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Faculty of Applied Science / Mechanical Engineering / 2025 / July / 10 / UBC brings global maritime expertise to Vancouver for International OMAE Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering

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UBC brings global maritime expertise to Vancouver for International OMAE Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering

July 10, 2025

Global members of marine industry and academia come to Vancouver for the OMAE 2025 conference.

The week of June 22 to 27, 2025 over 780 marine engineering industry members from all over the world gathered in Vancouver for the 44th International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering (OMAE). Hosted by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), OMAE is the leading international conference connecting industry and academic research expertise, sharing new knowledge and innovation in ocean, offshore and arctic engineering fields with the global maritime community. This year’s conference was organized by marine engineering experts from the University of British Columbia’s Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NAME) Program, and departments of Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering, and was co-chaired by NAME Director Jon Mikkelsen and NSERC/Seaspan Research Chair Dr. Rajeev Jaiman. The Vancouver conference explored a broad range of technical topics, highlighting the areas of marine robotics and sustainability.

Maritime experts from across the globe connected at OMAE 2025.Held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, the five-day conference featured a variety of opportunities for guests to deepen their knowledge through paper presentations, lectures, and technical sessions, as well as connect with the international maritime community.  The opening ceremony featured a welcome from British Columbia Premier David Eby, and keynotes by Vancouver industry members and NAME program advisors Jim Carr (Senior VP of Engineering, Seaspan ULC) and Robert Allan (Naval Architect and UBC Adjunct Professor). An awards presentation recognized emerging researchers and best paper presentations.

Through the week, guests attended symposia exploring new technological developments ranging from shipbuilding topics like hull vibrations, materials, and propeller-ice interactions to sustainability advances such as harnessing offshore wind and wave energy, and buoyancy simulations enabling ocean plastic cleanup. A special session highlighted the contributions of leading hydrodynamics researcher UBC Professor Emeritus Sander Calisal. Short courses and technical sessions allowed participants to enhance their expertise, including a course on physics-based data driven modeling and machine learning by Dr. Jaiman and fellow NSERC/Seaspan Research Chair Dr. Jasmin Jelovica. Special lectures featured experts on topics like marine turbulent flow simulations and maritime energy guidance; as well as advancements in environmental monitoring, and managing ocean noise to protect marine mammals. Plenary panels featuring UBC faculty experts Dr. Adrienne Desjardins (Seaspan Chair in Robotics for Marine Vessels at UBC), Dr. Jaiman, and Adjunct Professor Dan McGreer as well as local and international speakers further explored environmental issues, discussing the topics AI and Marine Sustainability, and Sustainable Arctic Engineering.

Graduate student volunteers made connections with global maritime industry at OMAE 2025.More than a chance to connect with the latest advances in ocean engineering, the conference provided opportunities to build networks and inspire collaboration within the global maritime engineering community, showcasing Vancouver expertise to the world. In addition to conference-wide networking receptions, a special Robotics Networking Forum moderated by Dr. Desjardins connected industry members, researchers and students on this cutting-edge topic.  Conference volunteers from UBC research labs and graduate programs were able to make new connections with international industry and academia.

Next year, OMAE travels across the Pacific where attendees are invited to join the 45th conference in Tokyo, Japan from June 7-12, 2026. Abstract submissions are open until October 20, 2025.

OMAE Vancouver Organizing Committee

Conference Co-Chairs:

Jon Mikkelsen | Professor of Teaching and Director of the UBC Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Program, UBC Mechanical Engineering

Rajeev Jaiman | Professor and NSERC/Seaspan Research Chair, UBC Mechanical Engineering

Petroleum Division Coordinator:
Ian Frigaard, Professor | UBC Mechanical Engineering

Short Course Coordinator:
Jasmin Jelovica | Associate Professor and NSERC/Seaspan Research Chair, UBC Mechanical Engineering

Volunteer Coordinator:
Mohammed Hannan | Lecturer, UBC Mechanical Engineering

Industry Coordinator:
Bill Rawlings | Lecturer and Capstone Coordinator, UBC Mechanical Engineering

Industry Outreach Coordinators:

Ryozo Nagamune | Professor, UBC Mechanical Engineering

Patrick Kirchen | Associate Professor, UBC Mechanical Engineering

Adrien Desjardins | Professor, UBC Mechanical Engineering & UBC Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Seaspan Chair in Robotics for Marine Vessels at UBC

Coastal Engineering Expert:
Enda Murphy | Assistant Professor, UBC Civil Engineering

Finance and Management Coordinator:
Jen Pelletier | Senior Manager of Administration, UBC Mechanical Engineering

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