Leading experts and professionals from the ocean science and marine technology communities are preparing to gather in California when the successful Oceanology International brand makes its debut in the U.S. in February 2017.
Oceanology International North America (OINA) will launch at the San Diego Convention Center, featuring a high-quality and diverse exhibitor line-up and conference speaker program which indicate the 2017 event will the first of an exciting new biennial series for the sector.
Based on the leading Oceanology International event in London, OINA will capture the full breadth of the marine science and ocean technology industries and provide an international exhibition and conference in the world’s largest marine technology market, North America.
The event will focus on key issues for this significant region, the Americas and globally, in order to establish itself as a must-attend forum for thousands of industry, academia and government professionals looking to share knowledge in order to improve their strategies for measuring, advancing, protecting and operating in the world’s oceans.
Ralph Rayner, US IOOS Industry Liaison, NOAA, and Co-Chair, Partnership for Observation of the Global Oceans Industry Liaison Council, will open the OINA conference program. He said: “The OI exhibition and conference is your opportunity to connect with the latest developments. Whether you are a technologist seeking to understand new applications; a scientist seeking to better understand the latest technological tools to support your research; or the representative of an industry that requires ocean data and information to support its business needs, the Oceanology International exhibition and conference will connect you with new ideas, new solutions and new opportunities.”
The new North American event is organized by Reed Exhibitions in association with The Maritime Alliance (TMA) and is supported by a wide range of leading industry organizations including The Society for Underwater Technology (SUT), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST), National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) and Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS).
As the world’s largest exhibition and conference for the ocean science and marine technology community, the flagship Oceanology International event in London already has a prominent position in the sector. After it was established in 1969, the first Oceanology International was held in Brighton in 1970 and the popular event now has its home at London’s ExCeL centre. The OI 2016 exhibition was the largest ever in the show’s history with over 8,500 square meters occupied by 520 exhibiting companies from 33 countries. The instigation of the North American event will build on the successful 47-year history of OI London as well as OI China, now in its fifth year.
Event Director, Jonathan Heastie of Reed Exhibitions, said: “The OINA conference and exhibition will place the spotlight on world-class technology and research projects, offering a broad mix of learning, networking and purchasing opportunities all under a single roof. The quality and sheer diversity of our partners, conference committee members, speakers and exhibitors position OINA as the most complete event encompassing all aspects of ocean science and marine technology in the US.”
Multi-track conference
OINA 2017 will feature a multi-track conference encompassing the core topics of relevance to the ocean science and marine technology community.
An opening plenary will set the scene for three keynote sessions, ‘Ocean Resources’, ‘Transportation and Security’ and ‘Climate and Environment’, during which distinguished leaders from science, industry and government will describe the characteristics of the Blue Economy, the science and technologies that enable ocean activities and the imperatives for protection of the marine environment.
A series of five topical technical sessions will run across the three days exploring the latest developments in ocean science and technology and their application in support of safe and sustainable use of the ocean and the protection of the marine environment. The topics are ‘Big Data, Visualization and Modeling’, ‘Hydrography, Geophysics and Geotechnics’, ‘Sensors and Instrumentation’, ‘Unmanned Vehicles and Vessels’ and ‘Communications and Navigation’.
Also included in the main conference program, topical sessions organized by The Maritime Alliance, will delve into opportunities in aquaculture, biomarine, biomimicry, maritime security and port and maritime operations.
The final day of the program will look to the future with the fourth edition of the Catch the Next Wave (CTNW) conference track, delivered in association with the world-renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography, which will take a longer term view of the science and technology that will shape future exploration, understanding, development and protection of the oceans.
The special CTNW edition will also honor the achievements of Scripps Institution of Oceanography oceanographer Walter Munk as he approaches his 100th birthday and as he continues to contribute to the future direction of ocean science and technology. In keeping with past CTNW conferences, the focus will be on where some of the many aspects of ocean science that Walter has worked on in his long and distinguished career are heading, and how diverse technological innovations, including emerging robotic technologies and the latest developments in machine learning and autonomy, might contribute to progress. As always, the aim is to explore some examples of the trajectory of technological innovation outside of the ocean community with the objective of sparking new ideas across disciplines and sectors.
Expert panelists secured to discuss the keynote topics include leading industry names and experts. Chaired by Ralph Rayner, the ‘Ocean Resources’ line-up consists of Randall Luthi, President, National Ocean Industries Association; Carolyn Heeps, Development Strategy Manager, RES Offshore; David Kelly, Chief Technology Officer, InnovaSea; Tiago Pitta e Cunha, Executive Director, Oceano Azul Foundation, Portugal. They will consider the trends in future use of living and non-living ocean resources and the ocean science and technology needs these will drive.
The ‘Transportation and Security’ panel, chaired by Michael Jones, President, TMA and TMA Foundation, will consider the emerging developments in transportation and the associated ocean science and technology requirements, with particular attention on emerging environmental regulations affecting ports and shipping, the future large scale use of autonomous vessels and the challenges associated with safe and secure maritime operations. Providing the insight will be Dr Stephen Russell, Director of Science and Technology, CTO, SPAWAR; Jacy McFadyen, Vice President Ship Intelligence, Rolls-Royce; Rear Admiral Pat DeQuattro, USCG Deputy Pacific Area Commander Coast Guard; Dr Noel Hacegaba, Chief Commercial Officer, Port of Long Beach.
The third keynote session, ‘Climate and Environment’, is chaired by Zdenka Willis, Director, U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) Program, with input from Russell Callender, Assistant Administrator, NOAA’s National Ocean Service; Tim Gallaudet, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral – Oceanographer for the Navy and Climate task force; Stephen Weisberg, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project; Andreas Andersson, Assistant Professor of Oceanography – Geoscience Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography; Jason Giffen, Assistant Vice President, Port of San Diego. This panel will consider present and future threats to coastal communities and the ocean environment.
Panel chair Zdenka Willis said: “The variety of the conference program will appeal to a broad audience. I really enjoy walking the exhibit floor to see the new ocean observing innovations and the new companies. The panels are loaded with leaders in their field and I am looking forward to robust discussions. The technical tracks let you quickly understand the state of play in a theme area.”
Extensive exhibition
In line with the established OI London event, the North American conference will be supported by an extensive industry exhibition. Booths from some of the biggest names in ocean science and marine technology from the US and across the world will present a glimpse into the next generation of products and solutions designed to support both research and industry.
Exhibitors, including major players from the US and Europe such as iXblue, Teledyne, Hydroid, Xylem, Fugro and KONGSBERG, will present their latest technology, which has been developed specifically for measuring, advancing, protecting and advancing the world’s oceans.
Additional features at OINA include a Careers Day on Thursday attended by high school and college students who are considering embarking on degrees in marine science and technology, or looking for a career in the marine industry. The program will introduce alternative career paths available within the marine sector, share details of exciting emerging projects taking place in the industry and provide guidance on how and where to look for jobs.
There will also be an Investment, Trade and Innovation Theater and a number of OceanSocial networking events throughout the week.
The OINA Conference and CTNW Committees comprise of experts from leading organizations, including representatives from Institute for Ocean Research Enterprise, Ocean Networks Canada Innovation Centre, TMA, U.S. IOOS® Program, The SUT, Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology and other industry consultants. The CTNW Conference Committee comprises of representatives from BMT Group, Oceaneering International, BP, Just Innovation, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Center for Marine Robotics, The XPRIZE Foundation and The Explorers Club.
The diverse OINA three-day program takes place at the San Diego Convention Center from February 14th to 16th 2017. Visit the OINA website for more information and to register. For further information, please contact:
Hannah Cox
Senior Marketing Executive, Energy & Marine Group
Reed Exhibitions
Tel: +44 (0)20 8910 7007
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Jules Riegal
Saltwater Stone
Tel: +44 (0)1202 669244
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