An Enhanced Maritime Partnership Agreement was signed by French Minister for Transport, Mr Philippe Tabarot, and Singapore’s Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance, Mr Jeffrey Siow, on the occasion of President Macron’s State Visit to Singapore and the elevation of relations between the two countries to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture (DGAMPA) have agreed on this Enhanced Maritime Partnership to further strengthen maritime cooperation between Singapore and France. The agreement covers collaboration in maritime decarbonisation, digitalisation, cybersecurity, innovation and training, and builds on an earlier partnership with DGAMPA established in 2021.

This collaboration reflects the shared commitment of the parties to advancing sustainable, innovative, and secure maritime solutions. Both France and Singapore, as global maritime hubs, recognise the strategic importance of strengthening cooperation in port digitalisation, green shipping, and maritime safety.

As part of the Enhanced Maritime Partnership, the parties will work with industry partners to conduct various pilot projects to address the focus areas. On maritime decarbonisation, projects include the development of a bio-methane supply chain and certification framework to ensure compatibility with various sustainability standards and adherence to accounting framework under the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change and the International Maritime Organization. The first bio-methane bunkering trial in Singapore under this partnership, based on the certification framework, will also be conducted with shipping company, CMA CGM, as part of this initiative.

On digitalisation, MPA will also partner HAROPA PORT and the Port of Marseille-Fos to advance port call optimisation and maritime digitalisation. This includes trials with CMA CGM on ship-to-shore data exchange to automate and streamline port clearance processes, reduce manual documentation, and improve the timeliness and accuracy of operational data using internationally recognised standards.

Mr Eric Banel, Director General of DGAMPA, said, “This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to advancing sustainable, innovative, and secure maritime solutions. Both France and Singapore, as global maritime hubs and key worldwide players in innovation and engineering, recognize the strategic importance of strengthening cooperation in port digitalisation, green shipping, and maritime safety and security.”

Source: MPA