Oceanology International Americas 2019: ocean science and technology conference and exhibition
The Oceanology International Americas 2019 (OiA ‘19) ocean science and technology conference and exhibition starts today and promises to deliver the most comprehensive program of expert papers on key industry topics from sustainability to robotics. Taking place in the San Diego Convention Center, 25-27 February 2019, OiA ‘19 is also the 50th anniversary event for the Oceanology International series.
While Oi’s half-century heritage will be eulogised on Wednesday, 27 February with a special anniversary celebration event on the exhibition floor – with six ocean science and technology community leaders highlighting major breakthroughs from the last five decades – the emphasis in San Diego will be on innovations and concepts which will help to shape the next half-century of ocean space advancements.
“Thanks to the open, informative and collaborative environment which Oi has always fostered, attendees don’t just bear witness to ocean science history, but in many ways can also assist in the creation of future landmark initiatives,” says Exhibition Director, Jonathan Heastie. “A staggering number of concepts and revelations pass back and forth between the show floor and the conference rooms. The consequent cross-pollination regularly leads to new business relationships which stimulate technical creativity, encourage fresh lines of inquiry and generate vital funding, all of which sustains the ocean science and technology community as a whole.”
With around 200 exhibitors set to present their products and services – an increase of roughly 15% over the figure of 170 for the inaugural OiA event in San Diego in 2017 – OiA ’19 will see the addition of a second hall to accommodate the additional stands. Long-term, high-profile Oi front-runners including Kongsberg Maritime, Saab, EdgeTech, Swift Engineering, Novacarti, Sensor Technology and Tecnadyne will be rubbing shoulders with comparatively recent exhibitors such as full service product development company Igloo Innovations, scientific equipment supplier Blueprint Lab, swarm intelligence specialist Apium (all showcased within OiA ‘19’s Future Tech Hub) and multi-GNSS/inertial test and simulation systems provider Spirent, with the latter firm making its Oi debut at the 2019 San Diego event.
If the profusion of global suppliers promises to introduce an expected 2,750 attendees from across the Americas to the most meaningful up-to-the-minute schemes, product launches and live demonstrations in sectors including aquaculture, maritime security, acoustics and offshore energy, then the OiA ’19 conference strand simply reinforces this abundance of insights and information, with a packed programme defined by its diversity.
Two one-day events within the conference schedule are eagerly-anticipated highlights, beginning with the Ocean Futures Forum (Monday, 25 February), dedicated to a consideration of the technological developments needed to secure the viability of offshore industries and, in the bigger picture, the sustainability of the world’s oceans. This event is followed in turn by Catch The Next Wave: Frontiers of Exploration (Tuesday, 26 February), which brings the interdependence of exploration and technology to vivid life with speaker pairings explaining the self-perpetuating cycle of necessity and breakthrough which enables each discipline to forge ever forward.
Elsewhere, a series of in-depth technical tracks on the topics of Navigation & Positioning; Unmanned Vehicles, Vessels & Robotics; Hydrography, Geophysics & Geotechnics; Observation & Sensing; Marine Pollution & Environmental Stressors; and Ocean ICT will see a generous array of expert speakers imparting their knowledge regarding the most current findings in subjects ranging from marine autonomous systems to the monitoring of ocean and atmospheric physics.
The 2019 Careers Day on Wednesday, 27 February, meanwhile, will give the prospective ocean scientists and thought leaders of the future an opportunity to receive indispensable advice from young professionals and influential associations within the maritime industry.
“Set against a thought-provoking and powerfully evocative backdrop of highlights from Oi’s successful half-century, the event organisers have still covered all the bases in terms of showcasing clear pointers as to where the ocean science community is heading,” remarks Jonathan Heastie. “With such a wealth of rewarding content and networking possibilities, OiA ’19 substantially raises the value bar for attendees, and we would strongly recommend that any interested parties who haven’t yet registered to attend waste no time in remedying the situation. We look forward to seeing you there!”
To register for OiA ‘19, visit http://www.oceanologyinternationalamericas.com/.
