceptualisation and validation of new operating concepts, processes, business rules and technology relating to vessel traffic management, they concluded.