Sea Tech Week in Brest has consolidated its position to become a reference across Europe and worldwide. Its philosophy: to gather together great scientists from marine sciences and technologies alongside manufacturers keen to demonstrate their expertise in what is a unique opportunity for exchange and the sharing of ideas about good practice. Over 1,000 experts will come together around themed conferences, workshops, business appointments and a professional show grouping together around forty or so exhibitors.
Brest, a maritime city
Hosting Sea Tech Week in Brest is an obvious partnership: the Breton metropolis accommodates 60% of France’s public research in relation to the sea. Indeed, the North Finistère headland harbours a genuine breeding ground for training, research and development institutions, whether they work at Ifremer oceanographic centre, IUEM (European University for Marine Studies), ENSTA Bretagne engineering institute, Lab-STICC (Information and Communication Science and Technology Laboratory), SHOM (Naval Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service), the Mer Bretagne Atlantique cluster, Labex Mer marine laboratories of excellence or the Technopôle Brest-Iroise technology cluster.
All these institutions naturally reinforce Brest’s European and international reputation in the marine context.
The bid for global excellence is masterfully taken on by the Global Sea Campus, boosted by Brest Métropole and jointly encouraged by the federative structures of Bretagne Occidentale’s marine sciences and technologies.
By combining universities, engineering colleges, businesses, national research institutions and local authorities, the Global Sea Campus aims to promote research, bring together laboratories and businesses and help SMEs develop with a view to influencing a sustainable marine economy. When the sea surfs the digital wave
The sea and the digital domain will play a central role in the week’s 15 conferences. Linked to the French Tech Label, they will focus on current technological developments: notably in virtual environments, in the observation and characterisation of the oceans, in satellite applications, in remote sensing, in data management and processing, in marine renewable energies, as well as in the law of the sea.
A set of themes which is likely to inspire the delegation from Canada, the country taking pride of place in this latest edition. Packed with new feature
In the run-up to Sea Tech Week, on 8 and 9 October 2016, a unique initiative in France called the marine Hackathon will group together developers, marine experts, students and businesses in a digital data context for a weekend of challenges and collaborative computer programming. Featuring application developments, the creation of start-ups and the demonstration of a variety of phenomena, the Hackathon will reveal the results of this unprecedented weekend during the inaugural session at Sea Tech Week. The Sea Test Base offers exhibitors and partners the opportunity to carry out their tests and demonstrations aboard Le Celadon, whilst enabling volunteers to tour Brest harbour to watch proceedings. The screens at Le Quartz will display a live broadcast of the tests carried out both on and under the water. Another new feature, the Marine and Digital Technomarket is due to arrive midway through the week. Boosted by the French Technology Transfer Accelerator Company (SATT) Ouest Valorisation and the SATT network, this space is designed like a genuine marketplace where manufacturers will discover the most innovative technologies from major laboratories in the marine and digital domain. Internet site: www.seatechevent.eu
Twitter: @SeaTechEvent - #SeaTech2016 | 
