Biennial event attracted 26 chiefs of defence forces and navies, vice chiefs, directors-general of coast guards and senior naval officers and over 11,000 trade visitors from 62 countries
The 12th edition of IMDEX ASIA, held from 14 to 16 May 2019 at Changi Exhibition Centre, concluded on a high note with a showcase of the latest innovation in engineering and technology by the bigwigs in the maritime defence sector and emerging tech start-ups from the region.
One of the main highlights from IMDEX Asia 2019 was the launch of ‘What’s Next’, a unique platform for start-ups from the region to network with industry heavyweights, to showcase their innovations and to establish new business development leads.
Leading the Future of Naval Defence
The inaugural ‘What’s Next’ included a ‘Shipyard 4.X’ pitch challenge, where start-ups pitch solutions to potential investors, corporate businesses, and end-users. There were 13 start-ups from France, India, Philippines, Singapore and USA, displaying innovation in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, surveillance robots, etc.
Singapore’s startup Subnero, which provides underwater networks and applications, emerged as the winner of the ‘Shipyard 4.X’ challenge following a series of competitive pitching with other start-ups. Subnero walked away with a golden opportunity for potential collaboration with one of the pitch challenge sponsors—Republic of Singapore Navy, SAAB, ST Engineering, and Thales.
Global Naval Community Coming Together
“We celebrate another highly successful IMDEX Asia 2019, which brought together officials from foreign and local navies, the business community, visitors and delegates from across the global ecosystem,” said Mr Leck Chet Lam, Managing Director of Experia Events Pte Ltd, the organiser of IMDEX Asia 2019. “Technology innovation is prominent at this year’s IMDEX Asia and it is exciting to see a glimpse of a future of naval defence enabled by automation, artificial intelligence, new products and services.”
This year’s edition saw a record number of attendances from global maritime stakeholders. It’s a testament of the show’s role as a neutral platform for facilitating strategic dialogues and sparking regional collaborations around maritime defence and security, while connecting key players from the navies, governments, and businesses.
This edition saw more than 11,000 attendees from 62 countries and regions attending IMDEX Asia, and welcomed over 236 participating companies from 30 countries. There were 26 chiefs of defence forces and navies, vice chiefs and directors-general of coast guards.
Throughout the event, IMDEX Asia 2019 facilitated more than 650 strategic meetings with public sector representatives and commercial buyers to forge new partnerships in the global marketplace.
A total of 26 warships from 15 countries arrived for the biennial show (21 ships sailed in and 4 local ships). Amongst the warships was the helicopter large ship HMAS Canberra, the flagship of the Royal Australian Navy, making its debut in Singapore. Joining the rest, the JS Izumo, a helicopter destroyer and one of Japan navy’s largest ships also docked in Singapore to take part in IMDEX Asia 2019.
It also featured the International Maritime Security Conference where over 400 delegates from the naval defence sector gathered for pivotal conversations to promote mutual understanding and collaboration in Asia Pacific.
Quick facts about IMDEX ASIA 2019:
- Some 236 participating companies from 30 countries.
- More than 11,000 trade attendees from 62 countries; of which 28% were overseas attendees.
- Over 650 meetings between exhibitors and delegations/trade visitors were facilitated
- Approximately 120 media representatives from 50 media outlets attended the three-day events, of which more than 90% were international media publications.
The thirteenth edition of IMDEX ASIA will be held from 18 – 20 May 2021 at the Singapore Changi Exhibition Centre.
For more information on IMDEX Asia 2019, please visit https://www.imdexasia.com/ or contact Serene Goh at +65 6390 3320 or serene.goh@hkstrategies.com
