NHH PhD candidate won the First Prize in IAME 2026 PhD Best Paper Competition
This year’s International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME) Conference brought the maritime research community to Singapore, from 30 June to 3 July, under the theme “Shaping the Future of Maritime Economics.”
Hosted by Nanyang Technological University, the conference provided an excellent platform for discussing some of the key transformations facing maritime transport, including decarbonisation, AI value creation, digitalisation and resilience.
Singapore was a particularly fitting location for these discussions, following the IAME Conference hosted by NHH in Bergen in 2025, which was warmly acknowledged in the president’s remarks and by several attendees. As one of the world’s leading maritime hubs, Singapore’s strategic position, advanced port infrastructure and wider maritime ecosystem make it an important node in global maritime transport. At the same time, the city is actively shaping the next generation of maritime systems through investments in alternative fuels, electrification, and green and digital shipping corridors.
We were especially proud that our PhD candidate Mengjia Dai won First Prize in the PhD Best Paper Competition with her work:
“Electricity Sourcing for Green Ports: A Markov Stackelberg Game Approach.”
A fantastic recognition of Mengjia’s work and, more broadly, of the importance of understanding the economic and strategic dimensions of the energy transition in ports.
Congratulations, Mengjia! A great achievement and a great way to conclude IAME 2026.
