Floating wind power, a major line of development
The Breton Region has adopted a strong stance on marine renewable energies, with the notable focus on the development project run by the port of Brest, upon which work will commence this autumn. An additional step has been taken with the structuring of a common pathway between Brittany and the Pays-de-Loire in a bid to promote and develop floating wind power.
This cooperation is translated through the organisation of a brand new international event within the context of Sea Tech Week: Floating Wind Power Atlantic Forum. With the backing of Breton Region and Pays de la Loire Regions, it will welcome some 300 participants, international experts and representatives, from major companies like General Electric or Hitachi, from 12 to 14 October. “Floating wind power is a major line of development on the Atlantic coast. With plans for sites offshore of the islands of Groix and Croisic, we’re now starting to get an industrial network off the ground. For our first annual forum, we’re going to detail the existing projects and the feedback, notably that regarding Japan, Portugal and Norway”, states Alain Coulais, Director of Economic and International Development at Brest métropole. Read more...
When virtual reality is applied to the sea
Another major new feature is the very first attendance in Brest of the French Association for Virtual Reality (AFRV), which is hosting its annual days at the show from 11 to 13 October. Organised by the CERV, European Centre for Virtual Reality, which is based in Brest and is a member of the AFRV, they will offer visitors three formats: a scientific symposium open to young researchers, an industrial show presenting various devices and also special workshops.
“We’ll be dealing with topics centred around the sea, such as the use of virtual reality to combat seasickness or the 3D rendering of the surface of the oceans”, explains Ronan Querrec, Director of the CERV, who will also be putting on visual entertainment during the reception cocktail and the special gathering for the general public.
Innovative technological solutions for everyone
We continue the ‘virtual’ theme with the organisation on 13 October by the Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique (PMBA) of a workshop on the European BlueBridge project, which began in September 2015. Grouping together digital and marine experts, it aims to draw up innovative technological solutions for protagonists from the fishing, aquaculture and marine environment. “Our objective is to develop tooling on a single online interface (data processing, cartography, modelling, etc.) enabling the assessment of such things as fish stocks, analyse the performance of aquaculture or produce cartography for a given environment. BlueBridge is geared towards manufacturers, academics or communities, who haven’t always had the time or the means to gather together and process data”, explains Anaïs Turpault-Penven, Head of European projects at the PMBA. In this way, the very first applications will be presented at Sea Tech Week with an interactive discussion between international experts and a live demonstration.
Ocean Hackathon, all systems go!
Never before launched in France, this challenge will take place in the run-up to Sea Tech Week, on 8 and 9 October. Its principle? Participants from various backgrounds (university, start-up, etc.) and various disciplines (bathymetry, economics, physics-chemistry, computing, design…) respond to various challenges by using cross-disciplinary, marine-based digital data.
Among the 43 challenges presented, 12 have been selected. Amidst the most striking themes are the participation in public life, protection and awareness of the environment, as well as the application of immersive technologies. www.seatechevent.eu | 
