20th IALA Conference 2023 Rio de Janeiro - Brazil Marine Aids to Navigation – Innovation for a Sustainable Future

Welcome Message

Commander of the Brazilian Navy

Vice-Admiral Renato Garcia Arruda

It’s an honour and a privilege to Brazil to have the opportunity to host the 20 Conference of the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities - IALA, to be held from 27 May to 3 June, 2023.

The theme of the Conference “Marine Aids to Navigation - Innovation for a Sustainable Future” leads us to reflect on how the innumerable developments of technologies in the most diverse fields of human activity can effectively contribute to increase the Safety of Navigation through modern equipment, networks, systems, and processes of Aids to Navigation.

In a world with increasingly dependence on the use of the sea for peaceful purposes and for people’s prosperity, it is relevant to have Marine Aids to Navigation with a high degree of reliability, contributing to the safeguarding of human life and material goods at sea, in an effective way. Therefore, it can contribute to the economy and efficiency of Marine Traffic, guaranteeing the protection of the environment, by mitigating the possibility of pollutants being discharged into water and atmosphere

Guanabara Bay was discovered at the beginning of the 16th century and, 63 years later, the city of Rio de Janeiro was founded from its west margin. Since then, it has safely sheltered sailors from all over the world, who have been enchanted throughout the years by the majesty of the mountain chain that surrounds and protects the bay, like a natural amphitheatre.

With its intrinsic vocation for the Safety of Navigation, Rio de Janeiro is an ideal place to hold this relevant forum for the international maritime community, inspiring the presentation of new ideas in these days when more than 80% of world trade is carried out by sea. In addition, new demands imposed by the development of means, as can be expected from the advent of autonomous ships, will certainly demand a structure of Aids to Navigation with a high level of resilience, beyond options of backup for continuous Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) solution.

"Innovation for a Sustainable Future” is an instigating theme. The 20th IALA Conference, having as its headquarters a city that naturally evokes the idea of Safety of Navigation, is an incentive for the participation of Aids to Navigation specialists. National, Industrial, Associate, and Honorary IALA Members, as well as Sister’s Organizations of IALA, will have the opportunity to present their innovations proposals suited to current processes, in order to meet the challenge of continuing protection of the environment.

Considering all this, as Commander of the Brazilian Navy and Maritime Authority, I would like to reinforce the previous invitation for you to join us next May, in Rio de Janeiro. I am assured that the next IALA Conference will constitute a milestone in the permanent pursuit of these goals.

Admiral Marcos Sampaio OLSEN
Commander of the Brazilian Navy

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