Ireland's Marine Internet of things to the fore at Digital Ocean Conference 2017

Enabling a connected ocean presents enormous opportunities for the Irish marine sector. Already an ICT hub, Ireland is fast becoming a global hub for the Blue Internet of the Things - 'IoT for the Sea'. The growing market opportunities Ireland has to offer in this area will be discussed at a major 'blue tech' conference, Digital Ocean, on 29th June 2017 at National University of Galway.

'Surrounded by the ocean, and already a global tech hub, Ireland has real capabilities across key enabling technologies required to drive blue tech innovation including nanotechnology, sensors, data analytics, robotics, communication technologies and advanced materials," said Dr. Edel O'Connor, Irish Maritime Development Office. "We also have a number of Irish companies providing world-class expertise and exporting in specialised areas of the marine sector such as data analytics, design and build of offshore vessels, offshore support services, marine electronics, engineering and other areas. Leveraging these critical factors, Ireland is poised to be at the forefront of IoT for the Sea, and with this in mind, we are bringing together the major players at the Digital Ocean event on 29 June in Galway."

International Speakers from Rolls Royce, Kongsberg Maritime, Saildrone, Wilhelmsen Group, Dell EMC, ASV Global and other global companies will be addressing the Digital Ocean event alongside indigenous blue tech success stories such as OpenHydro, Cathx Ocean, Eire Composites among others. The event is being organised by Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Irish Maritime Development Office, Marine Institute, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland.

This year's Digital Ocean conference will also feature a Trade Show on the grounds of NUI Galway that will mark the first gathering of a newly established Irish Marine Industry Network (IMIN). Led by industry and supported by Enterprise Ireland and the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO), the network will seek to position Ireland at the forefront of marine innovation through maximising collaboration and cross-sectoral opportunities. Over 60 organisations are already signed up to exhibit at the Marine Trade Show.

The Digital Ocean conference, which forms part of SeaFest 2017, will be relevant to organisations involved in offshore renewable energy, maritime monitoring and security, marine biotechnology, marine mining and exploration, offshore oil and gas, shipping, fisheries and aquaculture. Companies with technologies in areas such as data analytics, sensors, communications technologies, advanced materials, robotics and autonomy, will also learn about opportunities to target this sector as a new area for growing their business. For more information, see www.smartocean.ie/digital-ocean.

Now in its fourth year, the Our Ocean Wealth Summit, kindly sponsored by PwC Ireland, takes place on 30 June 2017 and will look at strategy, innovation and policy requirements to create a sustainable marine economy for Ireland. These ambitions are recognised in the Government's integrated plan for Ireland's marine sector, Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth, which aims to double the value of the marine economy's contribution to GDP by 2030. Attendance is relevant for business leaders across all sectors of the marine industry. See www.ouroceanwealth.ie.

ENDS

For more information, please contact:
Renate Murphy, CAMEO Communications, Tel: 086.8145462 Email: renate@cameo.ie