Cupertino, California, April 3, 2006 ― The 17th (2007) Annual International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference will be held in Lisbon, Portugal, July 1-6, 2007, following the ISOPE-2006, to be held May 28-June 2, 2006 in San Francisco, California, USA.
ISOPE is organizing about 80 sessions of refereed papers in cooperation with its Technical Program Committee (TPC) members from 26 countries and 24 international cooperating organizations. Delegates from over 45 countries are expected, as in previous years. Since 1990, ISOPE has held 34 successful international conferences and symposia.
Lisbon is one of the major congress destinations in Europe. Known as the White City thanks to its unique luminosity, Portugal’s capital is a very pleasant city by the mouth of the river Tagus. Lisbon was one of the hubs for the golden Epoch of Discovery of the 15th and 16th centuries; lately, the city has garnered global attention as the host of the 1998 World Expo dedicated to the Oceans, as well as for being the successful organizer of Europe’s Football Championship in 2004.
The Lisbon airport is just 7 km from the city center and is well connected with the rest of the city through taxi, public bus and airport bus (aerobus). Major international airlines fly into the airport.
You have several options for your free time while in Lisbon. You can choose to walk around the handsome city center or take the old trams that go up into the hills ― perhaps you prefer a bicycle ride through the modern Expo area or by the river bank? Or visit the biggest shopping mall of Europe? If you prefer to visit outside the city, you can take the train to the lovely Portuguese Riviera, to the picturesque and historical seaside towns of Estoril and Cascais; or you can take an excursion to the romantic village of Sintra (Unesco World Heritage), including a stop at the westernmost point in mainland Europe. Why not take a full-day jaunt to the South and visit its renowned vineyards, where you can taste world-famous wines as well as the traditional and highly regarded Portuguese cuisine? If you prefer golf, you have come to the right place: Portugal is considered to be among the very top destinations in the world. Maybe you prefer to just lay on the beach? Again, the right place! Take your pick from among the many brilliantly white sandy beaches lying along much of Portugal’s long Atlantic coast.
All your different options have one thing in common: The hospitality of the Portuguese people. Take advantage of this opportunity to come with your family and spend your summer holidays in Portugal and Spain!
The conference will be co-organized and hosted by the Wave Energy Centre (WEC) and Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), and it will be co-sponsored by the Portuguese industry. The WEC is a non-profit organization dedicated to the development and promotion of Ocean Wave Energy in Portugal and beyond. The WEC is involved in the recently formed European Ocean Energy Association (EU-OEA), which is intended to strengthen the development of the markets and technology for ocean energy in the European Union. IST (Lisbon Technical University) is the largest and oldest engineering school in Portugal.
Further information will be posted on www.isope.org or ISOPE-2007 Lisbon and/or can be obtained from the ISOPE TPC, PO Box 189, Cupertino, California 95015-0189, USA (Tel. 1-650-254-1871; Fax 1-650-254-2038; meetings@isope.org; www.isope.org).
Antonio Sarmento, Local Host Committee and the Staff of the International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers (ISOPE)