On June 6, Symphony Creative Solutions Pte. Ltd. (SCS),* an NYK Group company, will announce the winners of its Ocean of Opportunities Challenge (O3 Challenge) at Innovfest Unbound,** Southeast Asia’s largest innovation festival, which will be held June 5 and 6 at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands.

O3 Challenge

The O3 Challenge is a contest aimed at sourcing for creative ideas from the community in the maritime industry. Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd. (ONE),*** a partner company in this event, first issued seven challenges to simplify work processes in the shipping industry. Start-ups submitted innovative proposals and ideas, and the selection process began. This challenge is being jointly organized with NUS Enterprise,**** the entrepreneurial arm of the National University of Singapore, and supported by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), and technology partners.

On April 18, SCS invited about 30 guests from various organizations — including universities, government agencies, and shipping companies — along with MPA chief executive (CE) Andrew Tan to an announcement of the challenge at ONE headquarters. On May 8, a briefing session to explain the issued challenges was held at SGInnovate, a venture capital organization of the Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore.

In accordance with its new medium-term management plan “Staying Ahead 2022 with Digitalization and Green,” the NYK Group seeks to create new value by making use of the latest digital technology, and to encourage innovation and solutions development in the shipping industry.

* Symphony Creative Solutions Pte. Ltd.
Jointly established in Singapore in March 2016 by the NYK Group, Weathernews Inc., and Kozo Keikaku Engineering Inc. to develop and market next-generation solutions in the shipping and logistics fields.

** Innovfest Unbound
Organized by NUS Enterprise and unbound, the event will feature over 12,000 entrepreneurs, brands, corporates, investors, and tech startups from 100+ countries.
Website: https://unbound.live/innovfest-unbound-2018

*** Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd.
A Singapore-based global container shipping company that began operations on April 1 by integrating the container businesses of Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd., Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha.

**** NUS Enterprise
As the entrepreneurial arm of the National University of Singapore (NUS), NUS Enterprise plays a pivotal role in advancing innovation and entrepreneurship at NUS and beyond. It actively promotes entrepreneurship and cultivates global mindsets and talents through the synergies of experiential entrepreneurial education, active industry partnerships, holistic entrepreneurship support, and catalytic entrepreneurship outreach. Its initiatives and global connections support a range of entrepreneurial journeys and foster ecosystem building in new markets.


- Reference

Announcement on April 17, 2018, “NYK Group Panel Discussion with NUS Enterprise Cultivates Open Innovation in the Shipping and Logistics Industry,”
http://www.nyk.com/english/news/2018/1190459_1687.html

Announcement on March 8, 2018, “Panel Discussion Examines Use of Advanced Technology in Container Business,”
http://www.nyk.com/english/news/2018/1190155_1687.html

Announcement on February 6, 2018, “Panel Discussion with NUS Enterprise Examines Use of Advanced Technology in the Maritime Industry,”
http://www.nyk.com/english/news/2018/1189955_1687.html

Announcement on December 12, 2017, “Panel Discussion Held with NUS Enterprise to Promote Innovation in Shipping and Logistics,”
http://www.nyk.com/english/news/2017/1189556_1553.html

Announcement on October 25, 2017, “Start-up Supported by NYK Group Wins Top Prize at Singapore’s Smart Port Challenge 2017,”
http://www.nyk.com/english/news/2017/1189054_1553.html

MPA CE Andrew Tan, left, and ONE CEO Jeremy Nixon on April 18

MPA deputy director Thomas Ting speaking on May 8

One of the seven challenges being explained

Another of the seven challenges being put forward