Bio

Ambassador ISHIKAWA Hiroshi is a career diplomat with 39 years of experience in the Japanese Foreign Service. Prior to his appointment as Ambassador of Japan to Singapore, Ambassador Ishikawa was Deputy Minister in the Foreign Minister’s Secretariat. He had also served as Director-General of the Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs Department, Director of the First China and Mongolia Division, Director of the First North America Division and Director of the National Security Policy Division. He had also served overseas postings to the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations and the Embassy of Japan in China. Ambassador Ishikawa graduated from the University of Tokyo with a Bachelor of Arts in Law in 1986 and obtained a Master of Arts in East Asian Studies from Stanford University in 1990. He speaks Japanese, English and Mandarin.

Bio

A career diplomat with the rank of Minister at the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore. Graduate of Monash University with a major in Foreign Affairs and Trade. Has served in key diplomatic missions in Stockholm, Cairo, and London. Passionate about public diplomacy, media and communication as well as social-cultural affairs. Strongly committed to enhancing bilateral relations between Indonesia and Singapore.

Title: Engineering the Archipelago: Indonesia’s Perspective on Smart Sustainable Cities

Indonesia, a dynamic archipelago nation, is not just imagining its urban future, it is actively engineering it. Driven by comprehensive smart city initiatives, the nation is transforming its diverse urban centers, drastically enhancing efficiency, and measurably improving livability for millions. This progress is underscored by significant investments in innovative solutions for robust climate resilience and rapidly scaling up renewable energy sources, a powerful demonstration of engineering excellence. Furthermore, this urban transformation is twinned with Indonesia’s firm diplomatic commitment to advancing a global sustainability agenda, positioning its journey as one of the models for the developing world.

Bio

Richard Lim serves on various public sector boards in the energy, public transport and healthcare sectors. He has served as Chairman of the Energy Market Authority and is currently Chairman of Meranti Power and Singapore Gas Company. Richard is Deputy Chairman of the Land Transport Authority and Chairman of Synapxe Pte. Ltd. He is a member of the board of MOH Holdings and has also served on the board of National University Health System. Richard has previously served as Chairman of ST Logistics, Chairman of the Governing Board, St. John’s Island National Marine Laboratory and Chairman of the National Maritime Safety at Sea Council. Richard Lim retired from the Singapore Ministry of Defence after serving more than 30 years in various appointments including Director Joint Operations and Planning, Chief of Navy, Deputy Secretary (Technology) and CIO, and Chief Executive of the Defence Science and Technology Agency. He has developed a deep practice-oriented professional interest in the conceptualization, development, and management of large-scale systems. He continues his professional interest in engineering systems in various advisory and consultancy roles.

Title: Engineering Urban Systems

From an engineering systems perspective, Singapore as a city state is a complex system of systems where its key distinctive attributes such as liveability and sustainability are emergent properties resulting from both planned and unplanned interactions of its constituent systems. Bringing together disparate systems (new and legacy) in a coherent way and overcoming the resulting complexities to achieve high performance, resilience and fault tolerance through sound systems engineering practices have enabled the high quality of life and vibrancy in our city. The engineering systems mindset is a useful framework in dealing with interactive complexity and tight coupling of urban systems. Singapore’s engineering systems approach can serve as a reference model for coastal cities. More than 2 billion of the world’s population live within 50km from the coastline. Singapore as a thriving coastal city can demonstrate what it takes to live in harmony and synergy with its marine environment.

Bio

David Foo joined the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore in July 2017 and served in various senior management roles, and assumed the appointment of Deputy Chief Executive for Operations and Technology in April 2025.

He oversees all maritime and port operations and technology initiatives under MPA’s purview, and is accountable for operations transformation and planning, engineering, hydrographic and marine services, IT and OT systems as well as cybersecurity and data governance.

Prior to joining MPA, he served in the Republic of Singapore Navy for more than 27 years and held various senior staff and command appointments, including in the submarine squadron.

Title: Navigating the Future: How Maritime Digital Twins Can Enable Innovation in Sustainable Port Operations

Join us as this plenary presentation uncovers the Maritime Digital Twin (MDT) – a virtual replica of Singapore’s port – driving innovation and sustainability in operations. MDT visualises vessels, activities, environmental factors, and predictive models, enabling integrated planning and rapid response to challenges like oil spills, congestion, and climate impacts. Through real-time simulation, analytics, and AI, it enhances decision-making and operational resilience. As part of MPA’s vision for a smarter, greener port, MDT also fosters industry innovation by providing an open platform for MaritimeSG companies to test and refine applications before deployment, accelerating digital transformation and positioning Singapore as a global leader in sustainable, technology-enabled port operations.

Bio

Professor Liu Bin is Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Bin graduated with bachelor’s degree from Nanjing University and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from NUS. She had postdoctoral training at the University of California, Santa Barbara before joining NUS in late 2005. Bin has been well-recognized for her contributions to polymer chemistry and organic nanomaterials for energy and biomedical applications. She is an international member of the US National Academy of Engineering. Since 2019, she has served as the Deputy Editor to launch and develop ACS Materials Letters, a flagship materials journal of the American Chemical Society