Record Month of Innovation and Connection

If October felt especially busy across the MTS community, that's because it was. The past few weeks were the most engaged, technically focused, and connected month in our organization's 60+ year history — a true reflection of the drive, expertise, and collaboration that define our members around the world.

Across every corner of our ecosystem, MTS Sections, Committees, and partner programs were in full stride — advancing safety, innovation, and sustainability through events, technical symposia, and global collaboration. The pace and breadth of engagement this month represented the very best of our member-driven network.

From Houston to Brazil to the Canary Islands to South Florida, and multiple places in between, members came together to exchange ideas, share breakthroughs, and shape the future of marine technology.

In just one month, our community convened:

• Our first Ocean Finance Roundtable — a meeting of ocean technology accelerators, operators, prize competitions, foundations, investors, and family offices focused on increasing capital flows into the ocean economy. 
• The 22nd Annual International Submarine Symposium — held abroad for the first time, and bringing together delegates from 20 nations for a landmark international gathering focused on safety, regulation, and innovation in submersible operations.
• Two Dialogues with Industry sessions — under the MTS flagship Ocean Enterprise Initiative — engaging hundreds of individuals from government, industry, and academia to explore ocean observing of the future. 
• The 33rd Annual MTS/Oceaneering Symposium in Washington, D.C. — continuing one of MTS's longest-running Section traditions of technical exchange, industry showcase, and professional connection. 
• The Dynamic Positioning Conference in Houston, drawing a crowd of industry leaders and convening forward-looking discussions on advancing safety, reliability, and collaboration in DP operations. 
• The Fisheries & Benthic Monitoring TechSurge, led by our Offshore Renewable Energy Committee — showcasing new tools and methods that are redefining ocean observation and ecosystem assessment.
• The Houston Section BBQ — blending community spirit and student support in a night of celebration and giving back. 
• OCEANS Great Lakes in Chicago — featuring numerous MTS townhalls, a microcredential and ocean technical workforce workshop, pitch sessions, member exhibits, and more.
• The 2025 Ocean Exchange event in Fort Lauderdale — awarding more than $330,000 in prizes to collegiate and early-stage innovators driving bold, sustainable ocean solutions. 
• OTC Brasil 2025 in Rio de Janeiro — bringing together the international offshore energy community to share technical innovations and chart a sustainable path for the industry's future. 

What unites these activities is not just their deep and broad technical excellence, but their shared focus on connection. Whether through workforce development, technical engagement, or support for startups and innovators, our community continues to cultivate the pipeline of people, companies, and ideas shaping the future of the ocean industries. 

As we close out this record-breaking month, I also want to acknowledge another milestone — OCEANS Great Lakes represented the final OCEANS conference co-hosted by MTS and IEEE OES. Our heartfelt thanks go to our partners at IEEE OES for decades of collaboration and shared commitment to advancing marine technology.

And while OCEANS has concluded its final chapter under joint leadership, the MTS story of connection and technical exchange continues. In the months ahead, you'll see more and new MTS events for 2026 and beyond take shape — designed around what we do best: bringing people together, investing in innovation, and strengthening the global ocean technology community. 

October proved what's possible when a member-driven network focuses on shared priorities and works in concert. The future looks bright — and busy — for MTS, and we are so appreciative of everyone driving this community forward. 

Chris Ostrander, MTS CEO