Patrick Gorringe is Manager of International Ocean Relations at the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI).

Patrick has devoted a lot of his work in bringing together diverse ocean observing communities and building partnerships in order to enhance the cooperation and by this increase the accessibility of oceanographic data. This includes emerging low-cost ocean observing technologies and initiatives together with citizen science communities to democratize access to the ocean and ocean data.

Patrick is involved in marine data and ocean observing projects, programs and initiatives on local, regional and global level. He is involved in many parts of EMODnet, EMODnet Data Ingestion, coordinating EMODnet Physics and more.

Steve Hall is a Chartered Marine Scientist, a Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology and the Society for Underwater Technology, and a member of the Board of the Marine Technology Society. 

Steve has over three decades experience in ocean science, technology, and policy. He served as Head of the UK delegation to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO 2013-17, and was elected as Vice-Chair IOC 2015-17, leaving for the private sector as CEO of the Society for Underwater Technology and later the Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum & Marine Energy Wales. 

Steve worked 27 years for the UK Natural Environment Research Council mainly at the National Oceanography Centre, where his roles included seagoing tracer chemical analysis during the World Ocean Circulation Experiment, managing the early Autosub AUV science missions, risk assessment for moorings, and a decade of policy work writing responses and position papers on a wide range of ocean subjects. He served as the UK & overseas territories tsunami warning national point of contact, as Head of the International & Strategic Partnerships Office, and as a representative to the European Marine Board.  

Today Steve works as a freelance consultant working on UN Ocean Decade-related projects, mainly the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 project; supports the work of marine Learned Societies and Professional Bodies, and providing advice to industry & not-for-profit clients.  

Johan Hanssens is Secretary-general of the Department of Economy, Science & Innovation within the Flemish administration since 1 December 2015. He holds master’s degrees in economics and law from KU Leuven.  He started his career in the banking sector. From 2000 to 2015 he was advisor (deputy chief of staff / chief of staff) of different party leaders in Flanders and ministers in the Flemish government. He advocates transformative innovation policy in a ‘quadruple helix’ setting in which the four key actors governments, businesses, academics and civil society work closely together.