Ocean Innovation 2010 deemed a success

The eighth annual Ocean Innovation Conference and Exhibition provided delegates from government, industry and academia with the opportunity to collaborate, network and develop new ideas over a four-day period from Oct. 17 to 20

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The eighth annual Ocean Innovation Conference and Exhibition provided delegates from government, industry and academia with the opportunity to collaborate, network and develop new ideas over a four-day period from Oct. 17 to 20. Ocean Innovation, an initiative of the Fisheries and Marine Institute (MI) of Memorial University of Newfoundland, attracted more than 200 delegates to the Delta Hotel and Convention Centre in St. John’s. The theme of this year’s conference, Underwater Vehicles, lead to spirited discussions regarding the increase in use of remotely operated vehicles (ROV) in our oceans.

“Underwater vehicles was as timely a theme as it was an important one, since many of the delegates attending the conference are positioned to advance underwater vehicle technology in the near future,” said Glenn Blackwood, executive director, Marine Institute.

The keynote speaker at Ocean Innovation 2010 was Dr. Albert Bradley, the principal engineer at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts. Dr. Bradley’s lecture was open to the public and created a buzz throughout the conference and the oceans and marine community in St. John’s.

“A highlight for everyone attending Ocean Innovation 2010 was the address of Dr. Bradley, due to his outstanding reputation for work in acoustic systems, ocean sensor systems and platforms, control systems and autonomous research vehicles,” said Blackwood.

Ocean Innovation 2010 provided members of the oceans and marine sector to network and begin discussions that could blossom into business collaborations and relationships in the future.

Tim Way, a ROV pilot and technician with Oceaneering, said the conference allowed for meaningful interaction with business peers and potential employees. “We’re a worldwide company with a St. John’s office and we do a lot of oil and gas work offshore with remotely operated vehicles. We have eight ROVs working offshore on the east coast,” said Way. “We employ 2,500 to 3,000 ROV operators around the world and we’ve had a lot of students from the Marine Institute interested in employment with us. It’s a unique job that offers students the chance to do something different. The conference gives us a chance to do some networking with these students and other companies involved with remotely operated vehicles.”

Desmond Green of GRI Simulations attracted a lot of attention throughout the conference, as his company set up a ROV simulator that offered a realistic look at what life is like for remotely operated vehicle operators and technicians. “The cyber chair we set up is one that would be installed in an offshore vessel or oil rig. This is what the pilots sit in when they are piloting the actual vehicles,” Way said. “We wanted to get our product out into the industry because 3-D simulation and visualization is still on its way to the forefront and a lot of the big companies are just now realizing this is a valuable tool that will save them money in the long run. Being here at the trade show, we meet a lot of the new players in the industry, so it’s a good place to get our name out there.”

Brian Ronayne was one of many students who took in the convention, using Ocean Innovation 2010 as a way to meet potential employers and to learn more about his future career. Ronayne is a second year student in the Marine Institute’s Remotely Operated Vehicles Program and was encouraged by what he heard from companies at the conference.

“Our instructors recommended we come down and take a look at the equipment and technology at the conference so we can get a feel for what we’ll be working with in this field. It’s really good to handle some of the equipment on display and the exhibitors have been really good at getting us doing a number of scenarios so we’re not doing the same thing every time,” said Ronayne. “Some of the companies are going to be looking for a lot of ROV operators in the next few years, so that’s a good sign. We’re here to meet these people, shake their hands and let them know we’re in school to become ROV operators."

The sponsors and supporters of Ocean Innovation 2010 included the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development; the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA); Kongsberg; the City of St. John's; GRI Simulations Inc.; Fugro Geosurveys Inc.; Oceaneering; and the Marine Institute’s Office of Research and Development.