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Rotate launches new compliance screening platform

Air cargo consultancy and data firm Rotate has launched a new compliance screening platform. Rotate said its new compliance platform will offer contextualised screening to screen parties against sanctions lists together with shipment descriptions, routings, and other attributes, delivering more accurate results and fewer false positives. The company added that the offering has been built around air cargo operational processes, combining live message streaming, due diligence workflows, and an interface built for cargo teams so checks can be completed efficiently. The company added that it would also have a leaner cost base to support competitive pricing and ongoing investment in new capabilities. Rotate chief executive Ryan Keyrouse said: "For years, Rotate has helped airlines make better commercial decisions through our market data, software, and strategy consulting. Compliance is a natural next step: it sits at the heart of every shipment, and cargo teams have told us clearly what they need from compliance software." The launch of the new compliance service follows Rotate's acquisition of Netherlands-based SaaS provider Pandora Intelligence earlier this year. Rotate has been rebuilding the software with a modernised tech stack and refreshed user interface, enabling additional compliance checks, process flows and a lower cost base. Rotate vice president and head of product Fabien Balouzet added: "We sat with compliance analysts and watched where their time went. Most of it went to proving a shipment wasn't a problem. Rotate Compliance is designed to give that time back by looking at every attribute of a shipment, not just a name on a sanctions list." Software testing is already underway with a major all-cargo carrier using real air waybill data to validate results. Looking at next steps, Rotate said the product roadmap included integration with cargo management systems and expansion beyond airlines to an offering for freight forwarders.

AI cargo moderation expected as growth slows

Demand growth for AI-related shipments is starting to slow down despite continued investment in the sector, according to Rotate. Speaking at the Air Cargo Forum in Miami, Ryan Keyrouse, chief executive of the air cargo consultancy and data firm, said that cloud computing exports from Asia Pacific tripled in 2025. However, demand and growth have since slowed and normalised. Monthly demand growth for this vertical began steadily rising in January 2025 and peaked at around 10% in the middle of last year but has since slowed. Meanwhile, total monthly cloud computing volumes peaked at just under 100,000 tonnes in April 2026, but as of August, the monthly total had fallen to around 85,000 tonnes. Kerouse said that there is a strong correlation between AI investment and air cargo volumes, but he questioned whether the recent slowdown in AI-related air cargo volumes means this correlation is beginning to weaken. Research presented by Roate shows that worldwide AI spend will hit $2.7trn this year and $3.6trn in 2027. "While there is this incredible rise (in AI cargo volumes), it is flattening out. The key question is what will happen next year. Spend correlates quite well with tonnage. Next year we're expected to invest more in CAPEX," said Keyrouse. Keyrouse added: "It's interesting, the dynamic where (AI) has been growing and slowing down, and investments in CAPEX were there, which would suggest continued growth. The real question is, will it continue?" He added: "This conflicts with the data which shows AI-related cargo slowing down and plateauing, though." There is good reason to be concerned about the growth sustainability of AI cargo, he said. Keyrouse said several people in the air cargo industry had raised whether "regulatory, capacity and energy issues" would contribute to a slowdown in the AI-market. While these question marks hang over the market, a survey carried out by Rotate shows that overall, the air cargo market remains positive for the outlook of AI-related volumes, even if the rate of growth does come down. Keyrouse said: "The majority of air cargo professionals believe that it will continue growing but it will be much more moderate than it has been." Rotate is also looking into where AI is growing. The majority of AI shipments out of Asia have been flown to the US, with the remainder spread evenly to the rest of the world. Production and transit hubs now include Singapore and Mexico, and data centre markets include India, Malaysia and Thailand. The next emerging AI-related region could be the Middle East as there are plans to open the "Stargate UAE" AI data centre, stated Keyrouse. Keyrouse added that cloud and AI, including cloud computing, computers and parts, and semiconductors, accounted for 33% of air cargo demand growth in January to July this year compared to the same period in 2024.

Singapore must look beyond the box to secure its logistics future

Dropping behind Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan in the global container port rankings, and seeing Malaysia's Port Klang and Port of Tanjung Pelepas nip at its heels should serve as a wake-up call for Singapore, in a changing competitive landscape for box trades For Singapore, this is about more than losing a place in a league table. It is an existential question asking whether a nation built on maritime trade can adapt to a world where supply chain control matters as much as moving containers. As Singapore spent years living off its geographical advantages, deepwater harbour and reputation for efficiency to guarantee continued dominance, its competitors have expanded their infrastructure, attracted manufacturing investment, and developed integrated logistics ecosystems. The danger now for Singapore is that it continues competing on volumes, while the market moves towards supply chain orchestration. How do the two differ? A transit port moves containers; a supply chain orchestrator helps determine where goods are sourced, stored, distributed, and financed, allowing it to capture greater economic value, even if cargo physically passes through another country. Part of the problem for Singapore with its nearest rival is that it simply cannot compete with Malaysia when it comes to land availability, meaning it should not focus on warehouses and distribution centres. Instead, it should tap into the long-held advantages it has in expertise, connectivity, technology, and managing complex regional supply chains. That means attracting multinational manufacturers, cargo owners, and third-party logistics providers, particularly those active in high-value sectors such as biopharma, semiconductors, and aerospace spares, thereby building on the island's existing strengths. And the objective should be keeping procurement, inventory management, supply chain finance, and regional logistics decisions in Singapore, even if the boxes end up elsewhere. All of this necessitates closer integration between sea, air, and land transport, back-up by digital systems giving businesses greater visibility and control. And if Singapore's transport infrastructure operates as a connected ecosystem, its compact geography could prove a further significant advantage. And the pending Tuas Port, with its planned capacity of 65m teu on full completion in the 2040s, will have a part to play, even if success cannot be judged by volume alone. With nearshoring, manufacturing diversification, and geopolitical disruption reshaping trade, uninterrupted container growth cannot be taken for granted. For this reason, Tuas should, instead, provide resilience, operational flexibility, and capacity to absorb sudden changes in trade flows. Investment in alternative marine fuels and emissions data could also attract shippers facing tougher sustainability requirements. But again, infrastructure is only half the equation. No commercially ambitious ecosystem? Then even the most automated port risks becoming little more than an efficient place to park containers. Government has a role to play in this. Yes, the Ministry of Transport's new Connectivity & Logistics division recognises the need to integrate maritime, aviation, and land transport, but creating a coordinating body will not automatically deliver the commercial agility needed to compete. Instead, the government must work to embed industry expertise in its strategy. Consultations have their place, but they cannot replace the practical intelligence of logistics providers, cargo owners, and technology companies. These businesses understand rising costs, unreliable corridors, and customers' needs. They should help develop and execute strategy, not simply comment on government proposals. Singapore's position is under pressure, but its future as a supply chain powerhouse is far from decided. In 1972, Singapore made a bold bet on containerisation by developing Tanjong Pagar. The infrastructure, expertise, and connectivity that emerged from that remain valuable assets. The challenge now is to turn them into a more ambitious commercial proposition. If '72 brought containerisation, '26 requires a similarly decisive shift: from moving boxes to orchestrating supply chains.