Program of the OCEANS’09 IEEE Bremen Plenary Session
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
09:00 - 09:10 h
Opening remarks by the organisers and the president of the IEEE Oceanic Engineering
Society, Mr. Jerry C. Carrol
09:10 - 09:25 h
Welcome by the city of Bremen- Minister for Economic Affairs and Ports of the state of Bremen, Minister Ralf Nagel
Ralf Nagel is Minister for Economic Affairs and Ports of the State of Bremen since June 2007. He graduated in 1985 and started working as a scientific employee for the Member of the Bundestag Gunter Huonker. After different positions in the field of Building and Urban Affairs within the Social Democratic Party and in public administration he first became Undersecretary for this sector and then Undersecretary for Economy and Technology in the State of Sachsen- Anhalt. He joined the federal government as an Undersecretary for Transport, Building and Urban Affairs in 2000.
09:25 - 09:45 h
The European contribution to global environmental programs, Director of Directorate I, Environment, of the European Commission, Ms. Manuela Soares
Manuela Soares was born in Potugal, where she attended the University of Porto and received an MSc, followed by a PhD, in Chemical Engineering. She then took up a position as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering within the Faculty of Engineering of the Universiyt of Porto.
Manuela Soares joined the Research Directorate- General of the European Commission in 1987, where she has held the posts of Scientific Officer, Head of Unit, Adviser and finally Director of the Environment Programme in the Research Directorate- General.
09:45 - 10:05 h
Ocean engineering progress, driven by maritime safety and security needs,
François-Régis Martin- Lauzer, Director NURCDr. François-Régis Martin-Lauzer is the Director of NURC, the NATO research centre located in Italy. The Centre is engaged in naval science and technology research as a response to requirements of the 28 nations of the Atlantic Alliance and is the heir to the well-known SACLANTCen of the Cold War, the lab of the NATO Atlantic Command which trained 3 generations of underwater acousticians and oceanographers of the Western World while developing systems to chase submarines. Dr Martin-Lauzer graduated in Mathematics, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, and in internal & external Geophysics, with a doctorate in Material Science. As a commissioned deck officer and surveyor, he pioneered real-time ocean forecasting for military applications at the end of the 80’s (e.g. SSBN & SSN patrols), as well as for civil security applications (e.g. oil spill & drift). Over the years, he switched interest to underwater robotics and unmanned systems for ocean engineering applications, then to manned submarine design and construction. After the restructuring of the French Defense industry and the withdrawal of state agencies from S&T and R&D, he retired from the French MoD to be sales & development manager in the corporate sector. Currently he provides executive direction for NURC’s research programmes, working closely with the Centre’s Chief Scientist, with the NATO Research and Technology Board and the NATO Naval Armaments group of the Conference of NATO national armaments directors in the identification, prioritization, and support of specific areas of science and technology development where the major focus is on dual technologies that can be used for maritime safety & security as well as the protection of the natural environment. Dr Martin-Lauzer holds the rank of RADM Eng. in the reserve.
10:05 - 10:25 h
The role of ocean technology in marine research – Chair of the German Marine Research Consortium KDM, Prof. Gerold Wefer
Gerold Wefer is currently Director of the Research Centre MARUM at the University of Bremen. He received his diploma and PhD degree in Marine Geosciences from the University of Kiel/ Germany in 1973 and 1976 respectively. After two stays as a visiting researcher at SCRIPPS Institution of Oceanography he became Full Professor of Geosciences at the University of Bremen in 1985. As one of the first faculty members of the newly established Department of Geosciences he was one of the driving forces during the establishment of today’s well known DFG Research Centre MARUM. He has acted in a number of functions for instance as the speaker for DFG priority programs, the head of the DFG Senate for Oceanography, member of the Consortium German Marine Science Institutions (KDM, since 2007 President), Coordinator “Stadt der Wissenschaft” Bremen/Bremerhaven, Member SASEC, IODP, Member Senate Leibniz Gemeinschaft, Head of Steering Committee Wissenschaft im Dialog, Chairman of the Geo-Commission of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and on a number of other committees.
10:25 - 10:45 h
The strategy of the German government in regard to ocean and maritime technology,
Maritime coordinator of the German Federal Government, Undersecretary of economy Ms. Dagmar Wöhrl
In November 2005 Ms. Dagmar Wöhrl was appointed Undersecretary of economy at the Federal Ministry of Economy and in November 2006 Maritime coordinator of the German Federal Government. She started her political career as a member of the local government of the City of Nuremberg. Since 1994 Ms Wöhrl is Member of the German Bundestag. Between 2002 and 2005 she has been spokeswoman for economy issues of the Christian Democratic Party.
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