NEWS ROOM
       
   

10 October 2005

WMTC 2006 – THE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

Today (Monday 10 October) sees the launch of the major conference programme for the World Maritime Technology Conference (WMTC 2006) being organised by the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) in partnership with 24 of the world’s key maritime organisations, and held in London’s Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, 6-10 March 2006.

With keynote speakers of great distinction in both plenary and streamed sessions including:

  • Commissioner Joe Borg – Directorate-General for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, European Commission
  • Vice Admiral Conrad C Lautenbacher Jr – Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator
  • Admiral Robert E Kramek – President and Chief Operating Officer, American Bureau of Shipping
  • Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, First Sea Lord (designate) UK
  • Sir David King, the UK Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser

and ten streamed sessions – four of which are well-established events in their own right - dealing with:

  • Marine engineering systems (10 TH ICMES 2006)
  • Commercial shipping
  • Naval engineering (8 th INEC 2006)
  • Offshore oil and gas
  • Underwater vehicles (2 nd ATUV) 2006
  • Marine renewable energy (4 th MAREC 2006)
  • EEZ management
  • Coast and ocean mapping
  • Operational oceanography
  • Reefs of the world
  • - and the innovation hour each lunchtime

WMTC 2006 is set to attract up to 1500 delegates from all over the world, and will make its mark by virtue of the depth, scope and range of its technical programme and the outstanding networking and business promotion opportunities its wider agenda of networking events and exhibition provides.

It is the second conference in the triennial WMTC series and follows on from the highly successful inaugural conference organised by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) in San Francisco in 2003, which was attended by 750 high-level delegates drawn by a wealth of technical papers split into six streams over three days. Organised in partnership with 24 of the world’s leading marine organisations, the series was conceived as a response to the perceived need for a single global forum that comprehensively tackles the technical and business topics affecting the maritime industry.

By inviting IMarEST to host WMTC 2006, after a competition with other societies, the WMTC International Steering Committee has given a vote of confidence in the Institute’s aims and ambitions to deliver the scientific development of marine engineering, science and technology to a worldwide audience.

Sponsored by ALSTOM, Inmarsat, Lloyd’s Register, P&O Cruises and Rolls-Royce, this is probably the most ambitious and far ranging maritime conference ever held in the UK. Taking as its theme ‘maritime innovation – delivering global solutions’ WMTC 2006 aims to give a wake-up call on the maritime challenges facing governments and decision makers across the world. There can be no better place than Westminster, within a few hundred yards of the Houses of Parliament, for IMarEST to build on the success of the first WMTC.

London ’s key role

The key role London plays in the maritime scene is undisputed:

  • 1750 maritime companies / organisations are London-based – including the International Maritime Organization and the Baltic Exchange
  • Eight of the 13 P&I (Protection & Indemnity) Clubs insure 90% of the world’s tonnage
  • English law is used or many multi-national contracts
  • Overseas earnings of UK maritime services - £2.2bn (2002)
  • 20% of the world’s fleet managed from the UK
  • London ship brokers handle 50% of tanker and ~35% of all dry cargo charter business
  • 15-20% of shipping finance is written by UK banks

WMTC 2006 will capitalise on this role. It is an ambitious venture designed to promote integrated solutions to industry-wide issues while assessing the impact on global economies now and in the future.

More than a conference

WMTC 2006 features an exhibition set to attract up to a hundred exhibiting companies; a programme of industrial visits; and a full social and networking programme, which culminates in the 103 rd IMarEST Annual Dinner at which the guest speaker will The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor of The City of London, Alderman David Brewer CMG.

Spreading the net

As an indication of its importance to the maritime community, next March’s event has also attracted meetings of the CIMAC (the International Council on Combustion Engines) Circle, and of MERSEA.

CIMAC is a worldwide non-profit association consisting of national member associations, national member groups and corporate members in 20 countries in America, Asia and Europe. It brings together manufacturers of diesel engines and gas turbines, users such as shipowners, utilities and rail operators and also suppliers, oil companies, classification societies and scientists.

The strategic objective of the MERSEA integrated project is to provide an integrated service of global and regional ocean monitoring and forecasting to intermediate users and policy makers in support of safe and efficient offshore activities, environmental security, and sustainable use of marine resources. The system to be developed will be a key component of the Ocean and Marine services element of GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security).

Further information

Further information on all aspects of WMTC 2006 is available on the regularly updated website at www.wmtc2006.com and from the Events Department, IMarEST, 80 Coleman Street, London EC2R 5BJ, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 7382 2655; Fax: +44 (0)20 7382 2667; Email: events@wmtc2006.com