Conference Overview
The Society of Naval Architects of Korea held the 2019 Joint Academic Conference of the Korean Association of Ocean Science and Technology Societies (KAOSTS) along with five academic societies that are leading the advancement of marine science and technology in Korea. The purpose of this academic conference was to seek innovations in marine science and technology with the aim of responding proactively to future changes in the ocean environment. It thereby facilitated discussions on creating new business opportunity in marine industries, Korea’s path to becoming a global maritime power, and measures for implementing innovation and growth at the national level.
Conference Details
The KAOSTS Joint Academic Conference was held at the International Convention Center, Jeju, from May 15 (Wed.) to May 17 (Fri.), 2019, with the theme of “One Ocean: The Future of Innovative Growth.” Sponsored by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the conference was a great success. It had about 950 presented papers, and was attended by over 2,000 professionals, researchers, professors, and students in the field of marine science and technology, along with government officials. Joint workshops were held on technologies for dealing with arctic issues, fine dust inflow to and pollution of the oceans, construction of a smart maritime logistics system, IMO environmental regulations and eco-friendly ship technologies, marine energy development and utilization, Future Marine Science and Technology Awards papers presented by the award winners, etc. On each of these topics, there were R&D and policy presentations, discussion sessions, and much more. A marine equipment exhibition was also held, with 21 booths sponsored by 17 companies.
Conference Results
The keynote speech for the joint symposium was delivered by the former President and CEO of Samsung Engineering, Choong Heum Park, who gave a presentation on the construction of an innovative growth model by citing various cases from the shipbuilding and marine industry. Then experts in various fields participated in a wide array of academic discussions. The symposium was followed by the Future Marine Science and Technology Awards Ceremony, which was newly established last year to select outstanding papers by Korean graduate students in the field of marine science and technology so as to facilitate continuous development and foster talented researchers in the field. Eleven people were selected for the Grand, Best, and Special Prizes, thus contributing to academic development in the field of marine science and technology, and boosting the morale and confidence of young researchers. Furthermore, over the course of the two days, there were presentation sessions hosted by individual societies as well as joint workshops on themes such as technologies for dealing with arctic issues, fine dust inflow to and pollution of the oceans, construction of a smart maritime logistics system, IMO environmental regulations and eco-friendly ship technologies, marine energy development and utilization, and Future Marine Science and Technology Awards papers presented by the award winners. Through these sessions and workshops, the level of expertise in each marine science and technology sector was raised, and a wide variety of discussion forums for interdisciplinary convergence were provided.
Through this joint conference, the participants reaffirmed that they should do their very best to promote marine science and technology. It was found necessary for all branches of government to allocate relevant budgets for the efficient implementation of policies that have been established. Specialists in marine science and technology pledged to make continuous efforts to secure Korea’s growth momentum through advancements in the field, to nurture human resources for making such advancements, to raise public understanding of the field, and to promote marine culture.
The next regular general meeting and fall academic conference will be hosted by the Society of Naval Architects of Korea at the Hwabaek International Convention Center, Gyeongju, on October 24 (Thu.) and 25 (Fri.), 2019.
