Thales, a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport, Defence and Security markets, announced today that it will be taking space in the Marine Robotics Innovation Centre at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in Southampton to facilitate its ongoing partnership with the NOC on marine autonomy projects. Thales and the NOC are currently working together on the regulatory, environmental risk, policies and laws associated with Marine Autonomous Systems.

ECA Group, within the framework of the Belgian Navy evaluation of Unmmaned Maritime Systems, demonstrated the AUV A9-M capability to remotely survey the seabed in search for mines from its CPV POLLUX.

After a very long and varied career I have decided to retire from full time employment as from 1 April 2017 when I shall be stepping down as Chief Executive of the Society for Underwater Technology. My first real involvement with the SUT was in 1987 when I joined the Subsea Engineering and Operations Committee shortly after taking up my post of Senior Lecturer at Cranfield University. However, my real first experience of the SUT was in attending an excellent one-day conference in 1978 on the subject of diving. Little did I know then that in 2009, just a little before normal retirement age, I would be leading this wonderful unique organisation. When it comes to praising the SUT, I am certainly not alone.

Liquid Roboticsâ, the leader in long duration, unmanned surface ocean robots has become the newest Associate Member of the National Oceanography Centre’s (NOC) Marine Robotics Innovation Centre. Kevin Forshaw, Associate Director, Innovation and Enterprise at the NOC said, “As the Liquid Roboticsâ Wave Gliderâ was invented to provide ocean researchers with reliable and persistent monitoring, we’re thrilled to welcome them to the Innovation Centre and to be working closely with them on the advancement of marine autonomy.”

ROV Planet Magazine Issue 09 The magazine of choice for Subsea Construction and ROV Professionals. Featuring the AUV Market Report – Company Focus: Subsea Technology & Rentals – The Application of ROVs in the Nuclear Industry – The World's Most Productive Research Vessel – Poster: The Nereid HT Hybrid ROV and AUV – The Nereid on Engineering Sea Trials Offshore Panama – Product Focus: Ashtead AMS and DMS Systems – Fly your ROV from Half Way Around the World at the Touch of a Button.

IKM Cleandrill AS has been awarded a contract by Wintershall Norge AS to provide mud recovery services on multiple offshore wells. The contract will cover potential development drilling campaigns on Maria, as well as an option for future exploration drilling. The Maria development drilling from the rig ‘Deep Sea Stavanger’ is scheduled for 1st half 2017, where the wells will be drilled using the top-hole mud recovery technique. IKM Cleandrill will provide the MRR500 top-hole mud recovery equipment and specialist offshore operational personnel to undertake these services. The MRR500 is the latest generation mud recovery technology, setting market leading standards for safety, efficiency, reliability, and cost effectiveness. The contract is for an initial period of 3 years, with options to extend to 2023.

A recently formed subsea services business has secured a substantial injection of private equity investment to acquire a fleet of 32 best-in-class ROVs.

Subsea Technology & Rentals Ltd (STR); global specialists in the design, manufacture and rental of advanced subsea technology for the offshore energy industry are pleased to announce a partnership agreement with USA based Inertial Labs to distribute their innovative motion reference systems. Inertial Labs’ newest product, the Motion Reference Unit (MRU-B2), along with their Enhanced Motion Reference Unit (MRU-E) and (MRU-P) professional model will be the latest products to join STR’s expanding rental pool. The Motion Reference Unit (MRU-B2), is an inertial sensor-based orientation, positioning, and control solution for a diverse array of marine and subsea applications. It has been designed to meet the exacting standards for heave, surge, sway, angular rates, accelerations, heading, velocity and positioning required by maritime and hydrographic applications for any type of device upon which it's mounted. The MRU-B2 features high precision inertial sensors for superior accuracy in multiple tasks.

Aker Solutions secured two five-year framework agreements for potential future deliveries of subsea production systems and lifecycle services at BP-operated oil and gas fields globally.

ROCOL, an established manufacturer of lubricants for global industries, has been named as a preferred supplier by Euro Rope Nederland. Euro Rope is a trusted manufacturer and supplier of a broad range of high quality rigging and lifting equipment. The company, which has a global track record of project success, has its own rental division that delivers heavy lifting and hoisting projects of up to 1,000 tonnes. It will now stock ROCOL wire rope lubricant products, including the industry-leading BIOGEN WIRESHIELD range, under the ROPE-XTRA preferred wire rope distributors scheme.

IKM Testing Pty Ltd has been awarded a pre-commissioning services Frame Agreement by DOF Subsea Australia. We are delighted to announce the successful award of a three (3) year frame agreement with the provision to be extended by a further two (2) years’ for pipeline pre-commissioning services by DOF Subsea operating primarily in Australia.

Tritech International Ltd, [Tritech], a Moog Inc. Company, has secured a deal with Oceanscan for the purchase of multiple Gemini 720is and Narrow Beam Imaging (NBI) units from the company’s range of multibeam imaging sonars. The Gemini 720is, an upgrade of the Gemini 720i, was launched in March 2016 and combines the benefits of high-definition imaging with long-range target detection making it ideal for Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) and ROV platforms, including installation on pan and tilt units.

TOPICS Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV) Vehicle Performance Control / Navigation / Localization Autonomy and Automation in Underwater Acoustics / Underwater Sensing Oceanic Renewable Energy Harvesting System Collaboration of Underwater Technology and Ocean Science and Fishery Marine Ecology and Living Resource, Marine related Climate Change Ocean Environment Monitoring

Ellicott Dredge Technologies (EDT) is pleased to announce that the City of Boise, Idaho chose it to design a Mud Cat 40E Custom (MC-40EC) dredge for the city's innovative Dixie Drain Phosphorous Offset Project. Boise will use the MC-40EC dredge to remove phosphorous from the Boise Watershed.

WT Industries would like to invite you to see the new Contain-a-LARS Demo during the MTS BBQ at the SEANIC TEST TANK.

OSEA2016 The 21st International Oil & Gas Industry Exhibition & Conference 29 Nov – 2 Dec 2016 Tuesday – Friday Marina Bay Sands, Singapore www.osea-asia.com It is less than 6 weeks to OSEA2016! The 4-day exhibition and conference is expected to welcome over 16,000 trade attendees who will be coming together to network, exchange insights about the latest industry developments and seek out new possibilities to level up business capabilities.

Delegates at an industry conference in Moscow, Russia this month will hear how Xodus Group’s integrated approach to oil and gas projects in the Arctic can ensure environmental safety while also minimising costs. The ‘Russian Offshore Oil and Gas Development: Arctic and Far East’ (ROOGD-2016) taking place on October 26, aims to share industry practices in the development of offshore fields and resources of the Arctic shelf.

A pioneering global research centre for earth and marine science and technology based at Heriot-Watt University has been opened by the Deputy First Minister John Swinney. Bringing together the expertise of the British Geological Survey with the academic innovation of Heriot-Watt, the Lyell Centre will ensure future generations of researchers are equipped and capable of meeting the global science and technology challenges facing the world. Through championing innovation, collaboration and enterprise, this Scottish-based research facility is tackling some of the major issues of natural resource and energy supply and security in a sustainable way. Work underway at Lyell by world leading academics and scientists is already looking at solutions to critical global problems - from protecting coastal ecosystems, to understanding how our inland waterways will cope with future needs; from tackling the effects of climate change in Sub-Saharan Africa to finding deep-sea mining solutions that work within our global environment.