OceansTrends 2018 seminar advances knowledge sharing on key maritime and ocean topics
From 29 to 30 August, the OceansTrends 2018 Scientific Seminar brought together over 150 participants from more than 60 countries. WMU says the Seminar focused on “Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Ocean - Supportive Technologies and Future Trends” and was offered in cooperation with the University of Nantes within the framework of the European programme Human Sea, funded by the European Research Council (ERC Advanced Grant 2013, n° 340770).
Discussions focused on the themes of Marine Spatial Planning & Blue Growth, Safety Aspects of Exploitation Activities, as well as various issues surrounding Shipping in the Era of Digitalisation, with the topics of Cyber Security and Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) standing out. Participants included professionals and academics working in the field of sustainable ocean management, marine spatial planning and maritime technologies.
Professor Ronan Long, Director of the WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute, delivered opening remarks on behalf of Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, President of the World Maritime University (WMU). He noted that the ocean is the driver of sustainable economic development and future prosperity for the planet, and that effective global ocean governance needs to be underpinned by the rule of law. “In the struggle for ensuring the sustainable development of the ocean, a key challenge is to fully understand and apply the spatial management tools and innovative new technologies that you will review today and tomorrow. This is where this seminar and its outputs will add enormous value to our store of knowledge.”
At the UN Ocean Conference in June of 2017, WMU registered a commitment that aims to contribute to the implementation of Goal 14 by training a new generation of maritime leaders through the delivery of specialist post-graduate educational programmes in Ocean Sustainability, Governance and Management, as well as through cutting-edge oceans research, among others.
The OceansTrends Seminar is a concrete response to that commitment. Additionally, in May WMU hosted the WMU Global Ocean Conference 2018 in conjunction with the inauguration of the WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute. The Institute’s impact-oriented research will work across the sectoral divides in ocean affairs, engage in forward-looking dialogue among representatives of governments, ocean industries, research communities, civil society and other academic institutions, and produce evidence-based policy and regulatory advice on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and beyond.
OceansTrends 2018 supports the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Recognizing that all the goals are interrelated and indivisible, OceansTrends 2018 contributes directly and tangibly to the implementation of Goal 4 focused on Education, Goal 7 focused on Energy, Goal 8 focused on Economic Growth and, in particular, Goal 14 focused on the Ocean.
