Irish-Canadian Case Study - Geo Mara & Highland Geo Solutions (the knowledge gap) Eoghan Kieran ( GeoMara Ltd)

1. Eoghan Kieran
www.geo-mara.com
INFOMAR Seminar, October 2013
GeoMara – Hydrographic, Geophysical, Archaeological and Environmental

2. Overview
 Introduction
 Geomara
 Highland Geosolutions
 Industry Context
 Where Geomara and Highland Geo fit in the Plan
 The Knowledge Gap – as we define it
 Practitioners/Potential Practitioners
 General Public
 Case Studies
 Seafloor Exploration Course
 Success – The Moyle Interconnector Project
 Conclusion

3.  Based in Clarinbridge, Co.
 Based in New
Galway
 Service provider to
Petroleum, sub sea
communications and
research industries
 Contracts in over 26 countries
 9 full time staff and
continually expanding
Brunswick, Canada
 Specialises in provision of
data processors and surveyors
 Global Client base

4. The Global Ocean Market
•€1200 billion per annum
•Massive future Growth Opportunities
Figures from Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth, An Integrated Marine Plan for Ireland, July 2012

5. The Irish Plan –
Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth - Vision

6. Where we are
Targets
 2.4% of GDP by 2030
 Turnover 6.4 billion by 2020

7. Enablers of Growth and Key Actions taken from Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth, An Integrated Marine Plan for
Ireland, July 2012

8. Business Development Marketing
& Promotion
 Strengthen and develop a common message and theme that promotes
Irish marine products
 Give a clear message to investors that Ireland is ‘open for, and a good
place to do, marine business’ domestically and internationally and
 Encourage and facilitate coastal communities to avail of existing and
future marine enterprise opportunities.
 Progress a number of targeted emerging business development
opportunities (e.g. offshore renewables, offshore services, maritime security and safety, shipping
logistics and transport, ICT and sensors, biotechnology
).

9. Research, Knowledge, Technology
& Innovation
 Continue to fund strategic marine RTDI (industry, policy and
discovery research) through cross-government/ agency
collaboration across a range of national and international
funding mechanisms.
 Increased industry R&D activity and industry academia
collaborations
 Addressing barriers to marine innovation and the progression of
research into applied products and services (commercialising
research)
 Develop the role of INFOMAR
 In training of Irish graduates in latest techniques
 Utilisation of data in major research projects
 Development of collaborative added-value products through
engagement with SMEs and the research community.

10. Capacity, Education, Training and
Awareness
 Plan for the appropriate HR to be in place to meet the current
demands and capture the future opportunities
 Maintain and build capacity (people) to meet the needs of the
maritime sector; e.g. through tailored education and training
programmes and research capacity building.
 Identify future skills needs and labour market supply and demand
trends in the marine area
 Tailor higher education, vocational and professional training
programmes to meet the identified needs
 Encourage utilisation of employment and training programmes
(e.g. Job Bridge and Springboard) that offer the necessary training
and upskilling for marine personnel
 Continue to build marine research capacity and capability through
targeted national and international research funding
 Establish Ireland as an international marine training destination
 Develop outreach programmes that create an awareness of our
ocean wealth

11. The
Knowledge
Gap
As defined by two commercial
companies

12. Survey…the realities

13. The Knowledge Gap
 Actually 2:
 Lack of suitable graduates


Lack of technical knowledge
Lack of real word experience
 Lack of Public Awareness
 Need to increase public awareness of the industry
 Need to increase public awareness of Irish capabilities
 Result is lack of public participation in industry
 Same problems in N America as Ireland

14. The Knowledge Gap
 What are we doing to fill this?
 Ireland & Canada Collaboration

Greenland, USA, Nigeria, Adriatic, N. Africa, Italy, UK
 Job Bridge
 Reskilling and Upskilling
 Tailored Training

15. Sea Floor Exploration Course
– An attempt to bridge the Knowledge Gap
The Moyle Interconnector Project
- Achievement and Innovation

16.  To introduce candidates to the basic principles and
methodologies of seafloor and sub sea surveying and
exploration.
 Students were introduced to a range of
geophysical, visual and seabed sampling
techniques, as well as a number of commercial and
open-source software for data
manipulation, processing and visualization.
 19 candidates from throughout the world including
France, Brazil, Colombia, Canada, UK, Ireland and
Malta

17. Partners
Supported by

18. Practical Experience

19. Practical Experience

20. Theory

21. Processing

22. Learning Outcomes
 Candidates had a better
understanding of the basic
theoretical concepts and
operational foundation of
seafloor mapping
 Candidates prepared for both
commercial or academic
assignments.
 Candidates were exposed to
many different types of marine
survey hardware and
software, and developed an
understanding of which
technology best matches the
survey aims

23. Rationale for the Course
 Developing a structured
set of introductory
lessons and exercises to
develop relevant skills
that are in demand by
both the commercial and
academic sectors.

25. Moyle Interconnector Project

26. Moyle Interconnector
Find insulator fault

28. Moyle Interconnector
 Geomara, ESB International, Irish Lights, Marine
Institute
 Full Irish Team..with the exception of American Surveyors and UK Divers
 Identified after 5 days – previous contractors took 6 weeks
 Successful
 Due to competent experienced technical personnel
 Innovation
 Great team

29. Summary
 Filling the knowledge gap through international co




operation
Filling the Knowledge gap through national
innovation and collaboration
Filling the Knowledge gap through Industry ‘Lets just
make it happen’ attitude
Using ‘Job Bridge’ to train graduates
Retraining
The gap still remains

30. Filling the Knowledge Gap
 Vision,
 Enablers
 Actions
 Still a gap remains.
 We recognise that need to do more
 Publicise our achievements more
 What can we do together to help Ireland achieve 2.4%
GDP in 2030?

31. SSS, SBP, MAG and Bathy
Harbour Hotel, Galway
13-14th November 2013
info@chesapeaketech.com
or
info@geo-mara.com