Program
Sunday, July 13, 2025
02:00 – 4:30 PM
Registration Desk at Conference Hotel (Sheraton)
[Pre-Function area Salon A&B]
07:00 – 09:00 PM
Conference registration will be available during the POAC 2025 Icebreaker at the Emera Centre on Sunday, July 13, from 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Join us for the POAC 2025 Icebreaker Reception on Sunday, July 13, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the beautiful Emera Centre in St. John’s. This opening evening event sets the tone for the week ahead, offering a warm Newfoundland welcome with great food, lively entertainment, and plenty of opportunities to connect.
Whether you’re catching up with familiar faces or making new connections, the Icebreaker is the perfect chance to mix, mingle, and network in a relaxed atmosphere. Overlooking the charming cityscape of old St. John’s, the Emera Centre provides a stunning backdrop for an unforgettable start to POAC 2025.
Photo’s will be taken during the event. Attendance at this event assumes your compliance- permission for use of your image.
Note:
Transportation will not be provided to the Icebreaker event. There is a parking app available to those wishing to bring their own vehicle. Please note: Visitors are not permitted to park in the uppermost portion of the parking lot, this is designated for staff of the building. Overflow parking is available at the Johnson Geo Centre across the road. Thank you.
Monday, July 14, 2025
08:30 AM
Welcome and Opening Plenary Salon A&B
08:40 AM
Session 1A
Numerical Modeling of Ice
Session 1B
Remote Sensing
Session 1C
Ice Management
09:40 – 10:00 AM – Break
[Pre Function Area outside Salons A & B]
Attendees are invited to pause, connect, and network during scheduled breaks in the pre-function area outside Salons A & B, where light refreshments will be available.
10:00 AM : Technical Speak
Keynote Speaker: Sigurd Teigen
“RareIce – addressing the challenges with ice where ice occurs rarely ”
10:40 AM
Session 2A
Numerical Modeling of Ice
Session 2B
Offshore Wind & Renewable Energy
Session 2C
Clean Arctic Shipping & Ship Structures
12:00 – 01:20 PM – Lunch
[Salons A & B]
01:20 PM
Session 3A
Numerical Modeling of Ice
Session 3B
Offshore Wind & Renewable Energy
Session 3C
Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence
02:40 – 03:00 PM – Break
[Pre Function Area outside Salons A & B]
Attendees are invited to pause, connect, and network during scheduled breaks in the pre-function area outside Salons A & B, where light refreshments will be available.
03:00 PM
Session 4A
Marine Safety
Session 4B
Offshore Wind & Renewable Energy
Session 4C
Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence
Boat Ride
Gatherall’s Puffin and Whale Watching
Newfoundland’s more than ice and ideas — it’s whales, puffins, and boatloads of wonder!
You didn’t really come all the way to Newfoundland just for a conference, did ya?
Attending POAC 2025 and want a true Newfoundland experience?
To reserve, simply visit https://bookeo.com/gatheralls/?promotion=POAC2025 and select Marine Wildlife tour option, select the number of persons (respective categories) in the booking and the date & tour time (any public departure from July 12th – 19th). This link will bring you directly to the booking page and make sure you use our exclusive code POAC2025 to make memories on the sea !
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
08:30 AM
Welcome and Opening Plenary Salon A&B
08:40 AM
Session 5A
Ice Mechanics
Session 5B
Ship Performance on Ice
Session 5C
Ship Navigation in Ice
10:00 AM – Break
[Pre Function Area outside Salons A & B]
Attendees are invited to pause, connect, and network during scheduled breaks in the pre-function area outside Salons A & B, where light refreshments will be available.
10:20 AM
Session 6A
Ice Mechanics
Session 6B
Ship Performance in Ice
Session 6C
Ship Navigation in Ice
11:40 AM – Lunch
[Salons A & B]
The luncheon will feature guest speakers from C-CORE, offering insight into cutting-edge research and innovation in harsh environment technologies as well as celebrating C-CORE’s 50th anniversary !
Technical Speak
Keynote Speaker : Tony King
“Adventures in Subsea Ice Risk Analysis”
01:20 PM
Session 7A
Ice Mechanics
Session 7B
Ship Performance in Ice
Session 7C
Ship Navigation in Ice
02:40 PM – Break
[Pre Function Area outside Salons A & B]
Attendees are invited to pause, connect, and network during scheduled breaks in the pre-function area outside Salons A & B, where light refreshments will be available.
03:00 PM
Session 8A
Ice Mechanics
Session 8B
Ship Performance in Ice
Climate Change & Environmental Modelling
Gala Banquet @ The Rooms
POAC 2025 Gala – Banquet at The Rooms
We are delighted to invite all POAC 2025 attendees to a special Gala Banquet on Tuesday, July 15 from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. at The Rooms, a landmark cultural centre overlooking the heart of historic St. John’s. This elegant evening will be a highlight of the conference, offering a perfect blend of exceptional cuisine, lively entertainment, and warm East Coast hospitality.
As you dine, enjoy sweeping panoramic views of St. John’s Harbour, the dramatic cliffs of Signal Hill, and the colourful row houses nestled in The Battery—scenery that’s as iconic as the city itself. The Rooms provides a stunning backdrop for an evening designed to celebrate connections, foster networking, and showcase the vibrant culture of Newfoundland and Labrador.
This is more than just dinner—it’s a chance to relax, recharge, and connect with colleagues and new friends in a truly unforgettable setting. Whether you’re catching up with old collaborators or forging new partnerships, this is an evening you won’t want to miss.
Transportation will be provided from the Sheraton Hotel (our host venue) beginning at 6:15 p.m. for your convenience. Details will be available in the program booklet.
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
08:30 AM
Welcome and Opening Plenary Salon A&B
08:40 AM
Session 9A
Offshore Geotechnical Engineering and Newfoundland and Labrador
Session 9B
Cold Regions Port & Coastal Infrastructure
Session 9C
Fixed Offshore Structures
09:40 – 10:00 AM – Break
[Pre Function Area outside Salons A & B]
Attendees are invited to pause, connect, and network during scheduled breaks in the pre-function area outside Salons A & B, where light refreshments will be available.
10:00 AM : Technical Speak
Keynote Speaker: Takatoshi Matsuzawa
“Mirai II: A New Chapter in Arctic Observation with Future Oceanographic Platform“
10:20 AM
Session 10A
Pipelines & Subsea Infrastructure
Session 10B
Cold Regions Port & Coastal Infrastructure
Session 10C
From Research to Regulations and Standards
11:40 – Lunch
[ Salons A & B]
Lifetime Achievement Award and the Student Award Ceremony
The Andrew Kendrick Memorial Tribute [Click here for more info]
POAC – MASS Cross Over Session
Where ICE Meets Innovation
Thursday, July 17, 2025
POAC’25 Facility Tours
As part of the POAC 2025 program, we are pleased to offer participants a unique opportunity to tour some of Newfoundland and Labrador’s leading research and innovation facilities dedicated to advancing technologies for ice-covered and harsh environments. These tours will showcase world-class expertise and state-of-the-art infrastructure, supporting innovation in ocean engineering, climate adaptation, marine safety, and offshore operations.
Tour Highlights:
- C-CORE: Explore C-CORE’s world-renowned capabilities in remote sensing, ice engineering, and harsh environment technology development. Learn about their applied research programs that serve global energy, mining, and transportation sectors and discover how C-CORE is helping industries operate safely and sustainably in challenging environments.
- NRC Ocean, Coastal, and River Engineering (OCRE): Visit the NRC-OCRE’s advanced research facility and observe cutting-edge work in marine structures, vessel design, ice interaction, and environmental modeling. NRC’s expertise supports Arctic and offshore innovation for industry, government, and academia alike.
- HERF (Harsh Environment Research Facility): Be among the first to tour Memorial University’s new HERF, a facility designed to explore how materials, systems, and structures perform under extreme environmental conditions. HERF will play a critical role in ensuring operational safety and resilience in the North and beyond.
- Large Double Pendulum Impact Apparatus (LP): While at Memorial, experience the impressive capabilities of the Large Double Pendulum Impact Apparatus — a self-reacting impact device used to test full-scale ship hull structures under ice or rigid indenter impacts. The LP consists of two 5-ton carriages held in place by electromagnets; when released simultaneously, they can achieve a closing speed of 7.4 m/s (26 km/h), delivering impact energy of up to 65 kJ and forces exceeding 1 MN (112 tons). This facility, also used with NRC-OCRE’s proprietary ice sensing systems, plays a key role in understanding ship performance and safety in icy waters.
Tour Details:
- Date: Thursday, July 17
- Departure Time: 8:30 a.m. from the Sheraton Hotel
- Return Time: Approximately 1:30 p.m.
- Registration Deadline: Due to security clearance requirements, you must register by COB Thursday, June 26.
Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Don’t miss this chance to explore some of Canada’s premier Arctic and offshore engineering research facilities.
Photo’s will be taken during the whole event. Attendance at this event assumes your compliance- permission for use of your image.