From left to right: Francis Ho, Global Quality Director, Pelagus 3D; Haakon Ellekjaer, Chief Executive Officer, Pelagus 3D; Dr Gu Hai, Vice President – Technology, American Bureau of Shipping; Wenjin Wu, Principal Engineer, American Bureau of Shipping
Launched by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC) – a national platform hosted by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), JIP Phase 3 will focus on strengthening Additive Manufacturing (AM) in the maritime ecosystem and enhancing the resilience of the spare parts supply chain. Central to this phase is the development of a digital inventory of qualified AM parts and the continued collaboration with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), End Users, and Manufacturing Partners.
JIP Phase 1 started in 2019, and it explored the market feasibility of using AM for marine parts. Leveraging the insights of Phase 1, Phase 2 delved further into AM fabrication, testing, inspection, and certification of parts, involving key players in the maritime industry.
Phase 2 was launched in 2020, and through the collaboration between Wilhelmsen’s 3D printing venture and thyssenkrupp (which later evolved into Pelagus 3D), it led one of the 11 projects awarded by MPA. Under Phase 2, the 3D printing venture collaborated with Original Equipment Manufacturers such as Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Wärtsilä, end users like Yinson and Hafnia, and classification societies[1]. These partnerships laid the foundation for integrating AM parts into the maritime ecosystem, with high-criticality parts successfully fabricated and tested.
“Phase 3 of the Joint Industry Project marks a major step forward for the maritime sector, moving from pilot trials to scalable digital manufacturing. This new phase strengthens the entire value chain — from digital inventories to streamlined certification, enabling reliable marine parts to be printed on demand. This capability will enable additional services for ships calling at Singapore and further reinforce our position as a leading hub for ship supplies, repair, and additive manufacturing innovation,” said Thomas Ting, Chief Digital Officer / Director (Technology & Innovation), MPA.
"Building on the earlier successes of Phases 1 and 2, the MPA-NAMIC JIP Phase 3 represents a big leap forward for the maritime sector to improve marine spare parts availability through digital and hybrid (additive and subtractive) manufacturing with no minimum order quantity. Through Pelagus’ on-demand manufacturing platform, OEMs will be able to provide ships with their OEM-certified spare parts produced by qualified manufacturing partners. By moving to a digital manufacturing model, we can reduce inventory overhead and tackle parts obsolescence, strengthening supply chain resilience for the maritime sector. Through close collaboration with our industry partners such as Pelagus 3D and the Maritime Port of Authority, NAMIC is committed to helping companies through technology translation and adoption for business innovation and value capture, strengthening Singapore’s position as the premier port hub and container transhipment,” said Dr Ho Chaw Sing, Chief Executive Officer, NAMIC.
As part of JIP Phase 3, Pelagus is collaborating with the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) to develop a streamlined part certification process. This includes the incorporation of a digital validation on inspection and testing steps and refinement of certification requirements for suppliers manufacturing critical components.
“ABS is proud to work with Pelagus 3D in advancing additive manufacturing for the maritime industry. Through JIP Phase 3, we aim to further streamline the certification process for critical components, integrating digital validation and verification methods to promote safety, reliability, and efficiency. This initiative demonstrates ABS’s commitment to supporting innovation that enhances supply chain resilience and to setting new benchmarks for performance in maritime operations,” said Dr. Gu Hai, ABS Vice President of Technology Pacific.
This collaboration extends the commitment between both parties to build upon the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in 2023 to advance the technologies and adoption of on-demand AM maritime spare parts.
A core component of JIP Phase 3 will be the collaboration with OEMs to create a comprehensive digital inventory and to utilize Pelagus’s suite of new solutions developed through the project, which facilitates fabrication, part inspection, and testing reporting activities.
“Our partnership with OEMs remains core to our service, and we are committed to enabling an end-to-end, easy-to-use platform for OEMs to create, order, and fabricate digital inventory parts. A simple process that facilitates the availability of high-quality parts,” said Haakon Ellekjaer, Chief Executive Officer, Pelagus 3D.
With the continued collaboration between OEMs, end users, and ABS, JIP Phase 3 will greatly accelerate the industry-wide usage of AM parts and strengthen the resilience of Singapore’s maritime parts supply chain against disruptions.
Pelagus remains committed to the continued expansion and adoption of AM spare parts in the maritime and energy industry. Companies interested in joining JIP Phase 3 are encouraged to contact info@pelagus.com.
[1] Classification societies involved in MPA AM JIP: American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Bureau Veritas (BV), DNV, Lloyds Register (LR).