The Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) and the University of Turku (UTU), Finland, have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and will continue to jointly promote and develop maritime research and development (R&D) activities.
The MoU, which was signed by SMI Executive Director, Mr Tan Cheng Peng, and UTU Rector, Professor Jukka Kola, was formalised 14 October at the SMI Forum 2021.
The MoU was witnessed by Guest-of-Honour Senior Minister of State for Transport Mr Chee Hong Tat and the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Finland in Singapore Mrs Benita Lindström by means of a video recording during the event, which also commemorated SMI’s tenth anniversary.
– SMI is pleased to extend our research partnership with UTU to deepen bilateral cooperations between Finland and Singapore’s maritime research community and jointly advance our maritime R&D capabilities. I look forward to a fruitful international collaboration between SMI and UTU, says Mr Tan.
A key highlight and outcome under the MoU was the Finland-Singapore Maritime Innovation Camps organised in Singapore in 2018 and 2020. The Innovation Camp seeks to cultivate maritime innovation among university students in Singapore and Finland, while creating value for industry partners and to grow the maritime innovation ecosystem in both countries.
– UTU greatly values the collaboration with SMI to the benefit of the maritime research community and the maritime sector in both countries – Singapore and Finland. It is our pleasure to take our collaboration with SMI to a new phase, says Professor Kalle-Antti Suominen, UTU Vice-Rector (Research).
Under the MoU, SMI and UTU will deepen existing initiatives and explore new maritime research activities over the next five years to foster bilateral maritime R&D collaboration between academic research entities from Finland and Singapore.
