Group photo of participants at the 2026 IAIN Officers’ Meeting

On 27 April, the International Association of Institutes of Navigation (IAIN) held its Officers’ Meeting in Vienna, Austria. The meeting was chaired by IAIN President Prof. Zhang Baochen. Attending the meeting were all officers including the Senior Vice President, Vice Presidents, Secretary General, and Treasurer, as well as IAIN representatives to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the US Positioning, Navigation and Timing Advisory Board (US PNT). Observers from navigation institutes of China, the United Kingdom, Italy,Poland, and the United States also participated.

The meeting received reports on the 2025 financial accounts and the 2026 financial status, the recent activities of IAIN representatives to international organizations, progress on the preparations for the 2027 and 2030 IAIN World Congresses, and the maintenance and operation of the IAIN website. The meeting reviewed and approved the composition of the new IAIN Awards Committee, the formation plan and annual work programme of the Technical Committee. Discussions were held on preparations for the next Officers’ transition next year. It was decided to immediately initiate the nomination process for the next term of Officers, the nomination of rotating members of the Technical Committee, and a consultation on the Technical Committee’s operating rules. The formation of the Technical Committee and the review of IAIN’s first technical standard are to be completed within the year.

The meeting highly commended the achievements made since the previous Officers’ Meeting, including in the participation in intergovernmental international organizations affairs, the establishment and drafting of operating rules for the Technical Committee, the formation of the Awards Committee, the development of a terminology standard for autonomous ships, and the content maintenance and operation of the IAIN website.

It was decided that a second Officers’ Meeting and the first meeting of the Technical Committee will be held within the year.