Shipping’s 20-year bets in a six-month world: leaders clash at Splash
Top executives to debate capital allocation, resilience and decision-making.
In less than a week, Singapore will host the first edition of Splash Singapore, a high-level gathering where industry leaders will confront shipping’s most urgent challenge: how to navigate long-term investments in an era of relentless disruption. The event, replacing the established Maritime CEO Forum, will bring together shipowners, charterers, technology executives, and investors at the Fairmont Singapore on September 24 to debate capital allocation, organizational resilience, and decision-making in a sector where geopolitical shifts, regulatory changes, and technological advances are rewriting the rules at unprecedented speed.
The conference will open with a session titled The Big Issues, moderated by Splash editor and co-founder Sam Chambers. Rather than merely listing risks like geopolitics or AI, the discussion will focus on concrete changes successful shipping organizations have made in response to volatility. Key questions include how much efficiency companies should sacrifice for resilience, how to justify 20-year investments when market assumptions can shift in six months, and what structures and talent are needed when past strategies no longer apply.
Joining Chambers on stage will be a panel of industry leaders: Bjørn Højgaard (CEO, Anglo-Eastern Univan Group), Hor Weng Yew (CEO, Pacific Carriers Limited and chairman of the Singapore Maritime Foundation), Jeremy Sutton (CEO, Swire Shipping), John Su (group chairman and CEO, Erasmus Shipinvest Group), Nick Potter (president and CEO, AET), and Shmuel Yoskovitz (CEO, X-Press Feeders). Their debate will set the tone for a day of discussions on markets, technology, and the evolving business of shipping.
The big questions: resilience vs. efficiency in a six-month world: Splash
As Chambers noted, “Shipping is being asked to make 20-year decisions in what increasingly feels like a six-month world. The opening session is not about describing disruption—everybody in this industry already lives with it. We want to understand what the best shipping organizations have actually changed.”
The agenda will shift to sector-specific challenges with The Tanker Market Outlook, where experts including Andreas Michalopoulos (Performance Shipping) and Tomoaki Ichida (MOL) will analyze supply and demand trends for the coming year. A critical focus will be the aging global fleet and how the industry can manage it amid tightening regulations and shifting trade flows.
After lunch, the SplashTech Digital Leaders Forum will explore the business of maritime technology. Executives from Viasat Commercial, Klaveness Digital, TMV, Dualog, and Wilhelmsen will discuss where owners are investing, the state of industry consolidation, and the challenges of scaling maritime tech companies.
Markets, technology, and the future of chartering
The conversation will then turn to AI, Digitalisation and the Maritime Workforce, with leaders from Lloyd’s Register, Marcura, Complexio, Rio Tinto, and BW Group examining how artificial intelligence is transforming work both at sea and ashore. Topics will include workforce readiness, reskilling, and the extent to which shipping should delegate tasks to increasingly capable technology.
The day will conclude with The Chartering Spotlight, where representatives from Fednav, Vale, AXSMarine, Western Bulk, and Heidelberg Materials Trading will debate how AI, digital platforms, and greater data transparency are reshaping vessel chartering. A key question will be whether these tools are leveling the playing field or reinforcing the advantages of larger players, particularly as emissions performance becomes a growing factor in vessel selection.
The event’s timing—coinciding with World Maritime Day—underscores its significance. With no presentations or sales pitches, Splash Singapore promises unfiltered discussions on the strategies that will define the industry’s future. As Chambers emphasized, “If you feel your organization needs a masterclass in adapting to today’s conditions, this is a pretty formidable group of people to learn from.” The challenge for attendees will be translating those insights into action before the next disruption arrives.
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