The outcome of the concluding panel discussion at OceanWise’ fifth annual Marine Data Management and GIS Workshop, held in London on 22nd November, was that “data management really does matter!” It was felt that organisations need to devote more time and effort to this task to ensure their operations remain efficient and competitive in a fast changing digital age, and not wait until a problem occurs before addressing it.
A significant challenge exists in gaining senior corporate buy-in for data management in the marine sector, which is notoriously conservative in nature. It was agreed that greater emphasis on training and education in data management is needed now to ensure today’s decision makers provide a sound data legacy for tomorrow’s leaders.
The all-day event, attended by over 60 delegates from across the UK, Europe and as far afield as South America, included representatives from government agencies, ports, energy companies and data management specialists. Many commended the breadth of subjects covered in the workshop including stimulating and interesting presentations from Cefas, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), PD Ports, Vattenfall Wind Power and the Dorset Coastal Forum.