The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is calling for abstract submissions for the 2020 Marine Autonomy and Technology Showcase (MATS 2020).
Building upon the success of MATS 2019, this year’s event is scheduled to take place from Tuesday 10 November to Thursday 12 November at the NOC’s Southampton site.
MATS 2019 was the NOC’s biggest showcase to date, with a record number of attendees, presenters and industry exhibitors, all gathered in our giant dockside marquee. MATS has grown over the last five years to become a key event in the marine technology calendar, attracting delegates from around the world. In 2019 we welcomed over 300 guests and more than 40 exhibitors for three days of insightful presentations and networking opportunities, with evening social receptions sponsored by Ocean Business 2021 and Oceanology International 2020.
This year’s showcase will primarily focus on new developments and innovations, and will also look forward to where marine autonomous technology and ocean exploration is heading in the next five years.
The overarching themes of MATS 2020 are to explore the information needs of users of Marine Autonomous Systems (MAS), review the current technologies available to enable cutting-edge data gathering for MAS users and explore the methods of transforming raw data into exploitable information for the end user.
The NOC has been pioneering the development of Marine Autonomous Systems for more than 20 years, developing innovative platforms that have collected scientific data from the most challenging and hostile environments on the planet, transforming our understanding of the global ocean. Building upon this expertise, MATS 2020 will once again feature a packed programme of expert speakers, technical presentations, panel discussions, exhibitions and lively networking, offering a unique insight into current projects and the latest technology, with first-hand accounts of research and development from across the marine autonomous sector.
Aidan Thorn, Manager of the NOC’s Marine Robotics Innovation Centre, said: "MATS is a great showcase for the pioneering work that the NOC and its partners are delivering in the field of marine robotics, for the benefit of UK industry and the wider science community. But more than this, the event is also a celebration of emerging and existing partnerships, and a genuine catalyst for innovation in the sector, with a consistent theme of collaboration underpinning many of the discussions."
"Marine robots now routinely operate from pole to equator and from sea surface to deep ocean, supporting an increasing range of research, policy and industry applications. MATS has become a key event in the annual calendar, providing an ideal forum for operators to exchange ideas and forge partnerships, for potential adopters to understand current capabilities, and for existing users to scope out future developments."
"Last year saw a record number of high-quality abstracts submitted and we hope to see a similar response in 2020. We’d like to encourage the marine robotics community to get involved and contribute to shaping the discussion around these transformative technologies."
Full details of this year’s themes and how to submit an abstract are available on our Conference pages.
The deadline for submissions is 19 July.
For further information, or to find out about exhibiting opportunities, email NOCevents@noc.ac.uk