The conference is expected to attract over

• 600 delegates,
• 350 to 400 technical presentations, and
• 40 or so exhibitors

from marine and freshwater related industries. Apart from regular presentations by researchers from many different fields of oceans science and technologies, there will also be special sessions on emerging research and technologies organised by experts in those areas.

Special sessions on Marine Archeology and Marine Plastic Pollution are being planned to be organized for the first time in an OCEANS conference.

Another feature of the conference will be sessions and topics focused on local needs and scenarios. We are also looking forward to organizing some exciting keynote sessions by world renowned institutions like Ocean Infinity, Schmidt Oceans Institute and possibly by National Geographic. The exhibitors will be given opportunities to demo their products in a lake next to the conference center.

The much-coveted OCEANS Student poster competition will give students a golden opportunity to travel to the conference, all-expenses-paid, and share their research with the community. The top posters judged by a panel will also be given additional prizes.

 

The Venue: The conference venue, Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention centre is an iconic venue hosting a 150m long infinity swimming pool on top of the world’s largest cantilever platform and also a 340m long SkyPark. This venue is an integrated resort with hotels, shopping malls, convention centers and the world’s largest atrium casino. There are also ‘celebrity chef’ restaurants, museums, floating crystal pavilions and arts-science exhibits. It is worth watching this video, or this one from National Geographic , to understand how this amazing facility was built. Words are not adequate to describe this unique facility and you have to see and experience to believe it.

 

 

 

Technical Visits: Guided tours will be arranged to a couple of facilities in Singapore. One is the Marina Barrage, a dam built across 350m wide Marina channel to keep the seawater out. The facility serves three purposes, a source of freshwater supply, flood control mechanism and also a recreational facility. Find out more about it during your technical tour to the facility.

Another technical tour is planned to the Technology Centre for Offshore & Marine Singapore (TCOMS), which is Singapore’s first R&D Facility for Industry. It hosts the next generation Deepwater Ocean Basin facility equipped with state-of-the-art wave and current generation systems that can simulate harsh marine environments including those in ultra-deep waters.

 

Getting around: The venue is a 20 minute-drive from the airport or about 40 minutes by train (MRT). Plenty of transport options, including buses or taxis, are available. Singapore has a very good and reliable public transport system and hence moving around the city center is easy.  

Attractions: Attending a conference is not just about participation in the technical programme and exhibition. It also provides the delegates over the world an opportunity to explore, understand and experience the unique cultures of the country where conference is being held.

One of the safest countries in the world, Singapore is also the best example of how people of different religious faiths can co-exist in peace and harmony. We hope to showcase a cultural show during the Gala Dinner that would be a blend of local cultures.

A Garden City state with lush green vegetation in an urban setting, good transportation system, world class airport, mouthwatering international cuisine and ease of communication in English language all make it very special for visitors. There are a variety of food available to match everyone’s taste and make sure you do not miss the essential ones. Ask your LOC members or PCO on those ‘must try’ food items.  

Tourist Attractions: There are many tourist attractions in Singapore and to list all of them here is not practical. Night Safari is a very unique attraction where you get to see the animals at night. Singapore Zoo, Gardens by the Bay, Botanical Gardens and National Orchid Garden, Universal Studios, Sentosa Island, China Town, Little India Market, Singapore-Flyer, Clarke Quay boat ride etc., are some of the attractions to name a few. Time permits you should catch a glimpse of Changi Jewel, which is a newly built shopping complex at the airport featuring world’s highest indoor waterfall. The 1-Altitude rooftop gallery and bar, standing at 282 meters and with 360-degree view, is highest alfresco bar in the world.

Being an Easter Weekend, this is also a great opportunity for visiting many neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia, to name a few, which are all 2 to 3hrs by flight from Singapore.

Last but not least, OCEANS 2020 will be held in conjunction with the Singapore AUV Challenge - the largest underwater robotics competition in Asia, that has attracted hundreds of students each year to Singapore. A feast for technology geeks, you will be swept away by the deluge of ideas sparked by the young minds at the competition, who are doing everything they can to make their robots complete designated tasks in a pool environment, and vying for the top prizes. In the process, the students often teach us that there can be no bounds on creativity in technology - an apt lesson to take away for a technology conference like OCEANS.

Singapore AUV challenge is being held from April 3-5th, so if you land a day earlier, you will be right in time to catch the finals of the robotics competition.

We look forward to welcoming you all to Singapore for an exciting conference, where a confluence of scientific minds from academia, industry, defense and other agencies promise to deliver an engaging discussion on ocean technology. Please visit the conference website for more details, and dont miss the important dates. The deadline for abstracts, tutorials, workshops and demo proposals has now been extended to December 13th.