Technology Centre For Offshore And Marine, Singapore

What Technology Centre For Offshore And Marine, Singapore does

Technology Centre for Offshore and Marine, Singapore (TCOMS) is a national R&D centre established in October 2016 as a joint venture between the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the National University of Singapore (NUS). The organisation operates as a quasi-public R&D platform dedicated to the Marine & Offshore and Maritime sectors, co-developing innovative ocean systems and solutions with industry partners, government agencies, and institutes of higher learning. TCOMS is headquartered at 12 Prince George's Park, Singapore, on the NUS campus, and employs 51-100 staff.

TCOMS's core capability is cyber-physical modelling and simulation, anchored by the next-generation Deepwater Ocean Basin (DOB) at NUS — a 60m x 48m x 12m facility with a ~10m diameter, 50m deep pit, 180+ flap-type wave generation paddles, and a six-layer current generation system that can simulate ultra-deep water environments. This physical test infrastructure is coupled with petascale supercomputing through NSCC Singapore and an on-premise numerical simulation cluster, enabling integrated physical-numerical experiments. The portfolio of capabilities spans four research thrust areas: Marine & Offshore (hydrodynamics, fluid-structure interactions, structural dynamics); Sea Transport (CEAOPS, the national focal point for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships research); Digital Metocean (digital twin of metocean conditions for Singapore waters and offshore assets); and open-source simulation tools such as the HOS-UDW2P Converter published on GitHub.

The business model is fundamentally a publicly-funded R&D centre, not a commercial product company. Primary revenue is government R&D funding through A*STAR Science & Engineering Research Council programmes — including the Marine & Offshore Strategic Research Programme (M&O SRP) — and institutional support from NUS. Secondary revenue is generated through Master Research Collaboration Agreements (MRCAs), MoUs, and joint R&D projects with industry partners including Seatrium, ABS, Wärtsilä, PSA Marine, Deltares, Singapore Institute of Technology, ORE Catapult, and the National Physical Laboratory (UK). Customer segments are vertical: Marine & Offshore Engineering companies, maritime operators and shipping companies, offshore asset operators, and government agencies/IHLs. The centre operates as a B2B research platform with no publicly disclosed pricing; engagements are negotiated through collaboration agreements rather than transactional product sales.

Name

Technology Centre For Offshore And Marine, Singapore

Legal name

Technology Centre for Offshore and Marine, Singapore

Website

https://tcoms.sg

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

TCOMS is a Singapore national R&D centre jointly operated by A*STAR and NUS, providing cyber-physical modelling, Deepwater Ocean Basin testing, and digital metocean services to the marine, offshore, and maritime sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine & Offshore Engineering R&D Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360), Navigational Services to Shipping (488330)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Yard Infrastructure & Asset Monitoring (IoT, CMMS, Crane/Dock Monitoring) (IMAJALAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Offshore Wind & Marine Spatial Planning Regulation (EUAMANAM)

Keywords

• Offshore engineering research
• Marine systems testing
• Cyber-physical simulation
• Ocean basin testing
• Maritime autonomous vessels

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government R&D Funding: TCOMS is a joint venture between A*STAR and NUS, funded primarily through government R&D programmes including the Marine & Offshore Strategic Research Programme (M&O SRP) and other science & engineering research council grants.
2. Industry Research Collaborations: Revenue generated through Master Research Collaboration Agreements, MoUs, and joint R&D projects with industry partners including Seatrium, ABS, and other Marine & Offshore companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

TCOMS operates a national R&D centre delivering integrated physical-numerical simulation, cyber-physical modelling, and offshore engineering research services to Marine & Offshore and Maritime industry partners. Core delivery is anchored by the next-generation Deepwater Ocean Basin research facility (hosted at NUS) and supported by petascale supercomputing via NSCC Singapore, enabling experimental testing and validation of intelligent floating platforms, autonomous vessels, marine robotics, and subsea systems. The centre co-develops solutions through Master Research Collaboration Agreements, MoUs, and joint R&D projects across Marine & Offshore engineering, Sea Transport (CEAOPS), and Digital Metocean domains.

Product overview

TCOMS is a national R&D centre dedicated to the Marine & Offshore and Maritime sectors, operating as a joint venture between A*STAR and the National University of Singapore. Its core offering is an integrated physical-numerical simulation platform anchored by the next-generation Deepwater Ocean Basin (DOB) research facility, supported by petascale supercomputing from NSCC Singapore. TCOMS's product portfolio spans four thrust areas: Marine & Offshore (enhancing predictability of operating environments and ocean system behaviour through hydrodynamics, fluid-structure interactions, and structural dynamics), Sea Transport (advancing through CEAOPS – Centre of Excellence for Autonomous & Remotely Operated Vessels), Digital Metocean (digital twin technologies for ocean environment prediction), and open-source simulation tools such as the HOS UDW2P Converter. The DOB serves as the anchor physical testing facility, while the Digital Metocean and HOS UDW2P Converter tools provide complementary numerical and digital twin capabilities. TCOMS integrates these capabilities to co-develop innovative future ocean systems and solutions that are safe, resilient, and sustainable.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CEAOPS: Centre of Excellence for Autonomous & Remotely Operated Vessels - the national focal point for research and development in Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS).

Products and services

• Deepwater Ocean Basin (DOB) Research Facility A next-generation deepwater ocean basin research facility at NUS with 60m x 48m x 12m dimensions, deep pit of ~10m diameter with 50m depth, 180+ flap-type wave generation paddles, wave period up to 5s and height up to 1.1m, 6-layer current generation system, instrumentation-cum-towing carriage with 2m/s max speed and 10kN towing force, and movable floor for water depth variation from 0-12m. Used for testing and validation of intelligent floating platforms, ships, autonomous systems, marine robotics, and subsea systems for Marine & Offshore engineering companies and maritime operators.
• CEAOPS - Centre of Excellence for Autonomous & Remotely Operated Vessels

Quantifiable outcome

• Potential flow and CFD coupling simulation reduces simulation domain and cost up to 10x

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• National University of Singapore Artificial Intelligence Institute (NAII)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026Launched 'CATALYST – Catalysing Artificial Intelligence for Stress Testing and Advanced Learning for Marine & Offshore SYSTems' partnership with EnterpriseSingapore support. Seatrium is the first industry collaborator focusing on AI-enhanced Design Synthesis and Cognitive Operations.
• Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) CatapultcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2025MOU to collaborate on research and development of floating offshore wind turbine systems, advancing the development of renewable ocean energy solutions.
• SeatriumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 November 2024Expanded Master Research Collaboration Agreement to develop new cyber-physical capabilities for predicting environmental loads and platform responses including operations in high sea states and extreme events for FPSO platforms.
• National Physical Laboratory (NPL)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 November 2023MOU with NPL and A*STAR to foster R&D collaboration for advancing global development of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) and other smart maritime systems, including international maritime autonomy assurance and standards.
• SeatriumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 2023Master Research Collaboration Agreement establishing the Seatrium-TCOMS Ocean Lab to advance design and operational performance of smart ocean systems. Five main research thrusts including cyber-physical modelling for predicting environmental loads and platform responses for FPSO platforms. Expanded in November 2024 to explore capabilities in high sea states and extreme events.
• DeltaresmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 April 2022MOU for joint research and co-development in hydrodynamics. Both parties agree to share and exchange knowledge to enhance capabilities in hydrodynamic modelling for deep-water and shallow-water scenarios, and contribute towards predictions of regional met-ocean conditions and coastal protection measures.
• Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2022MOU to strengthen R&D collaboration and grow talent pool for Singapore's Maritime, M&O Engineering, and ocean sectors. Involves staff exchanges, student internships, access to R&D facilities including ocean basin, and collaborative applied research projects.
• Coastal Sustainability Alliance (CSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 March 2022Industry collaborative effort led by Kuok Maritime (PaxOcean, PCL, POSH) to build Singapore's next-generation maritime ecosystem. Focus on electrification, digitalisation, and decarbonisation with 11 new members added in 2023.
• ABScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2020Master Research Collaboration Agreement covering seven research areas: intelligent structural health management, condition monitoring of marine and offshore assets, modelling and simulation of complex systems, autonomous and remotely operated vessels, marine robotics, sustainability including decarbonisation, and open-source simulation tools.
• WärtsiläcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2019IntelliTug project collaboration with PSA Marine for ground-breaking autonomous harbour tug. Successfully completed initial sea trials for PSA Polaris vessel.
• Keppel Offshore & MarinemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 April 2018MOU with MPA and TCOMS to jointly develop autonomous vessels, with Keppel Singmarine developing an autonomous tug operated by Keppel Smit Towage.
• Alpha OrimajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 April 2017Partnership with MPA, TCOMS and LR to set up Centre of Innovation for SMARTShip Technology, focusing on digital technologies with transformative impact on design, operations, and business models.
• Rolls-RoycemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2017MOU to develop Smart Ships through strategic partnership focused on maritime technology innovation.
• SINTEF OceanmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration with counterpart in Norway on Roadmap towards Smart and Autonomous Maritime Transport Systems. Jointly developed R&D roadmap identifying most important research challenges for MASS and smart maritime operations.
• Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner and parent organisation. TCOMS is a joint initiative between A*STAR and NUS, with A*STAR providing strategic direction and funding through Science & Engineering Research Council programmes.
• National University of Singapore (NUS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner and academic institution hosting TCOMS facilities including the Deepwater Ocean Basin. Provides research expertise and talent through faculty and students.
• National Supercomputing Centre (NSCC) SingaporemajorTechnology or IntegrationProvides petascale supercomputing capabilities supporting TCOMS's numerical simulation and modelling requirements for high-fidelity computational simulations.
• Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency providing support and regulatory oversight for maritime R&D initiatives. Collaborates on autonomous vessel development and industry transformation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ifremer: France's national marine research institute, conducting ocean engineering, hydrodynamics and subsea systems research with large basin facilities and a strong publication record. TCOMS plays an analogous national R&D role to Ifremer in Singapore's marine/offshore ecosystem.
• HR Wallingford: UK-based civil engineering and hydraulic research organisation operating physical model testing facilities for marine, coastal and offshore applications. Directly comparable in physical-basin testing, CFD simulation and metocean services for offshore engineering clients.
• Deltares: Dutch applied research institute focused on water, subsurface and infrastructure. Has an active MOU with TCOMS for joint hydrodynamics research covering deep-water and shallow-water scenarios as well as met-ocean conditions — directly comparable mission and customer base.
• SINTEF Ocean: Norway's leading marine and maritime R&D institute operating ocean basin facilities and conducting hydrodynamics, marine structures and autonomous vessel research. TCOMS's documented counterpart for the joint R&D roadmap on smart and autonomous maritime transport, making it the closest functional peer.
• MARIN (Maritime Research Institute Netherlands): Netherlands-based maritime R&D centre operating multiple ocean basins and offering CFD, model testing and full-scale simulations for ship and offshore design. Operates in the same niche as TCOMS with globally comparable physical testing infrastructure for marine and offshore clients.

Broad incumbents

• ABS (American Bureau of Shipping): Global classification society with a substantial in-house R&D programme on marine structures, autonomous vessels and decarbonisation. Both a partner and a competitor to TCOMS via its MRCA, with broader commercial scope including certification services.
• Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore: Global classification and offshore certification body with R&D activity in marine autonomy, hydrodynamics and offshore structures. Serves the same offshore engineering client base as TCOMS but as a broader commercial incumbent rather than a specialised R&D centre.

Others

• National Physical Laboratory (NPL): UK's national metrology institute with which TCOMS signed an MOU (alongside A*STAR) on maritime autonomy standards. NPL's measurement science and standards expertise is adjacent to TCOMS's autonomous vessel R&D mission rather than directly competing for offshore R&D contracts.

Emerging players

• ORE Catapult: UK's leading technology and innovation centre for offshore renewable energy. Signed an MOU with TCOMS in November 2025 on floating offshore wind R&D — addressing overlapping customer needs in floating wind testing and digital tooling but with a renewable-energy focus.

Regional players

• Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO): Korea's national R&D institute for ship and ocean engineering, with ocean engineering basins and offshore system testing capabilities. Closest Asia-Pacific state-funded peer to TCOMS, though operating primarily in the Korean offshore market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Technology-Centre-for-Offshore-and-Marine-Singapore-TCOMS-100064187163543
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tcoms

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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