Prince Albert 1st Medal for Juha Korhonen
The Secretary-General and directors, in consultation with representatives of the Government of His Serene Highness (HSH) Prince Albert II of Monaco and after careful consideration of the nominations received, have presented the Prince Albert 1st Medal for Hydrography to Mr Juha Korhonen (Finland), who has recently retired from the Finnish Transport Agency Hydrographic Office.
Mr Korhonen was actively involved in the work of the IHO from 1980 until his retirement in 2014. He played a significant role in the first ENC/ECDIS testing programmes and represented Finland and the Baltic States in many IHO bodies, including the Committee on Hydrographic Requirements for Information Systems (CHRIS), now the Hydrographic Services and Standards Committee (HSSC). He used his extensive knowledge and experience in IHO matters when he represented his region in the IHO Strategic Planning Working Group that developed the new structure of the IHO which now has led to the revised Convention on the IHO and the 1st session of the IHO Assembly.
He was instrumental in establishing a common hydrographic survey plan for the whole of the Baltic Sea, subsequently adopted by the Helsinki Commission which in turn, enabled co-financing from the European Union. Mr Korhonen’s outstanding attention to detail, continuous contribution to the work of the IHO and his success in maximising hydrographic capacity within the Nordic and the Baltic Sea region has served as an excellent example and left a lasting legacy in hydrography that will be enjoyed by mariners, hydrographers and all those that use the sea, for years to come.
