Ireland is the country of honour at this year’s Sea Tech Week, the international event dedicated to marine and maritime science and technology.
The 14th edition of the expo takes place from 15-17 October at the Quartz Congress Centre in Brest, the port city in north-western France that’s twinned with Dun Laoghaire.
Registration is now open for visitors and exhibitors — and is free for Irish delegates.
“A breath of fresh Éire” is the tagline for Sea Tech Week 2024, which will feature three keynote panel discussions, and more than 30-plus workshops on cybersecurity, offshore energy, regulation, governments’ action at sea, new routes and more, alongside an international trade fair with over 40 exhibitors.
The three days will also see more than 200 B2B meetings, visits to business and labs for the Irish delegation, and a networking cocktail reception.
This year’s country of honour is Ireland, marking the first time in Sea Tech Week’s 20-plus-year history that a European country will receive this recognition.
The event’s organisers, Campus mondial de la mer, say their aim is “to strengthen bilateral ties with Ireland’s closest EU neighbour and facilitate fruitful discussions on the most important topics in the European maritime space”.
To that end, the Embassy of Ireland in France will have a pavilion at the trade show, and a number of workshops will have a particular focus on Ireland:
- ‘Funding opportunities to facilitate Franco-Irish collaboration in the blue economy’ organised by Enterprise Ireland – Tuesday 15 October 3.15pm
- ‘Smart green port’ by Enterprise Ireland – Wednesday 16 October 3.15pm
- ‘France-Ireland workshop on cybersecurity risks and challenges in the maritime sector’ co-organised by the University of Western Brittany and the University of Limerick – Thursday 17 October 9.30am
- ‘Imagery of the sea in Irish arts, literature, and culture’ led by Dun Laoghaire’s Institute of Art Design & Technology (IADT) – Thursday 17 October 09.30am
The full list speakers and further information on the workshops will be announced in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, maritime safety and security will be top of the agenda for this year’s edition, with workshops led by high-level panellists from esteemed organisations from across the world covering topics ranging from cybersecurity, robotics, data and space technology to ports, vessels and tackling pollution.
The event will be attended by thousands of scientists, entrepreneurs, clusters and researchers with opportunities to share the latest advances in research and innovation, make new contacts and further develop partnerships and cooperation, with a particular focus on the implications for the wider world.
For more details, see the Sea Tech Week website HERE.
