Oceanology International 2022 has now closed, and according to exhibitors and visitors was a resounding success, attracting a total attendance of more than 10,000 over the three days of the show. Four hundred and forty-seven exhibitors from 70 countries helped to make a huge step forward in connecting the global ocean technology community. Visitors were able to explore new solutions for protecting and sustainably operating in the world’s oceans and waterways.

As an added bonus, the show will continue its Oi Connect meeting facility online over March 22^nd and 23^rd, connecting many of the exhibitors from the show with those interested in ocean science and technology. Registration for Oi Connect is open now at Oceanologyinternational.com.

Being the first post-pandemic Oi, exhibitors and visitors were delighted to get back to doing business face-to-face, and business was definitely back on the agenda. The MacArtney Group were happy to report the sale of an e-LARS (Launch and Recovery System) that will go to end-user ROVCO for launching ROVs. Joan Gravengaard, Head of Marketing at MacArtney AS, said: “We have been pleasantly surprised by this first post-pandemic Oi. We like to meet with people who come to shows like this with a purpose, and this is what we have been getting at this event; people can very quickly see that we have something that they can use, and Oi certainly delivered this year.”

Atlantas Marine has been building ROVs for 22 years and is a regular exhibitor at Oi. Business Development Manager David Underwood said: “Our ideal stand visitor would be a Project Manager working in Operations and Maintenance in the offshore wind industry, and we have had several of these land on our stand in the last three days. We’ve also met Maintenance Engineers and Asset Integrity Managers. These are the kind of people who drive future demand for the underwater vehicles that we can provide.”

For XOcean, the show provided a much-missed chance to meet with industry faces and speak about upcoming projects. XOcean’s Marketing and Communications Specialist Ann Deeley said: “It’s been a fantastic opportunity to showcase what we do and get back to meeting many of our clients again in person.”

Seafloor Systems used the event to launch their new Trident vehicle; a rarity in the market as a modular, one-man-portable multibeam compatible USV weighing in at just 32kgs. Josh Gravia, VP Sales, said: “Because our vehicle is so compelling in the flesh, we chose to present it through dockside demos every day of the show. We have attended for the last eight or 10 years and will most definitely be back next time.”

Show Director, David Ince, thanked all concerned, ‘After two years of disruption across the different industries we serve, it was hugely satisfying to be able to open Oi last week in London and to welcome a large section of the global oceanology community to ExCel. We saw thousands of ocean professionals attend, getting back to the core of our business, face-to-face events. Thank you to everyone involved: I look forward to continuing on my Oi journey with you, bringing together the very best the industry has to offer across the Blue Economy, Energy Transition and Ocean Science and Technology sectors.’

Oceanology International London has once again secured its place as a must-visit event in the technology calendar and will be back again in San Diego and Abu Dhabi in 2023 before returning to London in 2024 for another look into the future of Ocean Science from around the world.