Ireland Showcases Marine Technology at Oceanology Exhibition, London
World class dive lights for subsea robotic vehicles, gaming software for subsea training and next generation ocean monitoring technologies are among the displays featured on Ireland’s stand at the “Oi12 - Oceanology International” exhibition this week in London.
The Ireland SmartOcean Pavilion (located at stand M500), sponsored by the Irish Marine Institute is showcasing a range of products and services on offer in the rapidly expanding Irish Marine Technology sector. Exhibitors represent a range of cross sector interest within Ireland’s growing SmartOcean Cluster. A key goal of the cluster is to develop a new Marine/Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector that brings together a strong and vibrant ICT sector with new and existing Marine related sectors.
“Ireland has come a long way in the last 10 years in the development of the marine technological expertise we have today,” said Dr. Peter Heffernan, CEO of the Marine Institute. “Thanks to our unique geographical position as a gateway to the North Atlantic, to visionary Irish entrepreneurs with the courage to invest in this sector and to strategic thinking that recognised the value of our 220 million acre seabed resource, Ireland is well positioned to emerge as a credible player in the area of Marine ICT.”
The SmartOcean stand showcases Ireland’s fast-growing marine technology sector with displays by Cathx Ocean, Technology from Ideas, SonarSim Ltd, Techworks Marine, JFC Manufacturing, P&O Maritime Services - who manage Ireland’s national research vessel fleet, INFOMAR the Irish strategic National Seabed Survey by the Geological Survey of Ireland and Marine Institute, and a display by members the Marine Institute Research Vessel Operations team.
Oceanology 2012 also marks the first official exhibition for SmartBay Ireland Ltd., recently established as an International Test and Demonstration Platform for the Marine/ICT sector. The platform facilitates a range of enterprise and research value based activities from the testing of sensors in the ocean to the development of innovative decision-based management tools. It is another step in the creation of a public private eco-system designed to encourage research and create new enterprise. Oceanology 2012 offers the opportunity to broaden that eco-system to the other countries that border the North Atlantic through new and existing programs of collaboration.
The Irish Pavilion invites visitors to explore “the Real Map of Ireland” from its rich inshore waters to the abyssal deeps beyond the continental shelf. It is an invitation to discuss the possibilities of future collaboration on the North Atlantic with those researchers and entrepreneurs that are committed to its sustainable development.
Financial support for the cost of the event is being provided via the Marine Research Sub-Programme of the National Development Plan 2007-2013.
Ends.
For more information contact Lisa Fitzpatrick, Marine Institute on 087 2250871 or 091387200.
Notes to Editor
About SmartOcean – Harnessing Ireland’s Potential as a European and Global Centre for Marine ICT
Ireland’s SmartOcean Cluster comprises over 50 companies working with research centres and public agencies developing ICT enabled decision support tools for the Global Marine Sector. Key markets include newly emerging niche areas (e.g. marine renewable energy, environmental monitoring, water management) as well as established markets (e.g. oil and gas, aquaculture, maritime transport, tourism, coastal erosion etc.)
About SmartBay Ireland
SmartBay Ireland is an International Test and Demonstration Platform to support the research and development of innovative solutions for the Marine/ICT sector. The platform facilitates a range of value based activities from the testing of sensors in the ocean to the development of innovative decision-based management tools. It provides access to other infrastructure allowing the development of solutions within the Ocean Energy, Environment, Shipping, Aquaculture, Logistics, and Security sectors.
The SmartBay facility comprises a backbone of commercially available technology solutions, including a network of buoys, sensor hardware and telemetry systems within which new technologies can be validated. SmartBay is used to test novel approaches to distributed sensing, communication, and information management in a real world marine environment.
This national facility is designed to enable companies and research groups to test a diverse range of new marine technologies and solutions. The facility currently supports research in advanced water management, underwater acoustics, high bandwidth marine communications, and sensor applications.