IC-ENC and NOAA to Enter Into a Collaborative Partnership

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have entered into the initial phase of becoming the 38th national hydrographic office to join IC-ENC’s increasing family of members. The 2015 IC-ENC annual Steering Committee meeting in Munich, Germany approved NOAA’s intended membership of IC-ENC and endorsed a proposal for NOAA and IC-ENC to establish a fourth regional office of IC-ENC in Washington, DC, USA.

The membership arrangements, and the inclusion of the new office into IC-ENC’s global operating framework, are now subject to detailed analysis and development by the NOAA and IC-ENC teams. Further announcements will follow as the IC-ENC North America office develops full operating capability during 2016.

NOAA currently produces and maintains over 1000 ENCs. IC-ENC’s Production Support including Capacity Building (Training) and Independent Validation services will be delivered to NOAA via the IC-ENC North America office. The NOAA ENCs will form part of the global ICENC folio, and be included in IC-ENC’s ENC Distribution service, achieved through the main ICENC office in the UK, IC-ENC is looking forward to working in partnership with NOAA and assisting in sustaining this ENC coverage.