The Underwater Technology Conference enjoys a well-known history of highly competent speakers who have tackled current and important issues related to the subsea industry.

As a result, UTC is now regarded as one of the most important international meeting grounds for subsea industry executives, managers, engineers and strategic and planning personnel. More than 700 delegates and 50 exhibitors are expected to attend this year's event in Bergen, between June 13-14.

Scene from the exhibition hall of a recent UTC conference.

The initial conference, held in 1980, was an immediate success and since then the event has increased in size and attendance. This year's event will be the 18th, and it is now an annual event. NCE Subsea is one of the organizing partners for the conference, which is hosted by The Underwater Technology Foundation. The latter was set up during the pioneering period of the Norwegian petroleum era and was formed by a group of key companies in the oil industry, in cooperation with classification, research and finance institutions in the Bergen area. The foundation draws on the region's expertise in subsea technology, maintenance, modification and offshore operations markets, and the innovative and cutting edge technical products available in the Bergen area, which now makes it a world-leading technology cluster for the offshore industry.

That regional expertise and the established interaction between companies in the region have also been formally recognized by the Norwegian government which designated the Bergen-based cluster as a Norwegian center for subsea technology in 2006.

This year's UTC will again provide delegates with the opportunity to hear key speakers comment on issues relevant to the subsea sector of the petroleum industry. Attendees can also choose from more than 30 technical presentations, and visit a related technical exhibition featuring subsea industry products and services.