Aziz Amirali Hasham Merchant

Adjunct Professor

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Biography

Adjunct Professor Aziz Merchant, is a leading international ship & offshore designer and expert. He obtained his Master for Science (MSc) in Naval Architecture from University College London and Bachelor of Engineering (First Class) in Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering from University of Glasgow. He has also attended the General Management Program (GMP) at Harvard Business School. He has over 25 years’ extensive design & engineering experience of worldwide offshore oil & gas development, floating infrastructure, marine vessels & renewable energy.

He is, currently, the Executive Director of  Keppel Marine & Deepwater Technology Pte Ltd which is the technology arm of Keppel Offshore and Marine which specialize in deepwater offshore designs, LNG ship designs, specialised ship designs, renewable offshore platforms, floating infrasture, marine support & maintenance vessels.

He is also an Adjunct Professor at the National University of Singapore since 2014. He was the industry PI as well as the Co- Chairman of the Steering Committee for the Keppel-NUS Corporate Laboratory formed in 2014. Under Keppel-NUS Corporate Laboratory, researchers benefit from his guidance to develop novel concepts and technology which yield commercialization potential especially in industries where Keppel has presence in. He also encourages researchers to apply new capabilities, concepts and technology across different fields to raise the bar of research and development cross-industries.

He has about 115 international scientific patents granted or filed under his name.

Prof. Aziz (Team Leader) & his team were one of the winners for the: The Institution of Engineers, Singapore – “Engineering a First World – 50 Feats that Transformed Singapore’ Award in 2016, chosen by the public on engineering projects which had made the greatest economic, infrastructural or societal impact to Singapore from 1965 to 2015.

In April 2018, Aziz Merchant was appointed as the industry PI for the Keppel – TCOMS (Technology Centre for Offshore & Marine, Singapore) joint Research Laboratory focusing on research in the areas of digitalization, future offshore system & autonomous vessel.  TCOMS is a joint venture between NUS & A*STAR.

He is also a member of the President Technology Award selection committee since 2015.

He has also been recognized by industries for his unwavering drive for innovation. He received the Singapore Maritime Port Authority (MPA) Outstanding Maritime R&D & Technology Award in 2008 &  2015 and the Institute of Engineers Singapore Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards 2009, 2013, 2016 & 2018. He has also received the ASEAN Outstanding Engineering Achievement Awards in 2009 & 2018.

Qualifications

  • MSc in Naval Architecture (1993), University College London, England
  • BEng (First Class, 1992), University of Glasgow, Scotland
  • Diploma in General Management Programme (2011), Harvard Business School
  • Diploma in Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (Gold Medalist), Ngee Ann Polytechnic, 1990
  • Fellow, Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers Singapore
  • Fellow, The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology, UK
  • Fellow of the The Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA), UK
  • Chartered Engineer, The Engineering Council, UK
  • Chartered Marine Engineer, UK
  • Senior Member, The Institution of Engineers Singapore

Honours & Awards

  • Institute of Engineers Singapore Prestigious Engineering Awards for a Low Motion Semi-Submersible (LMS) Design Development in 2018
  • Institute of Engineers, 50 Engineering Feats @ IES-SG50 Award in 2016
  • The Singapore Maritime Port Authority (MPA) Outstanding Maritime R&D and Technology Award in 2015.
  • Institute of Engineers Singapore Prestigious Engineering Awards in Sep for a Harsh Environment Accommodation Semi-Submersible Design in 2013
  • Ngee Ann Polytechnic Alumni Award 2013 (Professional Category)
  • Keppel Innovation Gold & Silver Award 2013
  • Institute of Engineers Singapore Prestigious Engineering Awards for SSDT Semi-Submersible Design in 2009
  • ASEAN Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award for SSDT Semi-Submersible in 2009.
  • Archibald Denny Prize, for distinction in Final Year Studies at University of Glassgow in 1992
  • Reid Birrell Prize, for distinction in Third Year Studies at University of Glassgow in 1992
  • Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Gold Medal (Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore) in 1990
  • Far East Levingston Shipbuilding Book Prize in 1990
  • Society of Naval Architects & Marine Engineers, Singapore, Book Prize in 1990

Professional Activities

  • Member, NUS Civil & Environmental Engineering Department Consultative Committee since 2016
  • Member, President Technology Award Selection Committee since 2015
  • Member, Ngee Ann Polytechnic Engineering Advisory Committee since Nov 2018
  • Member, Newcastle University Industrial Advisory Board since 2016
  • Member, International Advisory Panel on Maritime Decarbonisation (2020)
  • Member, Singapore Maritime Institute Technology Advisory Panel (2022)
  • Member, American Bureau of Shipping South East Asia Technical Committee since 2004
  • Member, American Bureau of Shipping member since Nov 2011.
  • Member, Lloyd’s Register Offshore Technical Committee since May 2013
  • Member, Singapore National Committee (NMC) for ISO TC 67/SC 7 Offshore Structures since 2014.
  • Member, Keppel NUS Corporate Laboratory Steering Committee member
  • Member, MPA Maritime Autonomous Ships Steering Committee
  • Member, Maritime Port Authority MINT Fund Committee from 2016 to 2018
  • Member, Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Marine and Offshore Technology Advisory Committee from May 2009 to Oct 2018.
  • Member, Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Department’s Advisory Committee member from Apr 1995 to Aug 1998.
  • External Examiner for Diploma in Marine & Offshore Technology Course of Ngee Ann Polytechnic from Sept 2001 to Aug 2003.
  • Member, Bureau Veritas’ Southeast Asia Technical Committee from Oct 2004 to Sep 2007.
  • The Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review (ASPIRE) committee member in 2014
  • The Skills Future Council member chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in 2015/2016
  • Institue of Education Quality Assurance Framework (IQAF) – External Review Panel since 2015
  • MENDAKI Future Ready Committee Deputy Chairman from 2016 to 2018
  • National Supercomputing Centre Singapore (NSCC) Steering Committee member since 2016
  • A*Star Future of Manufacturing Steering Committee member in 2016/2017

Teaching Areas

  • Offshore Engineering
  • Design and Analysis of Floating Infrastructure & Renewable
  • Design and Analysis of Offshore & Marine Structures

Research Interest

  • Marine Hydrodynamics & Structures
  • Novel application of Floating Infrastructure creating livable space at sea & for coastal protection
  • Renewable & Clean Energy
  • Autonomous Shipping

Invention Disclosures & Patents

  1. Apparatus and Method for Flange-Pipe Alignment (SG Patent: 201301125)
  2. Climbing ROBOT with Surface Transition and End-To-End welding capabilities for confined-space applications, with NUS (Patent filed in 2017)
  3. Ladder Lift Systems (SG Patent: 2013011259)
  4. Wall Climbing ROBOT with Passive Suction Cups, with NUS (Patent filed in 2017)
  5. A Semi-Submersible Platform with a Movable Submersible Platform (US Patent: US2014/037367)
  6. Semi-Submersible Integrated Port (US Patent: US2015/0251728)
  7. A System for Coupling Two Floating Structures (US Patent: US2015/0307159)
  8. Integrated Heavy Lift and Logistics Vessel (IHLLV) (US Patent: US2016/0016642)
  9. A Triple Activity System for Drilling Operations (US Patent: US2016/0053558)
  10. A Rapid Transition Semi-Submersible (SMART Semi) (US Patent: US2016/0147229)
  11. A Submersible Vessel for Dry Docking Vessel (Patent filed in 2014)
  12. A Vessel Having a Retractable Cursor Frame Assembly (Patent filed in 2015)
  13. An Arrangement of Cyrogenic Containers for LNG or CNG on a Deck of a Tugboat (Patent filed in 2016)
  14. Drilling Tender Unit (Patent filed in 2016)
  15. Pipe-Like Appendage for Pontoon Structure (Patent filed in 2016)
  16. Low Motion Semi-Submersible (Patent filed in 2016)
  17. Super E-Column on Semi-Submersible Vessel (Patent filed in 2016)
  18. Subsea ROV Hub (Patent filed in 2017)
  19. Cold Energy Recovery Apparatus for a Self-Powered Data Centre (Patent filed in 2017)
  20. Extended Semi-Submersible Vessel (ESEMI) (US Patent: US7156040)