NTU organisers and IAME council members at the welcome reception at Techno Plaza
Hosted by NTU’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME) 2026 Conference, held from 30 June to 3 July 2026, brought together approximately 350 academics, researchers, policymakers, industry practitioners and students to examine how digitalisation, decarbonisation, geopolitical shifts and resilience are reshaping maritime economics. The conference was co-chaired by CEE's Associate Professor Yuen Kum Fai and Assistant Professor Yan Ran.
IAME President Professor Elvira Haezendonck from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) delivering the opening address at Lee Kong Chian Lecture Theatre
Held in Singapore for the first time, the conference featured keynote addresses, academic and special sessions, a Young Scholar Seminar and PhD Workshop, industry and policy engagement, as well as networking opportunities.
The conference provided an international platform for the exchange of research insights, development of collaborations and discussions on emerging research and policy agendas for the maritime sector.
At the closing ceremony, outstanding research contributions were recognised and celebrated through four awards: the Maritime Economics & Logistics (MEL) Best Paper Award, the Maritime Policy & Management (MPM) Best Paper Award, the Young Scholar Best Paper Award, and the Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) Best Paper Award.
These awards recognised high-quality papers and presentations that demonstrated originality, rigour, relevance, and impact within the maritime research community.
The conference was made possible with the sponsorship and support of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) and Korea Maritime Institute (KMI).
Bringing together diverse perspectives from across the global maritime community, IAME 2026 concluded with shared insights and a collective commitment to advancing research and dialogue on the future of the maritime sector.
