Stellar group of antifouling experts selected to guide 2025 International Antifouling Conference through “Investigating Sustainable Antifouling Solutions”

Stellar group of antifouling experts selected to guide 2025 International Antifouling Conference through "Investigating Sustainable Antifouling Solutions’  

The agenda for the International Antifouling Conference 2025 features over thirty expert speakers from the marine antifouling technology sector, the maritime industry, and academia. They will lead in-depth discussions on innovations in antifouling coatings, the regulatory landscape, data utilization, and hull cleaning practices.  

Gothenburg, Sweden – July 4, 2025: The International Antifouling Conference will return to Gothenburg, Sweden for the third time this September, in response to demand for its establishment as a periodic meeting point for high-level discussions and education on the future of marine biofouling management. 

During this edition of the conference, sponsored by Stena Bulk, a diverse group of new and returning expert speakers will provide a 360-degree view of current approaches and factors driving innovation in the antifouling technology sector. Experts will also share new insights into future innovations supported by groundbreaking academic research and R&D activities. 

As the host of the conference, I-Tech AB, developer of the antifouling biotechnology Selektope, believes that regularly convening an all-inclusive range of stakeholders from the antifouling technology and maritime industries is vital for fostering collaborative approaches and catalyzing the development of new ideas for future approaches to biofouling management. 

Keynote speeches will be delivered by several highly-esteemed individuals: Raouf Kattan OBE, Founder of the Safinah Group; Dorothea Stübing, Group Leader of Biofouling Control Coatings at Fraunhofer IFAM; Andrew Hwang, Leader of the Coating and Advanced Materials Research Group at Samsung Heavy Industries; and Qingyi Xie, Vice General Manager at Guangdong Havey Advanced Materials Co. Ltd. and Research Scientist at the South China University of Technology. 

The speaker program features representatives from a variety of organizations, including Jotun, Cathelco, I-Tech, Hempel, Janssen PMP, American Chemet, CLIA Europe, Samsung Heavy Industries, the Bellona Foundation, Arxada, Subsea Global Solutions, Safinah Group, Endures, Fraunhofer IMAF, and Surface Sciences, among others. 

Academic institutions represented include Ruhr University Bochum, Chalmers University of Technology, the Technical University of Denmark, South China University of Technology, and Sultan Qaboos University. 

The International Antifouling Conference 2025 will take place on September 10-11 at the historic Eriksberg Ship Repair Building in Gothenburg, Sweden. For the complete conference program, visit: https://bit.ly/IAC2025agenda