The Opening Ceremony

Tuesday 6 October 2026, from 10am to 11.30am; Meridienne Room

Welcome words from the organisers and sponsors of the event, with a special mention to Portugal, the featured country.

The Meridienne Room during Sea Tech Week®

In présence of:

• Laurent Pidoux, Sub-Prefect of the Brest Arrondissement
• Stéphane Roudaut, Mayor of Brest and President of Brest Métropole
• Frédéric Laurent, President of Brest-Iroise Technopole and the Campus Mondial de la Mer, and Vice-President of Brest Métropole, in charge of the economy, innovation, digital affairs, ports and the technopole
• Emilie Kuchel, Regional Councillor for Brittany, Member of the Education, Guidance and Languages Committee
• Fotini Ioannidou, Director of Waterborne Transport in the Directorate General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission
• Hugo Palma, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Portugal in France
• Alexandre Ely, Deputy Director for State Action at Sea to the Maritime Prefect for the Atlantic

The 3 High Level Sessions

Bringing together scientific experts, industry leaders and policymakers, these round-table sessions offer a comprehensive view of the transformations and challenges shaping the future of our oceans, from local through to international perspectives.

Marine Renewable Energy, Powering Tomorrow’s Ocean Energy

This session explores how marine renewable energies offshore wind, tidal and wave technologies are driving the energy transition at sea. 

Tuesday 6 October 2026, from 2pm to 3pm; Meridienne Room

Provisional programme

• Herveline Gaborieau, Executive Director, France Énergies Marines

• Haya Chemaitilly, Offshore Wind and Industry Manager, France Renouvelables

• Ines Machado, Marine Environment and Certification Manager, WavEC Offshore Renewables

• Dominique Moniot, Business Development Director France, OW Ocean Winds

Ports of future, Reinventing Maritime Gateways

Ports are evolving to become smarter, greener and more resilient hubs, supporting global trade while promoting sustainability. 

Wednesday 7 October 2026, from 2pm to 3pm; Meridienne Room

Provisional programme

• Solenn Guéguéniat, Director of Ports, Brittany Regional Council
• Tim Rayan, Harbour Operations Manager, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County
• Luca Marangoni, Seconded Head of Unit Sustainable Blue Economy, CINEA
• Jörg Demuth, CEO, Port of Kiel

Seabed Exploration, Deep Ocean Knowledge, Responsible Innovation

Dive into the frontiers of seabed exploration, where science, technology and environmental protection intersect. 

Thursday 8 October 2026, from 9.30am to 10.30am; Meridienne Room

Provisional programme

• Pierre-Marie Sarradin, research unit director, Ifremer
• Eric Banel, Director General of Maritime Affairs, Fisheries, and Aquaculture (DG AMPA)
• Dr T. Srinivasa Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences (India)
• Jack O’Connor, Researcher, UNU