Ireland, our guest of honour

Ireland has pioneered many maritime renewable energies and navigation technologies, and we are pleased to welcome the country as our guest of honour. An Irish delegation will play an active role in several of the highlight sessions:

● Funding opportunities to facilitate Franco/Irish collaboration in the blue economy: this workshop is organised by Enterprise Ireland and will focus on funding opportunities for innovative bilateral projects.

● Contributions on safety at sea with Paul Hegarty, Head of the National Maritime College of Ireland, who will share with us the latest advances in maritime safety management and training.

● France-Ireland workshop on cybersecurity risks and challenges in the maritime sector: a workshop in partnership with the University of Western Brittany (UBO) which will tackle measures to protect critical maritime systems in the context of growing threats. We are also delighted to welcome delegations from India and Korea, as well as organisations from countries including Canada and Norway.

The major highlights

● Sea Tech Week® 2024 opening ceremony
The opening ceremony for Sea Tech Week® 2024 will be held on Tuesday 15 October from 10 to 11:30 a.m. This will officially launch a week dedicated to maritime innovation. The schedule includes introductory talks from industry leaders, a presentation on the key themes for 2024, and an overview of cooperation and innovation opportunities arising from this event. It’s an ideal chance for all participants to get ready for three days of lively discussions.

● 15 October: Maritime security day
Experts including Vincent Kerbaol (CLS Brest) and Roland Joannic from the French government (SG Mer) will discuss cybersecurity and the challenges of operating in the open ocean, especially in sensitive zones and with critical infrastructure.

● 16 October: Maritime environment and sustainable management
Talks by Sébastien Smet (Actimar) and Frédéric Hebert (EMSA) will focus on managing marine resources and protecting our oceans. This workshop will look in particular at marine protected areas and innovations in monitoring marine ecosystems.

● 17 October: Resilience in maritime infrastructure
Speakers Christophe Logette (Cedre) and Paul Hegarty (National Maritime College of Ireland) will discuss methods that can be used to increase resilience in maritime infrastructure in the face of natural disasters and climate change impacts.

Workshops and innovation to shape the future

Over 29 workshops will cover subjects as varied as digital technologies, green fuels for the maritime sector, building offshore wind turbines, and advanced solutions for maritime cybersecurity. The topics of some flagship workshops are:

● Digital transformation of nautical information: innovations and prospects for safer navigation​​​​​​​ (Shom): new prospects for safer navigation.

● Offshore seaweed cultivation, an emerging industry: structural durability and biosafety issues (Institut de la Corrosion): the challenges of structural durability and biosafety.

● Green fuels for the maritime sector: challenges, risks, and ways forward (Brest port): innovation for a secure energy transition.

A unique networking and innovation platform

Sea Tech Week® 2024 provides a unique platform for:

● Meeting industry leaders: with over 30 exhibition stands and 200 B2B meetings, the event provides the perfect environment in which to form strategic partnerships. Within the professional trade fair, Ireland will have a pavilion and there will be several larger stands dedicated to European projects on global maritime security.

● Sharing the latest advances in research and development, whether these are in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence applied to navigation, or marine renewable energy. Registrations are now open on the official website: www.seatechweek.eu.

About Sea Tech Week®

Technopôle Brest-Iroise organises Sea Tech Week® in its role as part of Campus Mondial de la Mer. Located at the tip of Brittany, the Campus is France’s premier community of experts studying and working with the ocean. This event is joint-financed the Regional Council of Brittany and Brest Métropole. Sea Tech Week® is officially recognised as part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. It is organised in partnership with the European Commission and supported by the European Parliament and the French General Secretariat for the Sea (SG Mer).

Crédit photo : Julien creff