Dear Members, Industry Partners, Business Associates and Friends of SASS,
First and foremost, my sincere appreciation for the years of friendship and support. Without all your unwavering support, this journey would not have been possible.
The Singapore Association of Shipsuppliers & Services (SASS), then known as Singapore Association of Ship Suppliers, was formed 42 years ago by a core group of likeminded ship supplies pioneers to promote and protect the interest of the industry. There was not much government support at that time, if at all, and the members came together to collectively fend for itself. Fast forward 42 years, SASS continues to promote and protect the interest of the industry, but with valuable assistance and support from various government agencies. SASS now collaborates with numerous government agencies to upskill and upgrade people, standards and processes of the industry to remain relevant, sustainable and competitive.
In the last decade, SASS has established itself as the recognized voice of the ship supplies industry. Regular dialogues with relevant government agencies and regulatory bodies have helped shape the ship supplies industry. In the fast changing volatile global economic landscape, these regular dialogues provide critical feedback for Singapore to remain relevant and competitive. Today SASS has not only ship suppliers as members, but also numerous shipowners and ship managers, port operators PSA and Jurong Port, and service providers within the maritime ecosystem.
SASS is now playing a critical role in helping the industry transform in the digital era. Faced with numerous challenges in a highly fragmentated industry, coupled with inconsistent and uncollated data, SASS and its members are working with various government agencies to provide the industry with standard data sets to promote accuracy and efficiency in the ship supplies industry.
On the environmental protection front, SASS is actively working with numerous industry partners to 1) reduce carbon footprint and 2) reduce the use of single use plastics amongst other initiatives.
In the reduction of carbon footprint, SASS has signed MOUs with drone port operators as well as drone operators to develop drones and facilities that can support the ship supplies industry. SASS has also signed MOUs with supply boat builders to jointly explore the feasibility of electric supply boats.
In reducing single use plastics, SASS is working with government agencies and suppliers to promote sustainable and reusable packaging in the ship suppliers’ delivery process. Efforts are made within the industry to transit from supplying drinking water in disposable plastic bottles to a more sustainable water filtration unit on the vessels to supply its crew with clean and safe drinking water. These two fundamental changes if adopted successfully will significantly reduce the quantities of single use plastics.
SASS also has regular dialogues with port operators PSA and Jurong Port to explore safer and more efficient ways to supply ships in port and at the anchorages. Digitalizing the information and process flow to allow seamless interaction between port and port-users will be key.
The Singapore ship suppliers and the industry has to continue to stay relevant in the new ever changing economic landscape. Regardless shipping will remain the main mode of transportation to fuel global trade, the next lap will be fraught with uncertainties and keen global competition. SASS will continue to be at the forefront, working with the relevant agencies, to support its members in strengthening their capabilities and abilities to stay ahead of their global competitors. I would like to thank Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Enterprise Singapore (ESG), Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), Workforce Singapore (WSG) and all the industry partners for the support and guidance. It would have been even more challenging for the industry without the support received.
As I conclude, please again accept my sincere thank you and appreciation for your friendship and support for SASS. The SASS team and I look forward to your continued support as we head towards 50 years of shaping the Singapore ship supplies industry.
Sincerely,
Danny Lien
President
Greetings to all SASS Members & Friends of SASS,
Welcome to the new SASS website which is designed to be more informative and easier to navigate. I sincerely hope you will find it useful in promoting the products & services of your company. The SASS membership has also been steadily growing, therefore it is of paramount importance that all members receive adequate exposure to all visitors to the SASS website. If you have any useful feedback on how the website can be improved, please do contact the Secretariat.
As we head towards the last quarter of 2019, the world economy has become more challenging. In fact with the exacerbation of the on-going trade wars, more severe global economic headwinds will be expected. Another uncertainty is the upcoming Brexit. How this will affect the UK & the EU remains unclear. All these undoubtedly will have some form of rippling effect on the shipping industry. With the shipping industry still in a fragile state, any escalation in the current situation might again send freight rates into a tailspin. The domino effect would again create challenges for the ship supplies & services industry as shipowners and managers embark on cost cutting initiatives. It is therefore imperative that companies continue to evolve & innovate early in order to mitigate these looming challenges. On this front, SASS will continue its role in working with SASS members in their journey of innovation, with the support from the various government agencies like Enterprise Singapore (ESG) , Employment & Employability Institute (e2i), Workforce Singapore (WSG) and Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).
SASS has recently signed a MOU with eGenie Forum, an international think-tank focused on marine logistics innovation. Together with eGenie Forum, SASS will collaborate with A*Star’s SimTech in developing digital solutions for the industry. This collaboration will start working with forward thinking members as beta sites to testbed various cutting edge digital platforms which will eventually culminate in an end to end digital solution. SASS is committed to be the global thought leader in marine supplies logistics and to be the global leader in ship supply industry transformation. I look forward to everyone’s continued support and guidance as we head into 2020. On behalf of SASS, I wish all of you well in your health, your family and your business.
Yours sincerely,
Danny Lien
Dear SASS Members & Friends of SASS,
Wishing all of you a happy, healthy & successful year in 2018.
2018 started positively with the 37th SASS AGM held on 12th January 2018 at the Singapore Island Country Club. The attendance at this year’s AGM broke last year’s attendance record, with over 70 attendees!
This year, we had A*STAR & Singapore Customs making presentations, providing members information on how these agencies can provide assistance to the industry & businesses. As part of the industry upgrading effort, A*STAR has invited SASS members to visit their Model Factory at SIMTECH on 8th February 2018. Registration to visit the Model Factory has been sent to members by the SASS Secretariat.
The highlight of the AGM was the panel discussion with the SASS Honorary Council Members. The Honorary Council Members spoke on the current & future state of shipping from their own perspectives. Members who attended the AGM had positive feedback on the panel discussion and SASS will organize another at an appropriate time.
SASS is also invited by the Migrant Workers Centre, which is part of NTUC, to co-host their charity golf event on 6th April 2018 at Raffles Country Club. The event will be graced by the Minister for Manpower Mr. Lim Swee Say. Details of this event will be sent to members soon and we ask for your support to make this event a success.
The agenda of SASS remains focused on staying relevant to members and to the industry. The vision of SASS is to be recognized as the global leader in promoting the interests of the ship supplies industry. This vision can only be realized through the unwavering support from members, industry partners and the government agencies. SASS will continue to lobby and work with the industry partners & government agencies to support its members and the industry.
SASS membership is also increasing. As of end January 2018, SASS has over 90 members with a few new applications. Much credit is given to current members who continue to promote and encourage companies to join SASS. We will continue to strive towards our goal of 150 members by 2019.
The 38th AGM in 2019 will be an election year. The elected office bearers from the 38th AGM will have the mandate to lead SASS for two years. It is important that the office bearers of the term beginning 2019 continue to lead and build SASS towards its vision. A call goes out to all members who share this vision to step forward to serve. Nomination process will begin sometime towards the end of the third quarter.
Finally, while there is some light at the end of the tunnel, many challenges in the industry remain. Please do provide feedback to the SASS Secretariat on ways the association can help. SASS is committed to helping members and the industry.
Once again, my fellow council members and I thank all members and industry partners for your continued support.
We wish all of you a good and prosperous 2018.
Sincerely,
Danny Lien
President
Term 2017-2018
SASS President’s Report for Work Year 2016
Dear SASS Members & Friends of SASS,
On behalf of SASS & the Council, I wish all of you a happy, healthy & successful year in 2017.
2017 marks the beginning of a new 2 year term for the SASS Council. I thank all members for attending the AGM that was held on 5th January 2017 at the Singapore Island Country Club. The attendance at the AGM is by far the largest on record. Those who attended also witnessed the launch of the SASS Academy and had the chance to dialogue with Mr. Yeo Guat Kwang, Assistant Director General of NTUC.
Despite the last two years being extremely challenging for the marine & offshore industry, SASS has continued its mission to create value for its members and its vision of being the voice of the marine & offshore industry. The Project 100 initiated at the 2016 AGM to drive membership numbers to 100 from then under 50 has gained much traction. As of AGM 2017, membership stood at a commendable 83, although short of the 100 mark. The SASS Council will continue to work at increasing the membership number and target to have at least 150 members by the 2019 AGM. The Council is also actively recruiting Honorary Members and is targeting to have 25 Honorary Members by the 2018 AGM. Meetings with MPA, Customs, SPRING Singapore and other related industry partners are also ongoing to address the challenges the industry is facing and how solutions or assistance can be provided to qualifying members.
Leadership renewal must now rank high on the SASS agenda. I would like to encourage members with the passion and desire to contribute to the industry to step forward. Eligible and capable members can be co-opted into the current council and subsequently stand for election to hold office. SASS needs capable and committed leaders to continue this journey of excellence.
Last but not least, I want to again thank all SASS Members, Council Members and Industry Partners for their support and guidance the last years. My council colleagues & I are committed to raising SASS to the next level of excellence.
Looking forward to meeting all of you at the next SASS event.
Sincerely,
Danny Lien
President
Singapore Association of Ship Suppliers & Services
Term 2016/2017