Focus throughout the week centred upon the commercial and environmental challenges and opportunities triggered by the need to decarbonise, as well as on the continued need to drive innovation and talent in maritime. Cross-sector collaboration in the path to net zero, technology partnerships and the pros and cons of transition fuels were other themes central to debate and discussions.  Powered by first-to-market thought leadership, Sea Asia 2021 convened close to 3,000 participants from over 70 countries. Across three days, 120 speakers representing the broad spectrum of maritime sector, its customers, technology companies and allied industries set the pace with an eye on the future.

Related: No silver bullet to shipping’s decarbonisation journey

The 2021 virtual edition of Sea Asia came at a pivotal moment for shipping, as the sector confronts both the challenges and opportunities to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while recovering from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sea Asia 2021 provided a prime platform for thought leaders and C-suite executives to debate the potential applications of digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and big data. Speakers highlighted that the global pandemic has accelerated the pace for digitalisation and greater use of technology.

Related: Shipping cannot solve decarbonisation problem on its own

The event also had a strong focus on the people behind the industry, sparking ideas on how to make shipping more attractive to talent, responding to crew change issues and pushing the ESG agenda.

Sukumar Verma, Managing Director of Informa Markets (Maritime Group), added:  “Sea Asia is a unique industry think tank. It has consistently forged a pathway for industry with provocative conversations, and we were delighted to see record participation from the traditional and emerging ecosystem of Maritime. Our role in enabling Maritime transformation for endorsed by industry yet again.”Commenting on the outcome of the event, Tan Beng Tee, Executive Director, Singapore Maritime Foundation, said:  “Sea Asia 2021 provided the platform to stimulate conversations on issues confronting the industry. The Fireside Chat provided the overall strategic context that maritime is an integral pillar of world trade and that the industry needs to respond to digitalisation, decarbonisation, and talent. While the road ahead may bring new challenges, by working together, we can create solutions for the maritime sector of tomorrow.”

Through the first edition of TechX @ Sea Asia – The Official Startup Forum, the event also expanded into the dynamic ecosystem of maritime start-ups, VCs, incubators, accelerators, and technology and digitalisation solution providers. This was an opportunity for startups to gather insights, network and present their ground-breaking ideas through pitching and knowledge sharing sessions.