Half-day Seminar in conjunction with the WERMED Project |
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Applying new technologies for safety, surveillance and enforcement at sea -A challenge for Malta and the Mediterranean
Date: 26 January 2006 (9.00 a.m. – 1.00p.m.)
Venue: Westin Dragonara Hotel - St. Julians
As technological developments in position fixing, communication systems, space-based observations, meteo-marine forecasting, integration of automated instruments, and intelligence management and monitoring systems are becoming more widely available, new applications are emerging to support the management and monitoring of maritime activities, particularly to improve safety at sea, in surveillance operations, assessments and in the enforcement of maritime laws and regulations. Projects employing 21st century technologies are needed to fulfill the needs of ocean security conceived in its broadest sense that includes environmental, economic, social aspects on top of military concerns. The long-term feasibility and success of international policy and legal frameworks in maritime affairs depend on many factors, including wide adoption as well as effective implementation; science- and technology-based interpretations and realizations of international conventions are crucial to achieve such targets. There is moreover a consistent European engagement to establish a sustainable relationship with the environment while improving competitiveness and strengthening the European industry; one important example is the EU maritime policy which targets to establish a collaborative and integrated approach to oceans and seas management. Indeed environmental requirements act as a stimulus for innovation and can provide business opportunities especially in the maritime industry.
The targets of this half-day seminar organized by the IOI-Malta Operational Centre of the University of Malta, is to give an overview on the benefits of such developments in the Mediterranean context, and will serve to highlight current initiatives as well as provide thoughts on how to address existing and future needs. The seminar will also address Malta’s direct and future maritime concerns in its territorial waters such as in relation to timely and accurate tracking and monitoring of ship movements and cargoes, risks from marine oil pollution, and fulfillment of the EU marine policy that is currently taking shape.
The seminar is being held in conjunction with the 1st Meeting of the MEDOCC Interreg IIIB project on Weather-routing in the Mediterranean (WERMED). The project targets to develop an experimental system for weather–routing and analyze the potential of the service in the region. Weather-routing is a means of optimizing shipping routes on the basis of meteo-marine conditions. Unfavourable conditions at sea often cause considerable delays in marine transportation with increases in operational costs and fuel consumption. The forecasting of wind, sea state and currents permits an anticipated assessment for optimisation of routes to enable the most convenient navigation at lowest costs, minimal risks to the environment and highest safety to crew, passengers and cargo. The meeting will be attended by leading partner scientists and engineers from the project as well as experts in maritime affairs.
The seminar will be addressed by the Minister for Competitiveness and Communications, followed by keynote speeches and presentations by high profile experts from competent organisations.
The second part of the seminar will be dedicated to some recent local marine-related activities and initiatives that have a special bearing to marine security management and monitoring. A wider showcase on other projects will be presented by a dedicated poster session that will be organised during the meeting.
Who Should Attend
Representatives from key stakeholders in the marine sector, particularly individuals holding key positions in public and private organisations / agencies / institutions / departments with marine-related activities.
More specifically the following categories are invited:
- Representatives from key Ministries relevant to marine affairs.
- National Representatives and Focal Points to the EC related to the marine sector
- Governmental agencies, and authorities
- Leading marine scientists and engineers
- Representatives of the marine management community
- Representatives of the marine industries and services sector
Poster Session
The participants will have the opportunity to display posters featuring recent, ongoing and/or proposed activities related to the maritime security, safety, surveillance and enforcement sectors in Malta.
Requests for poster exhibition space should be forwarded to ioi-moc@um.edu.mt by not later than 9th January 2006. The poster size should not exceed 0.8 m (width) X 1.5 m (height).
For more details about the WERMED project please go to www.wermed.net.
For any further details kindly contact Dr. Aldo Drago or Mr. Matthew Scerri