OCEANS 2023 Limerick – The First OCEANS conference in Ireland

The Centre for Robotics and Intelligent Systems, E&CE, hosted IEEE MTS OCEANS 2023 conference & Exhibition from 5th to 8th of June at University of Limerick. The event was endorsed by the UN Decade of Ocean Science.

The OCEANS conference is the flagship event of the Marine Technology Society (MTS) and the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society (OES). The event is recognised as the premier forum for the international marine community to meet and discuss relevant topics and current trends while creating a community of learners and influencers who consistently advance research, practices, and policies for the marine field. OCEANS features an associated trade exhibition with companies and institutions representing the wide range of activities found in the marine community.

This was the first time the OCEANS conference came to the “Emerald Isle” and the first entirely in-person conference after COVID-19. 700 delegates from around the world gathered for four days to showcase advance research and practices under the “Blue Ocean Planet Earth” theme. The conference addressed some of the major challenges facing our global ocean including arresting Climate Change, switching to Renewable (significantly marine) Energy and Protecting and Rejuvenating Our Oceans. It had three sub themes: Offshore Wind, Carbon Neutral Energy by 2050; Sustainable Commercial Use of Seas and Oceans; and Ocean Health and Resilience.