Last update: June 23rd
The effects of global warming on the coastline, ports and estuaries are already visible and are likely to increase if we do not react in measures to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Beyond climate change mitigation actions, territories as well as infrastructure managers and service providers will have to adapt to climate change, and sometimes, locally, in a way that is disruptive compared to what has been done until now.
The environmental transition of transport is an essential point in the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, because transport is the first concerned by gas emissions. This concerns both ports and inland waterways. Innovative solutions using new modes of propulsion or the use of data to reduce journeys are being studied.
Technology has a major role to play for the maritime transportation sector to unlock its full development potential while achieving zero carbon emission by 2050. However, in developing countries, all-tech or high-tech solutions are not always accessible or implementable on a sufficient scale to have an impact.
This is especially true in Small Islands Developing States (SIDS), often situated away from the global supply chains and far from large R&D centers, and where local economies struggle to fund innovative solutions. As a result, innovation can can sometime take different forms than in more developed economy – for example through "low-tech" innovation.
SIDS, especially in the Pacific region, are also often referred to as “Large Oceanic Nations” to highlight the importance of the Blue Economy to their development. In that context, opportunities for the private and academic sectors to contribute to a thriving maritime cluster are plentiful, if the specific context is fully taken into account. Among other challenges, solutions implemented in these countries must ensure that the tech used, 1) is locally available and accessible and can be easily maintained; 2) can be integrated into, and contribute to strengthen the local supply chains; 3) “do no harm”, i.e. do not negatively impact the environment or the social fabric when considered in their full-life cycle.
What materials to favour in boat building for small and medium domestic transport (e.g. new resins or new eco-fibers)? Can latest developments in boat designs be translated to developing contexts (e.g. high-performance sailing vessels, multi-hull, foiling vessels)? What room for solar and electric propulsion (how to ensure supply and accessibility)? How can IT be best used to unlock economic and development potential for domestic transport (development of specific user interface, payment applications)? How can international collaboration contribute to increase access to funds, technology and training in developing nations (public seeds funds, private accelerators)? These are among the questions that can be raised.
This session aims at exploring the deployment of "Sea Tech" in the context of developing countries; at identifying what concrete innovations (accross high-tech or low-tech possibilities) can be targeted in priority to leverage the development of a viable sustainable sea transport industry in SIDS; and envision the development of a network of private sector operators, R&D specialists, academics, civil society reps interested in strengthening access to Sea Tech in island nations.
Target participants and audience are Sea Tech companies interested in expanding their business to developing markets; academia, especially researchers in applied science working at innovative solutions that are specially designed for developing environments; CSOs and business networks; private and public organizations providing funding to business innovation, esp. in a development context; international development professionals, etc.
A session gathering scientists and engineers from France and India to discuss avenues for cooperation in marine science and technologies, echoing the bilateral roadmap on the blue economy and ocean governance which has been established in the wake of the French government’s Indopacific strategy and the government of India’s Deep Ocean Mission program.
Topics : Underwater Vehicles and Marine Instrumentation (including sensors, instruments/tools, systems for ocean exploration) ; Ocean Observation Platforms and Data Acquisition (focus on deep sea extreme environments) ; Marine Renewable Energy Technologies ; Technologies for Coastal Zone Management.
Indo-french cooperation in marine sciences: opportunities an mechanisms
Convenor: French Institute in India, French Embassy in India and CNRS India
In the current global village-like scenario, the societal challenges including health issues, demographic change, climate change, need for clean and efficient energy, smart and integrated transport, food security, and the bio-based economy, are all global. Addressing these challenges warrants answers that are also ought to be global and more importantly, there is a need for urgent solutions.
A significant increase in the global population over the recent decades, extreme industrialization, and increasing human wealth are exerting unprecedented burden on the ocean. Climate change, non-sustainable resource exploitation, pollution, and habitat degradation are leading to a rapid deterioration of good health and sustainable productivity of ocean. India and France both have an enormous coastline and the two nations are highly committed towards appropriate preservation of the marine environment with an objective of a sustainable development approach to coastal resources.
In this context, research in Marine Sciences is critical and will also contribute towards Blue Economy strategies outlines by both the governments. Indeed, both countries have put forward intentions of strengthening scientific cooperation. An efficient bilateral cooperation providing a link between basic research and industrial application is an absolute necessity to address these tasks. In the proposed session/workshop we will discuss the initiatives that the French and Indian government offer to consolidate the scientific cooperation to address the challenges in Marine Sciences, including the contribution of research organizations such as CNRS, Ifremer, IRD, CSIR, DST, DBT or MoES.
Maritime and port territorial loops for renewable hydrogen:
> Focus on Hylias project
> Focus on Transrade project (Lorient)
> H2 Production with MRE energy (wave energy to H2 on port infrastructures for local needs)
Building Hydrogen ship in Britain: it’s already today:
> Presentation of CBS’s Ships
> Reffited boat: Focus on Porrima & Energy Observer
Wind Propulsion: Blending regional initiatives, national developments, and international networks for sustainable shipping
Convenor: International Wind Ship Association and Bretagne Développement Innovation (BDI) (France)
Reemergence of wind propulsion as a major technology development in 21st shipping / workshop for a concrete shared pathway with India. Wind propulsion has a significant air and noise pollution reduction impact, carbon and other associated toxic emissions, noise from cavitation and machinery onboard. There are three key trends developing within the sector:
> Tweaking: The retrofitting of existing vessels with wind propulsion systems to reduce fuel use up to 30% and to extend the carbon budget available to shipping.
> Transition: Natural replacement with wind optimised wind-assist & primary wind vessels + operation adjustments to maximise the wind energy component.
> Transformation: Accelerated replacement of existing vessels with primary wind vessels and the uptake 100% energy autonomous wind vessels and even ‘carbon positive’ vessels that are generating significant alternative fuel available for shore based usage.
These trends are at different stages of development; however they hold various levels of promise across numerous SDG objectives especially in the smaller vessel segments with the return of fuel costs into local economies, the opportunities to revitalise smaller ports, reduce pressure on fisheries and revitalise local shipping services and employment.
Blending regional ecosystems, national development and international networks has the potential to fuel wind propulsion takeoff and to help building a really decarbonised shipping. This is the vision we are trying to put into action with the International Windship Association, the French Wind Ship Association, Bretagne Developpement Innovation and the "Région Bretagne". Local communities of industrial groups, start-ups, ports, local government, academics and civil society driven by IWSA, IWSA hub, and BDI are part of a French, European and global network of wind propulsion ecosystems of innovators and enablers.
This is leading to a reemergence of wind propulsion as a major technology development in 21st shipping that should be shared worlwide: the Sea Tech Week session is a concrete workshop to creating a pathway with India and beyond.
The session will be organised of plenary sessions, workshops and feebacks to create a Country & Regional Map for Shipping in India fit for a decarbonised shipping world with wind propulsion at the heart of the decarbonisation pathway. Creates impact analysis of changes to shipping at local, regional and international level.
We want to present the newest solutions, trends and discuss opportunities for bilateral cooperation and funding mechanisms of innovative projects, also within EU frame. Main topics to be addressed: battery-powered, hydrogen, ammonia, hybrid, retrofit...
In the recent years, research on navigation and control of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) has become challenging for scientific and economic reasons in view of their several applications e.g. deep-sea operations, off-shore installations inspection, mapping of sea floor, environmental data gathering and sampling, and defence.
This special session is intended to invite research contributions made by peers actively involved in navigation and control of AUVs addressing issues such as communication constraints in acoustic medium, uncertainties and disturbances. In the last decade, the new area of research has emerged related to cooperative control between several marine vehicles and heterogeneous marine vehicles.
Convenor: IFREMER (France)
The new regional vessel of the French Oceanographic Fleet will be the subject of an ambitious eco-design approach based on in-depth reflection on the stages of a campaign and their impact, and the choice of adjusted technical solutions, aimed at reducing its overall environmental footprint over its entire life.
The construction of the vessel should be carried out with a limited environmental impact. An open and modular design and the choice of innovative solutions will aim to operate the vessel with a reduction in CO2 emissions of up to 60%, with a minimum commitment of 30% reduction compared to the current situation of a vessel of the same size. To achieve this, this vessel will aim to be a "low consumption" vessel, as well as the optimisation of the ship's operation.
This session will discuss the current status and future prospects of replacing current marine materials, particularly polymers and composites, with more sustainable alternatives. Two aspects will be discussed:
> First, the options for reducing environmental impact of structures such as floating vessels and their equipment, (boats, ships, buoys, fishing gear…), which can be recovered at the end of their service life, will be presented. In this case the choice of improvements includes thermoplastic composites which can be recycled and biosourced polymers and fibres which have lower footprints and can be composted.
> A second set of applications concerns structures which either risk accidental loss or are deliberately abandoned after service. In this case the ideal material will be completely biodegradable and leave no trace, and the options are more limited. The session welcomes contributions on both aspects.
While quantitative information on production and use of plastics is to some extent available, the amount and fate of plastics discarded or leaked into the environment is highly uncertain. In particular, knowledge of how much plastics, at different scales down to micro and nano levels, reaches the ocean and the pathways and fate of such plastic in the ocean remain poorly known.
A focus is needed on how science and technology could quantify the pervasiveness of marine pollution and facilitate an understanding of the mitigating impact of reducing the stock of plastics in the ocean. The goals for meeting such a challenge go through the determination of a strategy for monitoring marine litter in the ocean and develop solutions for addressing the problem.
[Discover the full programme of the session]
In the past hundred years, the anthropogenic noise introduced into the marine environment has reached unprecedented levels. Effects of shipping noise on individuals and populations range from communication masking, behavioural disturbance. Production of stress hormones, etc. which consequently negatively affect both the animal individual fitness and population dynamics.
The purpose of this session concerns, on the one hand, all the systems or methods enable to prevent or reduce the pressure of shipping Underwater Radiated Noise (URN) on the marine environment and, on the other hand, all the methods allowing the quantification of the URN level. The latest advances in marine acoustics research will be presented: passive and active acoustics, impacts of anthropogenic noise on marine organisms (from invertebrates to marine mammals) and also at ecosystem level. Various stakeholders will be likely to participate in this session: researchers, manager of natural environments, public decision makers, entrepreneurs, shipping companies, etc.
The international symposium « Les Rendez-Vous de Concarneau » takes place every two years at the Concarneau Marine Station. It is intended to be part of a continuum between the fundamental research developped within the laboratories concerned and the applications of this research in marine biotechnologies. The symposium brings together a group of experts from the world of fundamental and applied research and industrials with a link to the maritime field with multidisciplinary and complementary skills in biology (molecular biology, microbiology), embryology, ecology, ecophysiology, plant science and aquaculture.
For this 2022 edition, the main theme is Bio-inspiration. We will focused on biomimetics on maritime transport during the session on Thursday 29 September as part of the Sea Tech Week at Brest: « Les Rendez-Vous de Concarneau invite themselves to Brest ». The 12th edition of the « Rendez-Vous de Concarneau » will be held on Friday 30 September at the Marine Biological Station of Concarneau. The meeting at Concarneau will be focused on biomaterials and bioadhesives with a visit to a structure with a bioinspiration project in Concarneau.
Convenor: Shom (France)
Maritime transport is facing key challenges: densification of traffic, port congestion, cyber security threats, digital and ecological transitions. Environmental data combined with new technologies are the source of new services that will partly address these challenges.
The IHO "S-100" standard is the new standard describing the environment for digital navigation, adopted by the International Maritime Organization. It is considered as a digital revolution in the maritime sector, providing answers to both the challenges of modern e-navigation and the sustainable development of maritime activities.
As part of the S-100 implementation decade (2020-2030), this session is dedicated to innovations brought by digital data and services to navigation and maritime transport. Accessible and interoperable data is supporting informed decisions. Collecting and sharing large amount of data, including real-time data, is also a challenge for hydrographic services, ports and maritime companies. Standardization is vital to ensure integrity and usability of these data. Academic research and industry will keep playing a key role in the development of future intelligent systems, on board of ships and ashore, towards a safer navigation, more efficient and more concerned with the preservation of the marine environment.
This session is an opportunity to debate around important questions in this fast-moving environment, including:
• What innovations does the S-100 data service standard support?
• How can we use digital environmental data and technologies to support maritime transport safely co-existing with all other maritime activities?
• As a new standard, its adoption at the international level requires a coordinated cooperative effort. How can we contribute to this?
SWAC (Sea Water Air Conditioning) at a glance: It is a technology based on thermodynamics principles using the hydrographic system. It is made to produce thermal energy dedicated to buildings (air conditioning heat/climatization, hot water) or for industrial processes (cold rooms, drying, ice production, etc.).
While the need for cooling in coastal regions and ports is increasing, cooling is still mainly produced through chillers, a technology using large amounts of electricity generated partially by fossil fuels, slowing down the ability to meet EU energy-climate objectives. Sea Water Air Conditioning cooling technology requires often to work closely with the maritime industry to develop innovation technology aspects such as self-burying system, flexible pipe concept, corrosion potential, and temperature data logger, etc.
Sedimentary environments and human activities: Management of dredged sediments, extraction of aggregates, marine renewable energy and sustainable ports
Convenor: Ifremer (France)
Joint session with the French Congress of Sedimentology
Maritime transport and, more broadly, human activities at sea and on land generate pollution and nuisances in the marine environment and on the coast that need to be controlled: discharges from activities in the catchment area, discharges from maritime and port activities (dredging, careening, maritime traffic, ...), accidental pollution, disturbance of habitats, etc. The objective of this session is to present different actions, such as those carried out by Cerema or Ifremer, in the framework of its missions to support the implementation of environmental public policies in port and coastal areas.
Experts from the various sectors will be able to present: 1) the ecological transition of activities and actions to reduce pollution/impacts (e.g. port greening operations, environmental protection, ...); 2) the monitoring of sediment quality (port or other) or the monitoring of the effects and mitigation « ERC » measures (avoidance, reduction, compensation) of activities (extraction of aggregates, development of MRE); 3) beneficial uses of dredged sediments and the circular economy (valorisation of dredged sediments on land and at sea); and 4) European and international recommendations, changes in the regulatory framework, technical recommendations, prospects for development and inclusion of these activities in European directives, etc.
Continuous connectivity at sea has the potential to create a safer, more secure, and environmentally sustainable global Blue Economy. In this workshop JET-ESS will discuss how increased telecommunications and data transfer at sea can contribute to smarter and low-carbon solutions, towards the ambition of “Net-Zero”. The session will deliver an oral presentation, followed by a discussion panel, focused on:
> How the use of 5G at sea has the potential to decarbonise the installation, environmental and operational monitoring of offshore wind farms,
> How maritime data will enable strategic planning and land-sea continuum reducing emissions in connected/smart ports,
> How high speed connectivity at sea enables the increased adoption of autonomous vehicles at sea, reducing carbon intensive vessels.
The University of Plymouth is involved in several leading projects with strong collaborations, enabling world leading research and development activities to take place. Join us to hear about some of our projects and also partners activities that link into collaboration for leading Maritime capabilities.
University of Plymouth’s £3.2m Cyber-SHIP Lab is leading developments in understanding and mitigating cyber risks to vessels, ports and offshore infrastructure. Unique facilities can determine key maritime cyber vulnerabilities in a risk-free environment, leading to development of safeguards at technical, system, and operational levels improving global shipping security and providing vital training for the sector.
The University of Plymouth’s Marine e-Charging Living Lab enabled the installation of shore-side e-charging facilities that can easily link to the National Grid while meeting both consumer and commercial demand. Also developed / deployed an array of sensor technologies to assess the environmental / operational impacts of e-charging. Plymouth is also home to the UK's 1st electric passenger ferry and water taxi.
Plymouth Marine Laboratories providing an overview of Smart Sound Plymouth. Plymouth Sound is to be home to the world’s first 5G ocean-based marine testbed, putting the city at the forefront of marine and maritime innovation. The testbed will benefit from a 5G mobile private network built by Vodafone using Nokia equipment. The network, known as Smart Sound Connect, will enable ultrafast download speeds and low-latency 5G connectivity to support the development of new marine technology.
Maritime UK SW will also join us to outline - The Ocean Futures programme is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Government, Industry and Academia to work together to develop the South West regional economy, building on existing unique assets to create a world-class centre of excellence, whilst delivering the Maritime 2050 ambition to create a cleaner, digitally enabled sector. The Ocean Futures programme will underpin the country’s maritime industry and therefore provide economic stability and prosperity in support of a globally engaged UK.
The afternoon will provide informative presentations and opportunities for round table discussions on the projects.
- Description of the current carbon footprint of maritime transport
- State of play of regulations aiming at reducing the sector's carbon emissions (IMO, ETS, etc)
- Challenges and opportunities of decarbonisation (fuels, infrastructure, renewal of the merchant fleet)
- What role for shipping banks in supporting the decarbonisation of the sector?
- Maritime transport, a key element of the economic sovereignty (and energy security) of nations
- State of play of the fleet & renewal needs to ensure tomorrow's energy security
- Is energy security compatible with the decarbonisation objectives of the maritime sector?
- What role for blue finance players in this equation?