Bureau Veritas Future Fleet Forum 2026 

Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) hosted the Future Fleet Forum 2026 at Singapore, providing a platform for maritime industry leaders, clients and experts to exchange perspectives on the technological, regulatory and market developments shaping the next generation of shipping.

Held under the theme “Building Tomorrow’s Fleet Today”, the forum examined some of the key considerations facing shipowners and other maritime stakeholders as they plan and operate future fleets. Discussions spanned developments in China’s shipbuilding and newbuilding market, the evolving regulatory landscape, cyber resilience, artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalization.

The program opened with a keynote address from T S Teo, President of the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA), focusing on the future fleet and the increasing convergence of people, data and technology. He explored the characteristics of the future ship, including intelligent operations, connectivity with the wider maritime ecosystem, cyber resilience, future-ready crews and the transition towards zero- and low-carbon shipping, as well as the growing importance of AI and cybersecurity.

Bill Chen, Sales & Marketing (Shipbuilding) Director at Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore China, provided a deep dive into China’s shipbuilding sector, examining the continued growth of the country’s orderbook, increasing shipbuilding capacity and the changing profile of Chinese yards. The presentation also highlighted Bureau Veritas’ growing newbuilding activities in China, with its current portfolio spanning a wide range of ship types and technologies, including LNG- and methanol-fueled vessels, large container ships, gas carriers, tankers, offshore units and wind-assisted propulsion projects. 

Adam Kapella, Marine & Offshore Regulatory & Institutional Affairs Director at Bureau Veritas also examined the current regulatory landscape, considering the evolving requirements that will influence the design, construction and operation of future fleets.

Ken Soh, CEO of Athena Dynamics, addressed the growing importance of cyber resilience as ships become increasingly connected and digitally enabled. His presentation examined the evolving maritime cyber threat landscape and the need to complement regulatory compliance with effective, continuously managed cybersecurity operations, including remote asset discovery and management, vulnerability assessment and penetration testing, continuous cyber-health monitoring and practical protection technologies.

Professor Tay Chuan Beng of the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) explored the opportunities, challenges and practical applications of AI in maritime operations, including its potential to support predictive maintenance, voyage optimization and increasingly complex ship systems. He also highlighted the importance of operational evidence, data quality, validation and continuous monitoring in building trust in AI, and the role of collaboration between shipowners, classification societies and academic institutions in supporting its responsible adoption.

The forum concluded with the panel discussion “Navigating the Future Fleet”, which drew together industry, technology and maritime perspectives to consider how shipowners and other stakeholders can respond to emerging opportunities and risks and translate technological, regulatory and market developments into practical fleet strategies.

Through the Future Fleet Forum, Bureau Veritas provided a platform for industry dialogue, knowledge exchange and collaboration, supporting maritime stakeholders as they make the decisions needed to develop safer, smarter, more resilient and sustainable fleets.