San Sebastian will be hosting the largest international conference on marine energy

Tuesday, 11 May 2021

• The ICOE 2022 candidacy was promoted by the Conference and Events division of Donostia San Sebastián Turismoa, which identified the potential conference and contacted BiMEP – Biscay Marine Energy Platform-, Tecnalia, the Basque Energy Cluster, the Kursaal Conference Centre and the Department of Tourism at the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa to work together to bring the international conference to San Sebastián.
• The ICOE conference – International Conference on Ocean Energy- will be organised by the Basque Energy Cluster Association, with the collaboration of BiMEP and Tecnalia, from 18-20 October 2022 at the Kursaal Conference Centre, and is expected to be attended by around 900 international delegates.
• DSS Turismoa is committed to conference tourism, and to this end, works closely with local professionals, with the aim of attracting professional events that provide synergies and exchanges of knowledge, which are essential for designing the future of the scientific, environmental, medical and economic sectors in which they work.

The ICOE 2022 international conference, the world's largest marine energy event, will be held in San Sebastian, at the Kursaal, from 18 to 20 October next year, and will be attended by around 900 participants and companies in the sector from 30 countries.

The event will be organised by the Basque Energy Cluster Association with the collaboration of BiMEP (Biscay Marine Energy Platform) and Tecnalia, and has been made possible thanks to the work of the Department of Conferences and Events of Donostia San Sebastián Turismoa in promoting the candidacy of San Sebastián over other potential venues in Asia, Australia and America.

DSS Turismoa identified the potential conference, and contacted BiMEP - Biscay Marine Energy Platform - and Tecnalia to prepare the main aspects to be assessed by the committee evaluating the candidates - the support of a government entity (EVE), the support of the industrial sector (Euskadi Energy Cluster) and the organising committee - as well as all the technical needs (hall capacity, exhibition spaces, gala dinners, etc.) and technical visits to renewable energy sites. Later on, the Tourism Department from the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, the Kursaal Conference Centre and the Basque Energy Cluster Association joined the working meetings.

In choosing San Sebastian as the venue for ICOE 2022, the event's organising committee has recognised the track record and potential of the Basque Country's technological development and, specifically, two key projects in Mutriku and Armintza, launched by the Basque Energy Agency.

The International Conference on Ocean Energy (ICOE) is an event organised by Ocean Energy Systems in collaboration with a local organisation that promotes its candidacy (in this case, the Euskadi Energy Cluster Association).

Conference activity is one of the strategic priorities promoted by DSS Turismoa because it contributes to the generation and sharing of knowledge, as well as to the positioning, visibility and boosting of local economic activity. To this end, it is in constant contact with local professionals, and is aware of their interest in attracting professional gatherings in San Sebastian, due to the prestige and visibility that hosting these events at home affords them, and the synergies and exchanges of knowledge that are generated.