SG establishes first global hydrographic lab

The laboratory will embark on two pilot projects.

Singapore and the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) launched the Joint IHO-Singapore Innovation and Technology Laboratory on 26 October. IHO Work Programme II Director Abri Kampfer and Maritime Port Authority of Singapore Hydrography Adviser Parry Oei will oversee the laboratory.

It seeks to optimise the resources of the IHO member states to harness and develop emerging technologies in the hydrographic domain.

For a start, the Joint IHO-Singapore Innovation and Technology Laboratory will embark on the following two pilot projects: 

• Investigate the automated conversion of the IHO S-57 Electronic Navigation Chart (ENC) to the IHO S-101 ENC. This project supports the development of the Dual-Fuel Electronic Chart Display and Information System.
• Develop a digital infrastructure to improve information exchange between harbours and hydrographic offices. The outcome of this project will inform the IHO S-131 Marine Harbour Infrastructure product specifications.

In conjunction with the launch of the Laboratory, MPA is hosting a four-part webinar series from 26 to 29 October on integrated marine geospatial information management. The webinar series is jointly organised by IHO, MPA, Open Geospatial Consortium and the United Nations Secretariat for Global Geospatial Information Management through the Working Group on Marine Geospatial Information.