Bringing the global DP Community together

IMCA has a long and proud history of bringing the industry together to improve performance and safety.

Our DP Conference is a great example of this – over the years, we’ve welcomed the Dynamic Positioning community from around the world to explore technical excellence, industry best practices, the latest innovations and technology, and share current thinking from IMCA.

This year’s DP Conference, which takes place in Amsterdam on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 May, will see technical leaders and decision makers to once again explore the latest in this vital niche of our industry which is key to safely delivering offshore energy ambitions.

Our keynote address, from recently appointed IMCA CEO Iain Grainger, will see him explore his own career in the industry and why IMCA often says, “DP is in our DNA.” I’m sure that the session will also look at IMCA’s plans for the months ahead and how we will be supporting our Members to deliver a new offshore energy mix, safely and sustainably.

On the stage, we’ll also hear from a range of DP technical experts with the two-day Conference showcasing leadership and best practices from a range of organisations, including the Nautical Institute, Petrobras, DNV, Subsea7, Valaris, Simwave, and Kongsberg Maritime. Our programme has been designed to stimulate discussion and debate on the most current and relevant industry issues, providing a vital prelude to the – sometimes challenging – conversations required to improve performance.

As in previous years, we will be hosting interactive workshops. With all outputs feeding into the activity of IMCA’s DP Committee, they offer delegates a unique opportunity to shape and influence our Guidance and activity. These sessions are vital to IMCA as they offer a means of testing the waters, sense-checking ideas, and, most importantly, leaning on the experience and expertise of more than 120 DP experts in the same room.

This year’s Conference workshops on Walk to Work and Annual DP Trials will provide similar opportunities for delegates to input into the process of creating the recommended best practice that the industry follows. Ensuring industry buy-in is vital to the ultimate success of any Guidance that IMCA produces and positively impacts offshore safety.

For example, with our Walk to Work Workshop, led by my colleague Rhys Jones (Technical Adviser, IMCA), we hope to add to our knowledge of deficiencies and identify areas for improvement in the way the systems are designed, integrated into vessels, procured, operated, and maintained. The goal is to address concerns raised by regulators and identify key recommendations which will form the basis for future activity.

Meanwhile, our Workshop on Annual DP Trials Findings categorisation will provide valuable input and insight for the Committee looking to improve IMCA Guidance M190. The document explores all elements of conducting DP annual trials programmes and forms a key part of IMCA’s suite of DP Guidance. The feedback and takeaways generated by the experts in the room at our Conference will support us in improving and clarifying the Guidance further.

The DP Conference builds on a rich history of fostering collaboration, driving innovation, and generating ideas. This year will be no different, and if you work in Dynamic Positioning, we look forward to seeing you there.

This article originally appeared in Offshore Support Journal (OSJ).