Innovation in maritime navigation

A report on the conference at Trinity House, London hosted by the General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland, the Royal Institute of Navigation and the Knowledge Transfer Network.

Before introducing the programmed sessions Rear-Admiral Nick Lambert invited the delegates to hold 3 thoughts:

– That the day was not intended to be a ‘give GNSS a kicking’ event. Rather, it should aim to address how new technology might be used to make GNSS even better and more reliable.

– Given that the maritime environment is uniquely difficult and one where ‘backing up’ systems has been, and should be, a sine qua non, the marine user community is well placed to be a ‘bellwether’ for the management of wider societal need for the provision of resilient systems.

– At least part of the issue is the difference in outlook between the new generation of ‘digital natives’ and the present generation of practitioners and
those involved in preparing requirements and standards, who might be termed the ‘transitional generation’.