Mintra and MARINA sign MOU to Strengthen Digital Learning and Future Maritime Skills in the Philippines
(MANILA, PHILIPPINES, 25th June 2026) – Mintra has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Maritime Industry Authority of the Philippines (MARINA) to explore how digital learning and workforce management solutions can support the continued development of Filipino seafarers, maritime professionals and the wider maritime workforce.
Signed in Manila on the Day of the Seafarer, the strategic partnership establishes a framework to strengthen capability across the Philippine maritime industry. The Philippines supplies around 25% of the world’s merchant crews, making the development of a future-ready workforce increasingly important as the industry adapts to rapid change, including new fuels, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, cyber risk, evolving welfare expectations and more complex onboard operations.
The collaboration aims to support the development of practical, future-focused training that connects learning with the skills, behaviours and decision-making capabilities needed in today’s maritime environment.
Future activities may include digital learning initiatives, train-the-trainer programmes, access to maritime learning resources, and digital certification and competence tracking through Mintra’s Trainingportal platform. These capabilities will help strengthen visibility of workforce skills, support more effective compliance management and improve confidence that training records accurately reflect individual competence.
The partnership supports MARINA’s Maritime Industry Development Plan (MIDP), which focuses on strengthening the capability, competitiveness and long-term sustainability of the Philippine maritime industry. Through this collaboration, Mintra and MARINA will explore opportunities to advance maritime education and training, support workforce development, and leverage emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and data analytics, to address the evolving needs of the sector.
The collaboration will also explore opportunities to support a more inclusive maritime workforce, including initiatives that encourage greater participation and development opportunities for women in the industry.
Kevin Short, CEO of Mintra, commented:
“The maritime industry is undergoing significant change, and ensuring people have the right skills, knowledge and support will be critical to its future success. This collaboration provides Mintra and MARINA with an opportunity to explore how modern learning approaches and competence management can strengthen workforce capability, improve the connection between training and operational needs, and provide greater visibility of competence across the maritime workforce. We are proud to bring our maritime learning expertise, digital solutions and understanding of safety-critical industries to this important initiative.”
MARINA welcomes this partnership with Mintra as part of our continuing commitment to strengthening maritime human capital and ensuring that Filipino seafarers remain among the most competent and globally competitive maritime professionals in the world. This collaboration supports our wider commitment to advancing maritime education and training, enhancing employability, and preparing Filipino maritime professionals for the changing needs of the international fleet.
Mr Geir Michalsen, Charge d’Affaires of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila, stated:
“Norway and the Philippines share deep maritime ties. This MOU reflects the practical, international collaboration needed to address modern seafaring challenges across digitalisation, sustainability and workforce development.”
The implementation of the agreement will be overseen by a newly formed Joint Coordinating Committee, which will develop action plans, timelines and measurable outcomes for future initiatives.
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About Mintra
Mintra is a leading provider of digital learning and human capital management systems for safety-critical industries worldwide. Mintra develops and deploys software solutions that enable its clients to develop and deploy their people, readily demonstrate compliance and maximise operational efficiency.
Mintra’s Trainingportal learning and competency management system is certified to the ST-0595 Training Platform standard and plays a vital role in supporting 2.8 million workers and 4,000 companies. Mintra offers an extensive portfolio of training courses tailored to the maritime and energy sectors, encompassing over 2,600 titles and, as a multi-approved training provider, issues certificates for the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA), OPITO, DNV, ECITB, IOSH, ClassNK and The Nautical Institute. For more than four decades, OCS HR, Mintra’s crew management system, has streamlined the planning and administration of seafarers worldwide.
Originating in Oslo in 1997, Mintra’s strategic growth has seen the incorporation of OnSoft Computer Systems (OCS) in 2016, Atlas Knowledge in 2018, Safebridge in 2021, Seably in 2023 and Moxie Media in 2025. Mintra’s skilled team exceeds 200 specialists in consulting, design, development, and support, operates from their headquarters in Bergen, with offices spanning Oslo, Stavanger, Aberdeen, Gothenburg, Limassol and New Orleans. This geographic distribution ideally positions Mintra to address the training, HR, payroll, and workforce management requirements of the maritime and energy sectors on a global scale. The Maritime sector has become a significant focus, currently serving close to 15,000 vessels through Mintra’s solutions.
Mintra is a DNV-ST-0029 approved Maritime Training Provider and certified by DNV to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). Associate member of Intertanko, Mintra holds a range of prestigious memberships, including OEUK (Offshore Energies UK), the Martime Safety Forum and Step Change In Safety in the UK, WISTA (Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association) in the UK and Norway and YoungShip in Cyprus and Norway. Mintra is pre-qualified for buyers by SEQual, Magnet JQS and both Achilles Oil & Gas Europe Community and Utilities Nordic & Central Europe (UNCE).
To learn more, please visit www.mintra.com.
