Sea: The Future 2019

It surely can’t be a coincidence that some 70% of the human body is made up of water, and that about the same proportion of the planet is covered in it. There is something primal and natural about our relationship with the sea. We sail it to explore “new” lands and to trade. We fish it – sometimes overfish it – to eat; and we research it to extract minerals, broaden our knowledge and improve sustainability.

Over the years, we’ve built bigger, better and stronger ships to do all of the above more efficiently. And thanks to new technologies, we now have an ocean of data to go with them. Indeed, in the past few years, more information has been collected about the oceans than in the entirety of human history that came before. This explosion of data sources – from weather systems to ship movements and supply chains – has the potential to bring new perspectives and insights to light, fundamentally changing the way we understand new opportunities and threats. It has the potential to improve safety, security and sustainability, reducing the likelihood of environmental disasters and facilitating new types of trade.

Unlocking these opportunities requires leaders from across the maritime ecosystem to emerge from their discrete, sea-related silos to come together; to exchange ideas and perspectives, and to help all of us understand the risks and rewards that new technologies represent. The inaugural “Sea: The Future” conference will help make this happen. It’ll take place at Trinity House, in London, on May 22.

See what we mean
A number of world-class leaders in their respective maritime fields have already confirmed their attendance. People like former BP CEO and L1 Energy Executive Chairman, Lord Browne of Madingley. He oversaw one of the largest fleets of tankers in the world; by advocating a safety-first approach, which helped significantly reduce accidents and loss-of-life at sea, he knows a thing or two about making energy transport safer, more efficient and more data-driven.

“Engineering has always enabled humankind’s relationship with the sea,” he says, “from the building of the first sailing ships to the automated systems that choreograph today’s vast seaborne trading network. That is why I am delighted to take part in an event which explores how future innovations will shape the maritime world.”

XL Innovate Managing Partner, Tom Hutton, with his enviable track record in data modeling (as former CEO of RMS) and investing will be there. As will Lambros Lambrou, Aon CEO of Commercial Risk Solutions, and Sylvain Gaudin, Global Head of Marine at SCOR. They’ll be providing insight on how marine insurance – that most traditional of sectors – can take advantage of artificial intelligence and new data sources, such as the new clusters of RF satellites being launched by HawkEye 360 (whose CEO, John Serafini, will also be speaking).

We’ll talk geopolitical risks and emerging security threats to global trade with Commander Philip Ponsford of the UK’s National Maritime Information Centre, and Kori Schake, Deputy Director-General of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. BLOC CEO Deanna MacDonald and EY’s Shaun Crawford will look at how blockchain can resolve maritime challenges, including insurance and environmental sustainability. And we’ll check out the latest innovations in the maritime space with startup CEOs from Freightos, Kayrros, Orca AI, Parsyl and Shone; and investors including SOA Founder & CEO, Daniela Fernandez; Katapult Ocean Founder & CEO, Maren Hjorth Bauer; Aleph VC Partner, Eden Shochat; and The Dock Co-Founder, Nir Garzman.

And we’ll do it all form the beautiful neoclassical confines of the UK’s Lighthouse Authority, Trinity House, near Tower Bridge. If you’d like more information about Sea: The Future, how to attend, or perhaps how to sponsor us, please visit: www.seathefutureconference.com or drop us a line to: [email protected]

Sea you there!

Elliott Gotkine is Windward’s Director of Communications