Chris’ Notes from North America
Our CEO Chris Goldsworthy has been on the move, delivering a keynote at the Gulf Coast Branch conference in Houston and attending the launch of our Canada Atlantic Branch. Here he shares his reflections of the trip.
One of the highlights of my role is getting out to meet members, so it was a pleasure to be able to connect with so many of them last week.
My first stop was Houston, a truly strategic city when it comes to the marine industry. Many of the world’s energy giants have headquarters or offices in the city, meaning the decisions, innovations, and discussions happening there are shaping the energy transition. For this reason, I journeyed to Texas eager to engage with leading voices in policy and technology.
On Wednesday I delivered the keynote opening at the Houston Branch conference, which was a wonderful event, focussing on next generation offshore ecosystems. I was struck by how passionate people were about the diverse topics being discussed, as well as the groundswell of support for the IMarEST and how it supports its members.
There was lots of lively debate, and I left feeling truly inspired. I’m particularly thankful to Dr Nimi Abili, the branch chair, and the team that organised the successful conference, including the co-hosts, DNV.
The branch also set up very productive meetings across the state. There was a lot of travelling involved (Texas is huge) but I was heartened to discover that there was a healthy appetite for membership and accreditation services. Companies, class societies, universities, and maritime academies all felt they could benefit from the advantage IMarEST membership affords.
Then it was on to Newfoundland in Canada, a big change in scenery, and, surprisingly, the weather was nearly as warm as the welcome! With the longest coastline of any country in the world, Canada is fundamental to the marine industry in a myriad of ways. In fact, the marine industry there currently employs over 100,000 people across public and private sectors.
However, over the next decade, an estimated 43% of the maritime workforce will retire, leaving 19,000 vacant seafarer jobs, alongside many more onshore roles. It’s a crucial time to ensure that the industry has the support it needs to evolve, which is where the IMarEST can, and will, play an instrumental role.
The Canada Atlantic Branch has come about through the hard work of some very committed members, including Ashley Noseworthy and Shelly Petten. It’s a great example of how our volunteers power the IMarEST, enabled by our executive team.
The launch was held at, and supported by, the Memorial University (Marine Institute), St Johns, and attended by government representatives, marine professionals, and local media. I was delighted to give a talk, alongside the Honourable Andrew Parsons, KC - Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, Shelly Petten, and Dr Paul Brett of the Marine Institue.
The atmosphere was hugely positive, and the new branch was favourably received. In fact, the launch was a testament to all involved, including our partners Memorial University’s Fisheries and Marine Institute, and Oceans Advance.
After the event, I felt very proud that marine professionals across the region will now have access to a range of benefits, including technical lectures, conferences networking events, career support, and professional growth. And there are many more exciting initiatives for members in the pipeline too.
Atlantic Canada Branch joins our network of 50 branches across the world, which work closely with local organisations and the marine community. I'm looking forward to watching and of course, supporting, the Canadian Branch’s evolution.
Now I’m back in London, and my trip has left me hopeful that the wonderful work happening in Houston, alongside the launch of IMarEST Canada Atlantic, will inspire many more branches across the nations of North America and elsewhere.