MPA Singapore Selects Six Partners for SGD$3.7M Robotic In-Water Hull Inspection and Cleaning Innovation Trials

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore has selected six partners under its Call for Proposals to advance and scale up in-water hull inspection and cleaning solutions in the Port of Singapore, allocating close to SGD$3.7 million (approximately US$2.91 million) in R&D co-funding from the Maritime Innovation and Technology (MINT) Fund. The CFP attracted strong international interest, with 19 proposals received from 36 companies across nine countries. The six selected partners — Alicia Bots, C-Leanship, Neptune Robotics, Oceanis Robotics, RINA, and SEAHI Robotics — will develop and trial in-water robotic hull inspection and cleaning solutions in Singapore's port waters over an 18-month period starting in the second half of 2026. Marine biofouling — the accumulation of organisms on submerged hull surfaces — significantly reduces vessel energy efficiency by increasing hydrodynamic drag, leading to higher fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Regular in-water hull inspection and cleaning between dry dockings is essential for maintaining a clean hull, improving fuel efficiency, and reducing the risk of spreading invasive species. However, current solutions face real limitations: they struggle with complex hull areas including propellers, rudders, and sea chests, operate unreliably under stronger currents, and must work in tight spaces alongside vessels without disrupting cargo operations. The selected partners aim to address these challenges by leveraging advances in robotics, automation, and remote operations. The projects bring together technology providers, service operators, classification societies, and shipowners to validate solutions under actual operating conditions — not laboratory environments. The trials will test operational efficiency, safety alongside port activities, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability, with the explicit goal of enabling large-scale commercial deployment. Why this matters for ship managers: In-water hull cleaning directly impacts fuel costs, CII ratings, and EU ETS exposure. If the six partners deliver viable robotic solutions for the difficult niche areas — propellers, rudders, sea chests — the operational case for more frequent in-water cleaning becomes compelling. Ship managers should monitor which of the six partners produce solutions that work reliably in real port conditions, as the winners from this trial will likely define the next generation of commercial hull maintenance services available globally. [MarineLink · MPA Singapore]

This story is part of the Maritime AI Digest of 26 April 2026.

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