SATS-Creuers to turn MBCCS into Asia's first smart terminal

SATS-Creuers Cruise Services is to install a ‘smart terminal solution’ at Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore (MBCCS) to enhance the services it provides for passengers and encourage larger ships to homeport in Singapore.

To be implemented with the help of NCS Communications Engineering, the smart terminal solution will be the first of its kind in Asia and will comprise smart sensors, video analytics and big data solutions managed via a central command-and-control system.

Sensors will be placed in the check-in terminals and baggage handling areas to monitor passenger traffic in real time. They will automatically notify the terminal management team when congestion arises, so issues can be resolved rapidly.

Meanwhile, insights gathered from video and big data analytics will allow MBCCS to provide information to cruise lines and the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority, enabling them to work together to improve resource planning and coordination. This will ensure cruise operations run more smoothly and that any service disruptions are handled quickly and efficiently.

“The use of smart sensors and data analytics to enhance operations at Singapore’s ports and cruise terminal facilities will not only contribute to better operational efficiencies, but also enhance the level of security,” said Andrew Tan, chief executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

MBCCS’s new smart terminal solution will also help it to meet the predicted increase in cruise traffic in the Southeast Asia region, which is expected to hit 4.5 million annual cruise passengers by 2035.

“We experienced an increase of 31% ship calls and 51% passengers handled last year,” said Lionel Wong, CEO of MBCCS. “This significant growth in cruise travel is expected to continue. Augmenting our processes with technology will help us manage the increased volume more efficiently and provide a pleasant, seamless travel experience for our passengers.”