In the wake of the tsunami disaster of December 2004 that devastated many areas of the region and around the Indian Ocean, renewed emphasis has been placed on the necessity of acquiring and upgrading existing hydrographic and oceanographic equipment and expertise.

Conference
The objectives of the Conference segment of IHOCE’05 was to gather professionals, researchers and academicians from local and international hydrography and oceanography fraternities on an appropriate platform to meet and exchange information and experience on matters related to the maritime sector. The aim was to update the audience on significant issues and trends in the hydrography and oceanography industry locally and globally; and to enhance the region’s maritime surveillance and monitoring capabilities in the 21st century. A total of 27 speakers presented three plenary papers and 22 papers. Speakers brought into central focus the rapidly changing technology of hydrography and oceanography, and issues facing the maritime sector.
The conference attracted more than 150 participants, mostly from local government agencies, private companies and local institutes of higher learning. Unlike the first IHOCE’03, where the conference was divided into two sessions (hydrography and oceanography), this year’s event was run in a single session only. Among the noted speakers was vice-admiral Alexandros Maratos, president of the Directing Committee of the International Hydrographic Bureau. Among the highlights of this year’s conference was discussion of the feasibility of developing and operating a Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System for the Indian Ocean.

Exhibition
The PWTC is a very strategic and well-known venue for exhibitions within this region. The exhibition hall was opened to the public for the whole three days of the event. A total of 24 exhibitors, both local and overseas and drawn from various companies and manufacturers, took part in the exhibition. Among these were Aanderaa Instruments AS of Norway, Atlas Hydrographic Pte Ltd (Australia) and C-Map Malaysia Regional Office.

Final Remarks
IHOCE’05 is organised by F&R Exhibition and Conference Sdn Bhd (F&R) and co-organised by the Universiti Technologi Malaysia (UTM), Hydrographic Department of the Royal Malaysian Navy (HDRMN), National Oceanography Directorate (NOD) of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Malaysia (MOSTI), Malaysian Centre for Remote Sensing (MACRES), and Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA).
The Second International Hydrographic and Oceanographic Industry 2005 provided an excellent opportunity, especially for the Southeast Asia hydrographic and oceanographic communities, to observe, share information and understand the numerous advances and latest developments in the technology and associated skill-sets in the field of hydrography and oceanography.