Record Visitor Numbers and a Rise in Innovation Marks Milestone Year for Oceanology International

The mood on the show floor was consistently upbeat, with exhibitors reporting high-quality conversations, strong leads and a clear appetite for new technology.

Guy Frankland, Head of Marketing, Teledyne Marine, said: “Oi is the biggest event in the marine calendar for us and a fantastic opportunity to meet customers. In 2026, we have our biggest stand and it looks fantastic. It has been really busy with great engagement from customers. At Oi, we showcase a range of technology from the different brands - Teledyne Marine, Teledyne FLIR and Teledyne CARIS - under one banner. We also held a reception on the stand to celebrate RESON’s 50th anniversary.”

Alan Middup, President, Deep Trekker, said: “Oi26 has been good for the launch of SPECTRA, our next-generation ROV. It is designed for offshore, harsh conditions, with higher payload capacity, more power. With its high specifications, it is still small and highly manoeuvrable. Oi offers exposure to many companies and a chance to catch up with partners and technology, and with distributors in Europe. It is important to hear the problems which need to be solved face-to-face.”  

Petter Norgren-Aamot, Chief Technology Officer, Skarv Technologies, said: “We launched our Corax 600 AUV-system, a purpose-built vehicle system optimised for high-resolution optical and acoustical seafloor mapping. It is our first time exhibiting, so Oi is a new experience for us which has been really good. It was the natural step for us as we take the product internationally.”

Anneke Lafeber, Regional Events Manager, Fugro, said: “Blue Prism, our latest USV, has been the main launch at Oi26. It is an important show with a strong emphasis on survey work. We find it good for networking, there are lots of suppliers here, plus we can catch up with operational level clients who are visiting. It is also a learning experience and a chance to get updated with new technology. We returned this year with a different format and it has been very successful.”

Dan Lovering, Sales Operations Manager, English Braids, said: “Oi is always a great place to secure high quality leads and to discuss projects we wouldn’t otherwise know about. We are here to highlight made-in-the-UK products you can trust. We see a lot of technical people at our stand, those designing solutions, project managers looking to procure equipment and winch companies who use rope.”  

Higgin Ko, Vice President, iBULe Photonics, said: "The response to our new hydrophone technology at Oceanology International was extremely positive. It was a valuable event for meeting industry leaders and demonstrating the potential of our world first 3rd generation single crystal acoustic sensing technology, which represents a major advancement in underwater detection capability.”

Vanlu Madarame, Director of Executive Operations, from first-time exhibitors Bedrock, said: “It is our first time with a booth at Oi26 and it has been very busy. It is known as THE ocean tech conference so it was a great opportunity for us to put our best foot forward. It was the right time for us to attend as we now have proven seabed data. It is time to tell the world what we have been up to, what we can do and what we will do. To have a presence at Oi next to so many established industry players is a sign of our growth and capabilities. We walked the floor at Oi24 so it is really exciting to have a stand like this in 2026, to see the big companies together and to be part of this community. What an honour!”  

Visitor feedback echoed this positive sentiment, with attendees from industry, government and academia – from engineers, hydrographers and geotechnics to energy professionals, oceanographers, site investigators, marine surveyors, students and many more – highlighting the quality of content, access to expertise and breadth of technology on show.

Tom Bettle, Consultant, Hefring, said: "We visited Oceanology International to connect with organisations whose technologies complement our own and to explore new collaboration opportunities across the ocean technology sector. Hefring Marine, one of just 15 NATO Diana partners in the maritime domain for 2026, is widely recognised for its tactical operational intelligence and safety solutions for professional vessels, helping operators make smarter, safer decisions at sea. As our technology is increasingly applied across ocean science, offshore operations and maritime autonomy, Oi provides a valuable platform to meet partners working at the forefront of marine innovation."  

The exhibition floor and dockside were buzzing with launches and exclusive announcements throughout the show, with major news from Day One and Day Two news making headlines across the ocean technology community.

On the final day of Oi, Fugro announced further commitment to The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 project, a flagship programme of the United Nations Ocean Decade. As the Ocean Decade reaches its halfway point, Fugro is expanding the group of vessels actively contributing to the Seabed 2030 project. Fugro’s largest vessels, working on geotechnical surveys, are now also contributing to the collection of ocean-floor data alongside the original and ongoing geophysical fleet.   

Under the new commitment, Fugro has begun collecting Single Beam Echo Sounder (SBES) bathymetry data from its geotechnical fleet during vessel transits. This higher number of vessels broadens the scope and cadence of ocean-floor data collected and contributed to Seabed 2030. The expansion complements Fugro’s existing in-transit multibeam echosounder (MBES) programme on the geophysical fleet, marking a significant step forward in the race to produce a definitive, publicly available map of the entire ocean by 2030. 

Revealed publicly for the first time at the show, the new Teledyne Marine SeaBat D-Series was the company’s focus across the three days. The launch headlines Teledyne RESON’s 50th anniversary celebrations and forms the centre piece of a broader technology showcase that includes a new Integrated Dual Head multibeam configuration, autonomous platform integrations, and live on-water demonstrations.

GeoAcoustics announced the first sale of its newly launched GeoMB 401 multibeam echosounder, with the order placed by Australian channel partner No Humes during Oi26.   

“Oceanology International is where the industry comes to see technologies that genuinely move the field forward, and GeoMB was one of the stand-out launches at this year’s show,” said Cory Brooks, Director of No Humes.

Richard Dowdeswell, CCO at GeoAcoustics, added: “Seeing the first GeoMB system ordered during the week of launch is a strong endorsement of the need for a practical multibeam solution for today’s survey environment. Our partnership with No Humes allows us to make the system available in Australia, where there is strong demand for dependable and cost-effective hydrographic technology.”  

Oceanology International also saw strong interest in another new system from GeoAcoustics, the GeoPulse LF 101 low-frequency boomer sub-bottom profiler. Launched alongside GeoMB at the event, the system attracted attention from survey companies and research organisations seeking deeper sediment penetration for geotechnical and geological investigations.

The next Oceanology International event at Excel London takes place from 14th to 16th March, 2028, when the global ocean technology community will reconvene to write the next chapter in ocean innovation together.   

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