Deadline Date: January 05, 2026
The Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has issued a call for proposals aimed at advancing in-water hull inspection and cleaning innovation.
The areas of focus are: Marine biofouling on ship hulls significantly increases hydrodynamic drag, resulting in higher fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions; Current in-water inspection and cleaning operations are often reliant on divers and robotic solutions with limited capabilities and capacity; The proposed robotic solutions to enhance in-water hull inspection and cleaning must conform with relevant regulations and standards from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
The Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) invites proposals to support the development and deployment of in-water robotic inspection and cleaning solutions that improve safety, efficiency, cost-effectiveness and environmental sustainability. Biofouling—which involves the accumulation of microorganisms, plants, algae or animals on submerged structures such as hulls—reduces vessel performance and increases fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Conventional hull inspection and cleaning methods are labour-intensive, time-consuming and present safety risks, while regular in-water inspection and cleaning between dry dockings helps maintain a clean hull, improves fuel efficiency, reduces downtime and mitigates the risk of spreading invasive species.
The challenge lies in the fact that current in-water inspection and cleaning operations face safety concerns for divers due to limited visibility, harsh marine environments, entanglement hazards, exposure to debris and marine organisms, as well as manpower constraints due to diver shortages. Existing robotic solutions also have limitations: gaps remain in their performance in harsh environments, ability to handle complex hull geometries (such as bilge keels, propellers and rudders), integration of waste capture and filtration systems, real-time data processing and scalability for port-scale operations.
The development scope covers two major systems. The inspection system must perform tasks with minimal or no human intervention (including niche areas), provide real-time feedback on fouling classification based on IMO ratings, operate in port environments without disrupting cargo operations, and demonstrate performance improvements in metrics such as accuracy, data capture, manpower needs, productivity (area covered per hour), vessel servicing capacity and scalability. The cleaning system must also operate with minimal human intervention, remove biofouling without damaging hull coatings, function in tight berth or anchorage spaces without affecting cargo operations, capture all biofouling waste to prevent release of invasive species, have an effluent filtration system capable of filtering particles smaller than 10 microns, and demonstrate verified improvements in fuel consumption reduction, macro-fouling waste capture, filtration capability, manpower needs, productivity and scalability. Both systems must include performance targets and verification processes and propose a certification process aligned with international standards.
Applicants are expected to develop enhanced robotic in‐water hull inspection or cleaning systems, provide test cases and demonstrate that the solution meets the focus areas. If any specific requirement cannot be met, the proposal must explicitly state limitations and reasons. The system must comply with cybersecurity standards for industrial automation and control systems. Initial field trials are planned to begin from April 2026 and final demonstration by end of the project. Project duration must not exceed 18 months.
Eligible organisations must be incorporated under Singapore’s Companies Act (Cap. 50), operate in Singapore, and have a minimum paid-up capital of 50 % of total project costs that will be used for R&D or test-bedding in Singapore relevant to the maritime industry. The proposal must include project background, objectives and scope, description, market potential, deliverables, collaborators, risk assessment including IP risks, project team, schedule and cost details.
For more information, visit MPA.
