To: IAIN member Institutes and organisations around the world,

Season’s Greetings from the UK! On behalf of myself, and also Simon Gaskin our Secretary General and the IALA Secretariat, may we take this opportunity to wish you all the best for a successful and rewarding 2020.

For IAIN, 2020 plans include further strengthening participation in the activities of the international and intergovernmental organisations with which we have agreed to be involved, including improving the associated reporting to members; continuing the review of the Association’s strategy and priorities which was started in 2019; and calling for nominations for our unique global awards, which will be presented at the World Congress in Edinburgh in November 2021. You will have seen an announcement that the Awards Panel has been established and I would encourage as many quality nominations for the awards as possible.

The Royal Institute of Navigation held a very well-received International Navigation Conference at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre in November 2019. The venue, city and evening venues were all excellent, giving us great confidence for the IAIN 2021 World Congress, which is being held at the same conference centre. The European Group of Institutes of Navigation, EUGIN, has also agreed that the 2021 European Navigation Conference should be run with the IAIN 2021 World Congress at the same time – the aim of all concerned is to have a truly global gathering with the widest possible participation. Please mark your calendars now: 15-18 November 2021.

RIN is also actively supporting the 2020 European Navigation Conference, run by the German Institute of Navigation. I hope to see many of you in Dresden in May 2020.

Best wishes,

John Pottle President IAIN

The IAIN Awards Committee for 2021 (AC21) has been appointed and will consist of:

Prof. Youfang Huang (CIN) (President)

Capt. Hesham Helal (AIN) (Vice President)

Prof. Hiroyuki Oda (JIN)

Capt. Peter Chapman-Andrews RN (RIN)

Eng. Mario Caporale (IIN)

Mr. Bart Banning (NIN)

Prof. Naser El-Sheimy (ION)

From Tokyo on 30 December it was announced that ClassNK has released the first issue of its new publication ClassNK Technical Journal, focusing on digitalization in this edition.

ClassNK Technical Journal is a comprehensive technical publication that supersedes ClassNK Technical Bulletin, a publication that was formerly being published by the Society, to better provide its technical knowledge to the maritime industry where innovative R&D and technical development are in demand.

From our Austrian member institute, the Österreichischer Verein für Navigation, we have received word of the latest issue of their regular publication, The Navigation Flashlight. It is published three times a year, currently in its nineteenth year of publication and it is in German.

In the US the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded six contracts for work on the Angler programme, which aims to pioneer the next generation of autonomous underwater robotic systems capable of physical intervention in the deep ocean environment. It is understood that this class of future unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) must overcome reliance on GPS and human intervention to support infrastructure establishment, maintenance, and resilience over the vastness of the ocean. Furthermore, the Angler programme seeks to merge breakthroughs in terrestrial and space robotics, as well as underwater sensing, to develop autonomous robotic solutions capable of navigating and surveying ocean depths, and physically manipulating human-made objects of interest.

ITM/PTTI 2020 will be held from 21 to 24 January, 2020 at the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay, San Diego, California. Register by Friday, 3 January and save $200 on registration rates for The Institute of Navigation’s co-located (ION) International Technical Meeting (ITM) and the Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting (PTTI). Please, complete your registration by Friday 3 January.

The International Technical Program is the ION’s winter meeting with peer-reviewed technical papers related to positioning, navigation and timing and includes the ION Fellows and Annual Awards presentations.

PTTI is the technical conference designed to disseminate and coordinate PTTI information at the user level; review present and future PTTI requirements; inform government and industry engineers, technicians and managers of precise time and frequency technology and its problems; and provide an opportunity for an active exchange of new technology associated with PTTI.

IMO reported on 29 November that the organization’s Assembly had elected the following States to be Members of its Council for the 2020-2021 biennium: Category (a): ten States with the largest interest in providing international shipping services: China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Norway, Panama, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, United States; Category (b): ten States with the largest interest in international seaborne trade: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Arab Emirates; Category (c): twenty States not elected under (a) or (b) above, which have special interests in maritime transport or navigation and whose election to the Council will ensure the representation of all major geographic areas of the world: Bahamas, Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand and Turkey.

The IMO Council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the Assembly, for supervising the work of the Organization. Between sessions of the Assembly, the Council performs all the functions of the Assembly, except that of making recommendations to Governments on maritime safety and pollution prevention.

The Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management together with IALA and the City of Rotterdam are the host organizations for the 14th IALA Symposium to be held from 25 to 29 May 2020 in the Postillion Convention Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

This event will be the first symposium in its kind combining the topics of modern Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) and the implementation of maritime services under the e-Navigation concept.

Programme is now available.

The Israel Navigation Workshop and Exhibition (INWE20) is a biennial event organized and sponsored by the Israel Association for Automatic Control (IAAC). The IAAC is a non-profit organization congregating a large number of members from Academe and Industry interested in the broad areas of Control and System Theory. IAAC is also a member of IAIN.

Following the huge success of previous events (more than 200 participants and 20 companies participating in the exhibition in 2018), the 2020 edition of the Israel Navigation Workshop and Exhibition has been scheduled for 27 January at the Daniel Hotel in Herzliya, Israel.

Programme and registration

ENC is the International Navigation Conference organized by the European Institutes of Navigation. ENC 2020 will be held in Dresden, Germany at a venue adjacent to the famous Elbufer, which is one of the most beautiful baroque structures.

To quote the organisers: ‘In navigation we currently see a number of important developments. Galileo and Beidou are about to achieve full operations. The first GPS III satellite has been launched. The experimental NTS-3 is under preparation. All systems are planning for the future, considering options such as inter-satellite links, optical time standards and new approaches using satellites at other altitudes. In addition, the industrialization of atom wave inter-ferometric inertial units has been announced recently.’

It was with immense shock that we learnt of the loss of Professor David Last, former President of the Royal Institute of Navigation (2005-2008), in an air accident off Anglesey, North Wales, on 25 November. His aircraft was reported missing after an extensive search which had to be suspended due to extreme weather, according to North Wales Police and HM Coastguard.

Professor Last was globally respected in the positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) communities. As recently as last week (19-21 November) he was taking an active role in the RIN’s International Navigation Conference in Edinburgh as one observer put it: ‘A gentle driving force with a great intellect.’

ION GNSS+ is the world’s largest technical meeting and showcase of GNSS technology, products and services. This year’s conference will bring together international leaders in GNSS and related positioning, navigation and timing fields to present new research, introduce new technologies, discuss current policy, demonstrate products and exchange ideas.

Submit your abstract today for ION GNSS+ 2020. The abstract deadline is March 5, 2020.

The IEEE/Institute of Navigation (ION) Positioning, Location and Navigation Symposium (PLANS) 2020 program is now available online.

IEEE/ION PLANS 2020 technical program will be centered around four technical tracks including Inertial Sensing and Technology; Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS); Integrated, Collaborative, and Opportunistic Navigation; and Applications to Automated, Semi-Autonomous, and Fully Autonomous Systems.

In addition to a commercial exhibit, this year’s program includes half-day pre-conference tutorials: Fundamentals of Inertial Navigation.

This year’s conference features researchers and engineers from around the globe, who will present their latest work in positioning and navigation technologies. Presentations range from fundamental research, to applications, to field test results with a particular emphasis on inertial navigation. Technical sessions cover a range of subjects for both beginners and seasoned professionals.

Containers tumbling into the sea, environmental damage – with reports of navigational error a seeming fact of life The Swedish Club has launched a new edition of Navigational Claims, which aims to provide an insight into the causes of these incidents and offers comprehensive loss prevention advice in order to avoid them.

The Swedish Club’s Loss Prevention team has reviewed its claims history, using its comprehensive bank of statistics to publish an insight into the latest trends, provide detailed case studies, highlight relevant International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS), and share commentary from a qualified pilot with first-hand experience of issues during port transit.

From Berlin the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on 20 November released analysis showing that a more competitive air transport sector in the Netherlands could generate 40,000 new jobs and nearly €8 billion in extra GDP for that nation’s economy by 2037.

An IATA study, Netherlands Air Transport Regulatory Competitiveness Indicators, recommends that to maximize the employment and prosperity opportunities created by a successful air transport industry, the Netherlands should:

– Increase the cap on aircraft movements and ensure cost-effective expansion of Dutch airports

– Avoid the introduction of new environmental taxes

– Continue to maintain slot allocation policy in line with EU and global best practice.

Every year 7 December marks the annual World Civil Aviation Day. This year it has even more significance as it has been 75 years since the signing of the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation. In ICAO’s words: ‘This calls for a celebration!’

From now until 7 December, ICAO wants to hear from you. They say: ‘Tell us on social media how civil aviation impacts your life. Show us how aviation has brought you to places you dreamed of visiting. Tell us how it has united you with your loved ones, share how aviation plays a role in your work, travels, etc. We’re looking for a variety of stories and we will be featuring the most inspiring ones on 7 December.’

Building on the success of the first two European Shipping Weeks, in 2015 and 2017, the third will take place between 17 and 21 February 2020. The week will feature an array of events with high-profile keynote speakers from the world of shipping and the European institutions.

European Shipping Week is a platform where EU policy-makers can meet and engage with European shipowners and other stakeholders from the maritime sector. Focus is on shipping, in all its different aspects, including the participation of sectors linked to the shipping industry.

On 11 November the Danish Maritime Authority announced that the EU-budget for structural funds is in its final phase of the current budget period and that there are still some funding opportunities available for maritime projects.

The Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme1 has open calls for seed money projects with a deadline of 9 December. Companies and organizations can apply for seed money, which may be used in projects that falls in line with the EU’s macro-regional strategy for the Baltic region. It is understood that it is possible to apply for funds up to €50,000.

What does your agenda look like for 18-21 November?

At INC2019 you would be spending the week in Edinburgh with a schedule that includes these highlights:

Monday – Pre-Conference Training Short Course

Monday evening – Meet the Lord Provost at a drinks reception at Akva

Tuesday morning – Hear from keynote speakers including Prof Sheila Rowan, the Chief Scientific Advisor to Scotland, and Dana Goward, President of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation

Tuesday afternoon – Enjoy Prof Todd Humphrey’s keynote on geolocation before going to the National Museum of Scotland to raise a glass with Dolly the Sheep

Wednesday morning – Find out why people get lost inside buildings in the Human Navigation session

Wednesday afternoon – Get the latest from the GNSS Technical Director for the UK Space Agency, Andy Proctor, and relax at the networking event in the exhibition hall

Thursday morning – Tommy Cooke, CEO of Calnex Solutions, provides a summary of the latest on resilient timing

Thursday afternoon – End the conference on a high with keynotes from DSTL and the NATS’ Drone Lead, Andy Sage

Don’t miss out – register now!

On 20 October the first non-stop commercial airline flight from New York to Sydney landed after 19 hours 16 minutes in the air.

A total of 49 passengers and crew were on the flight, which was used to run a series of experiments to assess health and well-being onboard. It is understood that data from these experiments will be used to help shape the crew rostering and customer service of Qantas’ ultra long haul flights in future including what is known as Project Sunrise.

Tests ranged from monitoring pilot brain waves, melatonin levels and alertness, through to exercise classes for passengers.

Cabin lighting and in-flight meals were also adjusted to help reduce jetlag, according to the medical researchers and scientists who have partnered with Qantas.

INC 2019 is to be held from 18-21 November 2019 at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

Registration is now ope, ticket pricing options are available.

RIN members may take advantage of discounted rates, and are advised to ensure they have signed in to their rin.org.uk account before purchasing tickets to ensure that this discount is applied.

Student rates are also available to anybody in full-time education.

The World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) is to be held from 28 Oct-22 Nov, and will address requirements for some of the advanced technological innovations set to play a pivotal role in tomorrow’s digital economy with immense implications for the trillion-dollar telecommunication and ICT industry. This event will be preceded by the Radiocommunication Assembly 2019 (RA-19), 21-25 October. Delegates will gather at Sharm El-Sheikh International Congress Centre (SHICC).

Held every three to four years, the WRC is mandated to review and revise the Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the use of radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits.

WRC-19 will facilitate the management of scarce orbit/spectrum resources in the interest of end-users, with global implications for both policy-makers and the industry.

The 11th Tripartite Meeting of the Heads of the European Telecommunications Satellite Organisation (EUTELSAT IGO), the International Mobile Satellite Organisation (IMSO) and the International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation (ITSO) took place at the IMSO Headquarters in London, on 5 September 2019.

Focus was placed on the issue of capacity-building, with the attendees agreeing to continue their commitment to capacity building initiatives related to effective use of satellite based telecommunications, reinforcement of partnerships and long term sustainability of satellite activities.

They also discussed the co-operation required between their organisations in view of the current climate of rapid evolution in the satellite communication market. The meeting reached a consensus that the dissemination of information and sharing of best practices in use and development of satellite-based telecommunication services was imperative for the organisations.

Oceanology International is turning 50 as the world’s largest ocean technology exhibition and conference. New features, free interactive seminars and 500+ exhibitors will join the celebration in the only event that brings together the 3 key players in the industry: businesses, academics and government.

Oceanology International 2020 is where you will have the opportunity to be where the industry meets. And better yet: for free!

The show is a hub for innovation and information, and opportunities emerge everywhere. It will connect you to the industry experts writing the future. Our free conference sessions and live demonstrations will boost your technical and market knowledge.

From 10 to 14 May 2020 FIG and the Dutch local organisers will welcome surveyors to Amsterdam. FIG Working Week is an exciting week-long conference that brings the international community of surveying and spatial professionals together to experience a mix of interesting technical sessions and workshops, a trade exhibition and a variety of side events and social functions.

The Working Week 2020 is an opportunity for the entire FIG community to meet, discuss, learn and get inspired on overall emerging challenges currently faced by our world. As Surveyors and related professions, we have not only the ability but the responsibility to actively participate in the solutions of these challenges. The technical programme will consist of around 500 presentations in the broad field of surveying including best practices and new research on sensing technologies and spatial data processing.