28 February 2006

SHIPPING MINISTER TO SPEAK AT WMTC 2006

Dr Stephen Ladyman MP, the UK’s Minister of State for Transport will be addressing international delegates early next month at the largest maritime event of its kind to be held in London - the World Maritime Technology Conference (WMTC 2006).

WMTC 2006, with its theme ‘Maritime innovation – delivering global solutions’ is being held 6-10 March at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Westminster, London within just a few hundred yards of the Houses of Parliament; and Dr Layman will be speaking in the closing plenary session on Thursday 9 March.

“We are delighted to hear that one of the topics the shipping minister will be covering will be the UK’s involvement at IMO on E-Navigation” says Keith Read CBE, Chief Executive of The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) who is hosting and organising the event, which is being held in partnership with 24 of the key maritime organisations from around the world. “We can, therefore, look forward to some highly topical remarks – it’s a fine and positive way to end this major maritime conference, and apt that a government minister should join us when the event is being held so close to the seat of power.

“E-Navigation will help reduce navigational accidents, errors and failures by developing standards for an accurate and cost effective system that would make a major contribution to the IMO’s agenda of ‘safe, secure and efficient shipping on clean oceans’. The plan to add E-Navigation to the work programme of IMO’s Sub-Committee on Safety of Navigation (NAV) and also to that on Radiocommunications and Search and Rescue (COMSAR) was submitted to IMO by Japan, Marshall Islands, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, the UK and the USA in December 2005. I know that our members around the world, and delegates at WMTC, will be interested in developments on this front as many of them, like the co-sponsors of the submission, believe the time is right to develop a coherent E-Navigation policy to embrace the ever-growing and complex set of technological aids which already exist.”

Impressive line up

Dr Ladyman joins an impressive line up at WMTC 2006. It will be opened during the afternoon of 6 March by HRH Prince Philip The Duke of Edinburgh, an Honorary Fellow of IMarEST, who will deliver the keynote opening address. This will be followed by keynote addresses from:

• Efthimios Mitropoulos, Secretary General, International Maritime Organization – ‘Key issues in global shipping’
• Commissioner Joe Borg, Directorate General for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, European Commission - ‘EEZ management and the future of European fisheries’
• Vice Admiral Conrad C Lautenbacher, PhD, – Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator – ‘Climate change and the future direction of oceanography’
• Choo Chiau Beng, Senior Executive Director, Keppel Corporation, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Keppel Offshore & Marine Member, Executive Committee – ‘Servicing the offshore oil and gas industry – shipyard’s perspective’
• Admiral Robert E Kramek, President, ABS American Bureau of Shipping – ‘Security and developments in classification’

Between 7 and 9 March there will be ten technical conference streams:

• Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, First Sea Lord will deliver the keynote address in the INEC stream on 7 March
• Sir David King, the Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor is the keynote speaker in the MAREC stream on 8 March.

“The highlighted topics during our packed conference are legion,” explains Keith Read. “They cover the full gamut of subjects of interest and concern to the maritime industry ranging from lessons learned from the hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico to ballast water treatment; the carriage of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to innovative energy saving power plants for ferries and large container ships; from wave and tidal and offshore wind energy generation to solutions to long term conservation of tropical and cold water coral reefs; and from innovative and novel concepts being developed to meet the financial, environmental, legislative, support and operational constraints facing the navies of the future to the management and control of a state’s Exclusive Economic Zone ….. and much, much more! The conference truly reflects all aspects of marine engineering, science and technology.”

Over 230 technical papers by authors from 33 countries will be delivered during the course of WMTC 2006 which also features an exhibition with up to a hundred organisations represented; industrial visits reflecting the technical stream (on 10 March) and a full programme of social events culminating in the combined WMTC Conference Dinner and 103 rd Annual Dinner of IMarEST on the evening of 10 March at which the Rt. Hon. Alderman David Brewer, Lord Mayor of the City of London is the principal guest and speaker.

WMTC 2006 is sponsored by ALSTOM, Inmarsat, Lloyd’s Register, P&O Princess Cruises, Rolls-Royce, ABS – American Bureau of Shipping, Keppel Offshore & Marine and UKHO – UK Hydrographic Office. Full information is available at www.wmtc2006.com