Tech, Targets & Takeaways
Oceanology International 2026 (Oi26) attracted a crowd of 15,709 to London’s Ex-CeL from March 10–12, a reported 14% on 2024. The organizers, RX, also noted a significant international presence (50% of companies visiting from outside the UK) and over 160 new product and service announcements
Energy Markets in a New World
A war with Iran was not on our bingo card. We bet it wasn’t on yours either! The US and Israel were careful, initially, to avoid attacking Iran’s energy industry, as such an act would weaken the country’s economy and devastate the populace. However, it did not stop Iran from lashing out at its Persian Gulf neighbors, countries that help the regime function, with missile attacks hitting civilian targets.
TAKE 5: The ON&T Interview with Greg Reid
The last few years has seen a pronounced uptick in company collaborations across the ocean technology space, many of which have evolved into long-term strategic alliances and, in some cases, corporate acquisitions. This month we sat down with Kraken Robotics President & CEO Greg Reid to learn more about his company’s recent acquisition of the Covelya Group and what this means for offshore industry clients.
The Nature of UUV Tech
Over the last few years, the advancement of undersea drone technology has been without precedent, driven by the continued integration of AI-led autonomy, enhancements to operational range, and the emergence of other strike capabilities. These technological strides continue to refine naval defense tactics and usher in a new era of marine domain surveillance and monitoring in contested waters.
Geopolitics, Economics & Weather
After touching $55 a barrel in mid-December, oil prices have risen nearly 20 percent to the mid-$60s. After being shunned by commodity traders, oil futures contracts are now being bought. Why? Because risk is now priced into oil, there are more opportunities to profit from trading. The buildup of American naval and aircraft assets in the Middle East to potentially strike theIranian regime for its wanton killing of protesters is focusing attention on the potential loss of the country’s 3.2 million barrels per day of oil exports.
TAKE 5: The ON&T Interview with Hefring Marine
Hefring (which means “rising wave” in old Norse) Marine, is an Icelandic marine tech company founded in Reykjavik in late 2018 inspired by vessel motions and impact monitoring of boats navigating volatile North Atlantic waters. By leveraging Machine Learning and the Internet of Things, the firm’s hardware-enabled Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution provides vessel operators and control systems with decision-making support and monitoring insights for improved safety, fuel efficiency. This month, we caught up with Founder and CEO, Karl Birgir Björnsson, to better understand Hefring Marine’s mission and how decision intelligence for vessels stands to enable the realm of unmanned naval defense.
What the News Tells Us About 2026
With January (somehow) already in the rear-view mirror and this being ON&T’s first regular edition of 2026, February’s Check the Tech offers a quick outlook for the year based on the news we see coming in.
Commodity Markets React to Geopolitical & Weather Chaos
The narrative around global oil markets is that flagging demand from China and elsewhere will lead to a substantial oil oversupply condition throughout 2026. Oil price forecasts call for low $50s-a-barrel, with some forecasters concerned that the predicted supply glut would be so large as to crash prices as low as $30.
TAKE 5: The ON&T Interview with Voyis
Headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Voyis is a Canadian provider of versatile optical solutions designed to help operators explore the deep and expand understanding of remote and challenging subsea environments. This month, we caught up with Voyis CEO Chris Gilson.
Glut Has Become a Popular Word in Commodity Markets
Crude oil prices have been under pressure due to forecasters revising demand and supply predictions for the remainder of 2025 and 2026. The new consensus calls for more supply and lower consumption. Blame the fear of Trump’s China tariffs, which have economists predicting slowing economic growth. Furthermore, domestic producers and OPEC members continue to push more oil into the global market than it needs.
TAKE 5: The ON&T Interview with Skana Robotics
Skana Robotics was founded to fix a burning problem: modern navies need presence and persistence faster than traditional shipbuilding can deliver. The company proposes a new architecture for maritime resilience, built around an ecosystem of software-defined, modular, and cost effective autonomous maritime vessels that can be manufactured in masses and fielded in months—not years. We caught up with Skana Robotics Co-Founder and CEO Idan Levy to find out more.
Deep Plans to Transform Underwater Research
Humanity’s curiosity and innate drive to explore and uncover the unknown is a key thread that unites many. Extreme pressures, freezing temperatures, low visibility, unpredictable conditions, and high corrosivity are just a few of the challenges humans face when exploring the ocean. But what if there was a way?
