Nekton’s Oliver Steeds OBE Honoured on Dynamic Opening Day at Oceanology International

Oceanology International 2026, Excel London, 10th to 12th March

London, UK – 10th March 2026 – Describing the ocean as the most urgent frontier of our time, ocean exploration and marine technology pioneer Oliver Steeds OBE was honoured during an inspirational opening keynote and presentation as the largest ever Oceanology International (Oi26) opened for a dynamic first day.

As the global ocean science and technology community unites once again at Excel London, Oi continues to demonstrate its position as the industry’s unmissable event due to its cutting-edge technology launches, unparalleled networking opportunities and renowned interactive conferences.

The tone was set at the Ocean Futures Theatre during the opening keynote address by Dr Jyotika Virmani, Executive Director, Schmidt Ocean Institute, and the presentation of the prestigious Captain Don Walsh Award for Ocean Exploration to Oliver Steeds OBE, Director, Ocean Census, and Chief Executive, Nekton, in recognition of outstanding achievement.

In his acceptance speech, Oliver Steeds spoke of his deep honour in receiving the award, describing ocean life as the most urgent, most extraordinary frontier of our time. He also highlighted the importance of the Nekton Ocean Census to accelerate the discovery of marine life and a significant Nekton and Schmidt Ocean Institute initiative named Ocean Rising, a project connecting culture and the ocean by ensuring the world’s best story tellers help foster empathy and advocacy for the ocean’s protection.

With record crowds excited to be back together on the first of three days at Oi26, Teledyne Marine was among a plethora of companies to exclusively reveal new technology and innovations with the launch of the SeaBat D100 multibeam system, the first in the new D-Series for deep-water applications. Designed for surface vessels operating in depths up to 3000 metres, it delivers SeaBat-class data quality, resolution and reliability in a compact, deployment-ready configuration.

On the stand, customers, partners and industry colleagues attended a champagne reception to mark the 50th anniversary of Teledyne RESON, a globally recognised leader in underwater acoustic solutions.

“We’re proud to unveil the D-Series at Oi26, a major step forward in deep-water multibeam technology,” said Pim Kuus, Senior Hydrographer and Product Manager of Instruments & Imaging at Teledyne Marine. “The SeaBat D100 is designed for rapid, flexible deployment, while our Integrated Dual Head and navigation solutions deliver higher efficiency and precision. Together, they showcase the next generation of capabilities in marine surveying.”

In another high-profile launch, Fugro revealed its latest uncrewed surface vessel (USV), Blue Prism®, set to redefine the future of marine site characterisation with enhanced capabilities.

Fugro further announced it has been awarded a contract by Oriel Windfarm Ltd to deliver a detailed geotechnical site investigation that will inform the design and installation of foundations for 25 offshore wind turbines. Located off the coast of County Louth, the 375 MW project is planned to be among Ireland’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farms and is being jointly developed by JERA Nex bp and the Irish semi-state utility ESB.

Kongsberg Discovery announced the successful development of a revolutionary step forward in resilient, accurate and accessible navigation technology, unveiling a groundbreaking north-seeking micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) solution. 

The coming product is seen as a gamechanger within positioning and inertial navigation, with far reaching potential. 

Kongsberg Discovery has a long-standing co-operation with Oi exhibitor Silicon Sensing Systems, whose inertial sensor technology is central to the new navigation device.

BlueConneX, a new market intelligence platform, announced its launch at Oi. Developed under the Marine Technology Society’s Ocean Enterprise Initiative, BlueConneX delivers connective intelligence for the Ocean Enterprise — providing professionals across the ocean value chain with the cross-sector visibility and decision support needed to navigate the ocean observing space.

Deep Trekker officially unveiled the next evolution in subsea robotics: SPECTRA, the company’s next-generation ROV. SPECTRA is a deep-rated inspection and survey ROV, engineered to set a new benchmark in underwater inspections. Designed for deep water, high-current operations, precision station holding, real-time 3D sonar SLAM, and integrated 4K stereo vision, SPECTRA introduce a new performance class of portable ROV. 

“SPECTRA brings completely new capabilities to Deep Trekker, enabling us to push the boundaries of what can be achieved with our portable ROVs - something we have been known for since our beginnings,” said Deep Trekker President, Alan Middup. “We have taken a ground-up engineering approach, factoring in the broad experience we have built up from over a decade of developing subsea robotic systems. That makes SPECTRA the first in a new generation of ROV technology, one that we are incredibly excited to be launching.”

Designed for researchers, integrators, and subsea platform developers, Popoto Modem introduced SeaSignal, a next-generation Digital Recording Hydrophone built for demanding field work, delivering ultra-high fidelity audio, over 24 hours internal battery life, and programmable/scriptable operation. 

First-time exhibitors Skarv Technologies launched its Corax 600 AUV-system, a purpose-built vehicle system optimised for high-resolution optical and acoustical seafloor mapping.

Petter Norgren-Aamot, Chief Technology Officer, Skarv Technologies, said: “Oi is a new experience for us. It was the natural step for us as we take the product internationally.”

In the new COAST segment, the sector’s key companies gathered to highlight their specialist solutions, marking a successful launch of a dedicated Oi focus on coastal resilience, infrastructure and engineering.

During the first day at Oi26, thousands of visitors took the opportunity to see more than 450 exhibitors from around the globe demonstrate their solutions, with an unprecedented 150 companies introducing new technologies and innovations.

A compelling line-up of speakers took to the stage for the first day of the Oi conference programme, debating and tackling today’s most pressing challenges in front of audiences in the Ocean Futures Theatre, COAST Theatre and other locations.

The second day of Oi26 on Wednesday 11th March, will feature another packed schedule of new product presentations and live demonstrations including WiSense’s launch of the latest in Underwater Digital Intelligence and the showcase of the Myra ROV by Hoytek.

Oceanology International 2026 visitor registration is open via the Oi26 website.