The MPB stated that the post-COVID-19 era has accelerated the digitization of shipping. Because modern data are diverse and complex, to cope with the rapidly changing shipping market, the MPB developed iMarine, a maritime and port development database, on October 23, 2023, to present crucial maritime and port information, such as global shipping indices, Taiwan-related statistics, maritime and port-associated laws and regulations, international organization statuses, and real-time and comprehensive shipping news. iMarine is the most comprehensive shipping database in Taiwan. The attributes and content of iMarine are being continuously expanded. iMarine can serve as a foundation for the evaluation of maritime and port policies. This year marks the third consecutive year that the Maritime and Port Big Data Creative Application Competition has been held. The competition encourages collaboration between experts and specialists from different fields such as shipping, transportation, big data, information, international trade, and statistics. The contestants are students and enterprise employees in Taiwan. The competition involves data analyses and data application. Competitors integrate current affairs and industrial dynamics and propose new ideas and plans. They revitalize vast and complex data sets, thereby increasing the value of the data, and offer new applications for the use of data in the maritime and port industry in Taiwan.
According to the MPB, the top three public entries were The Sea Passage Love Team, Play Data to Explore the Green Port, and Staunchly Supporting Big Data. These entries covered various topics such as green ports and blue oceans; the integration of long short-term memory and Monte Carlo methods to construct a diagnostic and predictive platform for ships and analyze air pollution at Kaohsiung Port; and use of artificial intelligence and data dictionaries to accelerate the intellectualization of ports. The top student entry was Unbound Navigation, which was about observing trade flows between Taiwan and other New Southbound Policy-related countries.
Guests who arrived at the ceremony commended the achievements of the contestants. The Secretary-General of the National Association of Chinese Shipowners, Chia-Yuan Pao, commended the MPB for hosting the event, stating that the event raised public awareness about the shipping industry. Professor of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Cheng-Min Feng, congratulated the award recipients for effectively and creatively using the iMarine database and providing practical, feasible content. Vice Principal of National Taiwan Ocean University, Chih-Ching Chang, encouraged all contestants to continue their research. Finally, the Head of Information and Deputy General Manager of Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation commended the MPB for providing a platform at which industry, government, and academia could collaborate and made a promise that Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation would continue to support the event and participate in future competitions.
The MPB was pleased to discover that the competition this year marks the first time that governmental agencies not part of the MOTC participated in the event. Other agencies have strongly supported the competition or participated in every competition since its inauguration. Student contestants from the first competition returned to this year’s competition as public contestants. One unique aspect of this year’s competition was that a group of friends who met at a road running event decided to participate together. The students who won the competition came from various backgrounds, including accounting, information engineering, and finance, demonstrating participation from diverse groups. The MPB emphasized that as technology advances, methods that effectively use data to support policies are crucial. The MPB will continue to host the Maritime and Port Big Data Creative Application Competition and hopes that more talented contestants will participate in the competition to help Taiwan develop talented individuals in the field of maritime and ports and introduce new ideas and energy.
Contact: Section Chief, Chih-Pei Chen, Planning Division
Telephone: 02-89782842
