Southampton to Host Biggest Ocean Technology Event of the Year: Ocean Business 2017
Southampton will once again become the centre of the global ocean technology industry, as international visitors flock in their thousands to Ocean Business 2017; the world’s largest ocean technology taking place this year. This event will coincide with the launch of some of the most exciting sea technology devices yet which include robotic swimming snakes designed for subsea maintenance; high definition underwater drones; and optical reconstruction systems delivering underwater seascapes to virtual reality devices.
Taking place from Tuesday 4 to Thursday 6 April at Southampton’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC), the city will receive a small boost to its economy, with bars, restaurants and hotels filled with over 5000 of the show’s visitors coming in from 65 countries around the world – a truly international event.
Southampton as a Global Maritime City
Versha Carter, Group Director for Ocean Business, comments: “With the Solent’s world-renowned marine and maritime strengths, Southampton is the perfect setting to host this ocean technology exhibition that attract 350 of the world's top ocean technology companies to the show. These companies are high tech companies developing products and solutions for working in extreme ocean environments and together are enabling scientists and explorers to go in to deeper parts of the ocean that have never before been explored.
62% of these exhibiting companies are from outside of the UK
Our exhibitors enjoy coming to Southampton due to the strong maritime and naval history of the region. Some of them have even set up remote offices recognizing that Southampton is a city well suited for supporting maritime and ocean related businesses and acting as a gateway into Europe.
The shows organisers believe this year's Ocean Business will be one of the most exciting yet. Versha Carter continues, “There has been a vast leap in the progress of autonomous vehicles and robotic devices, both underwater and on the surface. Whether it’s discovering an ancient shipwreck, mapping unchartered waters, searching for sea mines, or conducting remote arctic research, devices are making it possible for us to understand the oceans like never before."
With 350 exhibitors at Ocean Business from over 26 different countries, almost every field of ocean technology is covered at the show. Here are some highlights:
Fareham-based ASV Sheds Light on the Mysteries of the Oceans with their Unmanned Surface Vehicles, Stand U4
Autonomous surface vehicles are revolutionising the way we gain access to information about the ocean. Currently we rely on large military, commercial, or scientific vessels with expensive equipment, but the introduction of autonomous surface vessels has made it possible to understand and capture processes with precision, more cost effectively and with a lower carbon footprint.
World renown Fareham-based ASV Global will be demonstrating their unmanned autonomous boat which will be following a pre-programmed route around the harbour to map the seabed, with live data and camera footage being fed back to the ASV stand.
Test Drive Underwater Drones at Deep Trekker, Stand G12
Aerial drones have been widely accepted in the consumer market, but there is still a huge amount of potential for their use in the underwater world for offshore inspections, and helping researchers and archeologists to easily navigate investigation sites remotely with live HD video.
In fact, Deep Trekker ‘DTG2’, has just completed a project for Parks Canada in the icy waters of Northern Canada to investigate the HMS Erebus; the ill-fated ship from the famous Sir John Franklin’s Northern Passage expedition of 1845.
Deep Trekker's drones will be available for test-piloting in a 200-gallon water tank on the Deep Trekker stand.
Robotic Swimming Snakes are the Future of Subsea Maintenance! Kongsberg Maritime and Eelume, Stands N1 & P2
Resembling robotic aliens from a sci-fi movie, Kongsberg Maritime and Eelume have developed snake-like swimming robots for permanent installation on the seabed.
The robots live on the seabed and can be used to remotely inspect and clean equipment, even adjusting valves and chokes on machinery. These jobs account for a large part of subsea maintenance and the robots could slash costs.
British-Engineered Mini Robotic Vehicles at Planet Ocean, Stand G12
There’s been much interest in the arrival of ‘micro-subs’. These mini underwater robotic vehicles are only 50cm long and their tiny size means they can be used in new ways. The micro-subs can be grouped together to form ‘shoals’ of micro-subs to collectively create a far superior 3D map of the underwater environment, quickly covering a much greater area.
Launch event planned for ecoSubs at midday on 4 April.
Remotely Operated Vehicles Map an Area the Size of Wales in just a Month! Ocean Infinity, Stand V5
Over half of our planet is yet to be explored; the oceans comprise 71% of the earth’s surface yet only 5% have been accurately mapped. Ocean Infinity will explore unknown depths using highly innovative technology. Six HUGIN autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), capable of operating in 6000 m water depth, will collect high resolution data at record breaking speeds.
The AUV fleet will be accompanied by six unmanned surface vehicles to ensure precise positioning and constant communication. Each AUV will include a variety of high tech sensors for mapping the ocean, while gathering valuable scientific information.
Opening up the World of Underwater Virtual Reality with ORUS 3D Optical Reconstruction at Comex, Stand E5F
Anyone can dive to the depths of the ocean and walk the seascape using ORUS 3D. It produces very high resolution 3D models of underwater sites using a multiple camera sensor. This contactless measurement technology is very useful for offshore and civil engineering, as well as environmental assessments, archaeology and defence as it is able to reproduce submillimetric detail.
Mounted on a remotely operated vehicle, it can work at any ocean depth and produces exceptionally high resolution models with texture and colour. These can then be viewed by screen or a VR device to allow people to walk around and inspect structures and seascapes as though they were there.
Understanding the Future of Our Oceans
With all the technology on offer and high-level meetings of key industry decision makers, this year's show provides an unmissable opportunity to understand the potential of ocean science and developments that are essential for our future. A full programme of activities is available at www.oceanbusiness.com for Ocean Business 2017, taking place at the NOC from 4-6 April.
Please call Emma Lee: 07702 150102 or email [email protected] for a press pass or to arrange filming, photos or interviews.
The Maritime Alliance Promotes Up and Coming US Blue Tech Companies at Ocean Business 2017
The Maritime Alliance (TMA) a non-profit industry association and organiser of the largest BlueTech cluster in the United States, has announced an unmissable series of presentations at Ocean Business 2017, which takes place at the NOC on 4-6 April 2017.
Greg Murphy, Executive Director of The Maritime Alliance confirms: “Each session will be presented by one of the 17 top 'US BlueTech Companies to watch in 2017' with the aim of creating international collaboration. These companies were selected to participate in this year’s cohort of the US Maritime Technology Export Initiative, a collaboration between TMA and the International Trade Administration (ITA), part of the US Department of Commerce.”
Cheri Arvonio, Ocean Business Event Manager, explains: “The growth of Ocean Business over the past 10 years has led to an increase of support from international pavilions. The TMA sessions are a fantastic opportunity for Ocean Business visitors to hear from up and coming US companies in a series of 15 minute seminars who will present case studies, information about their technologies and discuss opportunities for collaboration."
These top small US BlueTech companies have been selected to represent the US Maritime Technology Export Initiative for their innovative technologies and business potential. Each will be attending Ocean Business to build international collaboration and trade by creating partnerships with buyers and distributors in world markets. They have diverse technology backgrounds, including: aerial drones, ballast water, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), unmanned surface and underwater vehicles, vertical profiles and more.
BlueTech Company sessions on Wednesday 5 April, from 14.30 to 17.30:
- Aquabotix, which specialises in smart technology and viewing systems for ROVs
- Blue Robotics, which provides components for underwater robotic systems
- Assure Controls, with products and services to support ballast water compliance in shipping
- Del Mar Oceanographic, which produces the Wirewalker, a vertically profiling system powered by waves
- Marine Advanced Research, offering innovative unmanned surface vehicle technology to improve operational efficiency
- Plank Aerosystems, a developer of fully autonomous aerial drones for the commercial maritime industry
- XST, which provides insight into weather and oceanography conditions utilising Big Data Analytics to improve environmental forecasting.
The TMA seminars will take place in room G1 on the sixth floor; open to all Ocean Business visitors there is no need to register but you are advised to arrive early.
For the full programme of activities at the show and for FREE visitor registration, visit the website at www.oceanbusiness.com.
Ocean Business 2017 will be taking place at the NOC, Southampton, UK from 4 – 6 April 2017.