The Second International Innovation and Cooperation in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (ICNAME) Conference was held at Harbin Engineering University, China, from 29 to 30 June 2015. The conference also marked the official establishment of the International Innovation and Cooperation in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Alliance.

Representatives from universities, research institutes, industry organizations and classification societies attended the event. Professor Xia Guihua of Harbin Engineering University was elected as the first President of ICNAME.

The conference featured four thematic sessions covering numerical towing tanks, marine renewable energy, deep-sea engineering, and polar ships and offshore platforms, with a total of 30 academic presentations. Six multilateral meetings and 20 bilateral meetings were also organized to promote cooperation in scientific research, talent development and academic publishing.

Several cooperation initiatives were advanced during the conference. Harbin Engineering University and the Singapore Maritime Institute agreed to collaborate in deep-sea engineering, underwater robotics and advanced marine materials. Cooperation plans were also discussed with international partners in polar ship technology and marine renewable energy. In addition, Harbin Engineering University signed a “2+2” student education agreement with the University of Strathclyde.

The first ICNAME Council approved the organization’s governance structure, regulations and logo. It was also agreed that the ICNAME Conference would be held every two years. The University of Strathclyde was selected to host the next conference in 2017, with the University of Southampton and Lloyd’s Register serving as co-organizers.