Sea Tech Week: A global focus on Ireland’s maritime expertise in Brest

Source: Department of Foreign Affairs-Ireland.ie

The Department of Foreign Affairs reported on the Irish activities and engagement at the Sea Tech Week event, which was an annual international event held in Brest, France. The event attracts some of the top experts on marine and maritime research, science and technology. This year, Ireland’s maritime expertise was at the fore of the events, which had a theme of maritime safety and security. Ireland was the country of honour this year, marking the first time in Sea Tech Week’s 20-plus year history that a European country received this recognition

Ireland's impact

A series of workshops with strong Irish involvement took place on topics such as collaboration in the blue economy; connected systems and AI; maritime transport decarbonisation; cybersecurity risks; and resilience at sea. Enterprise Ireland led a workshop on seaport connectivity and Ireland’s offshore wind energy, with Irish companies outlining their solutions to ensure a low-carbon European future.

Sea Tech Week also featured a screening of a documentary charting the success of Tom Dolan, an Irish sailor based in Brittany. Dolan recently won the Solitaire de Figaro, and the film highlights our shared maritime traditions that go beyond scientific and research links.

Opportunities for Irish businesses:

Representatives from Shannon Foynes Port, Port of Waterford, ESB Moneypoint, and the Irish Maritime Development Office were welcomed to the Port of Brest by representatives of the French national and Breton regional governments. Team Ireland was represented by Enterprise Ireland, the IDA and the Embassy of Ireland.

The Department of Foreign Affair's reported that the success of the event was testament to the strong links that exist between Ireland and the region of Brittany, from our historic shared Celtic culture to our enduring people-to-people links and dedication to innovation and research. Ireland will continue close collaboration with France and our EU partners under the Atlantic Strategy, in particular building on France’s legacy as Chair of the Atlantic Strategy Committee.

All stakeholder's are looking forward to 2025, when the city of Cork will host the European Maritime Day, building on the legacy of Brest who hosted in 2023.

More details: https://www.ireland.ie/en/france/sea-tech-week-a-global-focus-on-irelands-maritime-expertise-in-brest/