Record breaking year for the NOC’s marine technology showcase

Last week, NOC hosted the Marine Autonomy and Technology Showcase 2019 (MATS2019) in Southampton, which was the fifth annual event focusing on the present and future of marine autonomous technology.

MATS2019 was our biggest and best showcase to date, with a record number of attendees, presenters and industry exhibitors, all packed into 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. This year we welcomed over 300 guests and more than 40 exhibitors for three days of technical talks, networking opportunities, with evening social receptions sponsored by Ocean Business 2021 and Oceanology International 2020.

In addition to presentations from leading marine science and technology representatives, MATS2019 turned the spotlight on the pioneering work being done here at the NOC, including new developments in autonomous marine sensors – focusing on recent deployments of ocean acidification monitoring platforms in Belize and the work done under the groundbreaking STEMM-CCS project – as well as the first public presentation on the next generation of ocean robots being developed under the Oceanids programme, Autosub 2000 Under Ice (Autosub2KUI).

Aidan Thorn, the NOC’s Marine Robotics Innovation Centre Business Manager, said: “The Marine Autonomous and Technology Showcase 2019 was our biggest and best yet, welcoming over 300 guests from around the world to share ideas, knowledge and experiences around developing the next generation of marine robotic systems. There was a real buzz around the event this year. We received a record number of abstract submissions, had more exhibitors than previous years, and extended the dockside marquee by 10 metres.

“MATS is a great showcase for the pioneering work that the NOC is delivering in the field of marine robotics, for the benefit of UK industry and the wider science community. 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 emerging over the three days.”