Oceanology International 2016 Two Weeks to Go

Oceanology International (OI2016), the world’s largest marine science and ocean technology exhibition and conference opens in two weeks’ time at ExCeL London (15-17 March). Online registration is open at www.oceanologyinternational.com – the three day event is free to attend for all with relevant business/professional interests.

The facts and figures associated with the biennial event speak for themselves:

•Exhibition: The largest OI in its 47 year history – more than 520 exhibiting companies from 33 countries filling over 8,500m2 of stand space. There are Canadian, French, German, Irish, Dutch and US national group stands at OI 2016; and individual exhibitors come from 32 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UAE, UK and the USA. Together they take up over 8,500 m2 of stand space making OI 2016 the largest ever held in its 47-year history. In 2014 there were 520+ exhibiting companies and total attendance over the three days of over 8,400 industry professionals.

•11 vessels ranging in length from 12.5m to 53m on display in the Royal Victoria Dock, literally outside the exhibition hall. Some will be demonstrating equipment; others will be used for receptions and staging exhibits of equipment

•Waterborne demonstrations of equipment throughout the three days by four companies

•Conference: the largest in OI’s history.

The OI2016 Conference features 10 streams and over a hundred speakers

•Aquaculture

•Green shipping (looking primarily at invasive species)

•Handling big data

•Hydrography, Geophysics and Geotechnics

•Marine renewables

•Marine technology and services sector role in the Blue Economy

•Monitoring structural integrity understanding risk and reliability

•Oil & Gas: What’s next for ageing offshore assets?

•Positioning & metrology

•Unmanned vehicles and vessels showcase

Additionally in the Trade & Innovation Theatre on the exhibition floor

•Clusters, Collaboration and a common blue voice

•Oiltech: ‘Meet the Investor’ seminar

•Open Ocean & Coastal Observation Workshop

•Near and Far Market Trading: UK, France, Scotland, USA, Ireland, Canada, Australia

•New Products Showcase

A range of special seminars and workshops organized by exhibitors/supporting organizations in the South Gallery Rooms including:

•XPRIZE Workshop: Design a Prize – the “Blue Button Challenge”

•Technology Cluster Workshop

•National Oceanography Centre’s series of presentations and networking events

•IMCA Shared vehicle-borne sensor for ROV and offshore survey applications workshop

•ALSEAMAR’s conference (with Total) on the SeaExplorer glider with hydrocarbon sensor

•And the OI2016 Careers Day on 17 March organized in association with the Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) and the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST)

Networking: the OI2016 OceanSocial program provides plenty of networking opportunities

Conference on the eve of OI2016

Even before OI2016 opens, the Catch the Next Wave Conference will be held the day before at the Royal Institution on 14 March. The event takes a longer term view of the capabilities that will shape our future ability to explore, understand, exploit and protect the oceans.

The objective is to stimulate creative thinking in areas such as artificial intelligence, autonomous inspection and coordination of multiple robotic vehicles and for delegates to leave the conference buzzing with new ideas that will lead to new research and business opportunities.

OI 2016 is staged in partnership with the SUT and with The Hydrographic Society UK; the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (IMarEST); the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA); the Marine Technology Society (MTS); and the Society of Maritime Industries (SMI) as endorsing organizations.