6-10 October 2025
Irish Lights Headquarters, Dublin, Ireland
The International Organisation for Marine Aids to Navigation (IALA) in association with the Irish Lights, Dublin, Ireland is hosting the Workshop on Sustainability in AtoN provision, to be held in Dublin, Ireland, from 6 to 10 October 2025.
Registration is available through this link.
BACKGROUND
The work of IALA has encouraged sustainable provision of Marine Aids to Navigation (AtoN) by providing a set of basic principles and practical guidance that will help an authority deploying and managing AtoN. It has been recognized that:
- AtoN plays a critical role in protecting the environment by preventing maritime disasters that could have potentially catastrophic ecological impact on sensitive marine and terrestrial ecosystems and therefore the wider global environment.
- AtoN equipment and activities themselves have the potential to create environmental impact through waste generation, unsustainable energy use, pollution and habitat disturbance.
- Sustainable practices are essential to ensure that the entire marine AtoN industry help member states to meet their environmental targets
- Challenges exist to balance the cost of sustainable AtoN provision against tight budgets
- The industry may need a shift in skillsets to match the demand of future shipping, especially if autonomous vessels become the norm.
TOPICS
The following matters will be discussed during the workshop:
- Overview of the international regulatory frameworks for sustainable practices, including the UN – Sustainability Development Goals
- Through-life environmental impact of AtoN components
- Sustainability considerations in decision-making
- Economics of sustainable practices
- Ensuring key skills for future operations
- Role of IT solutions in marine AtoN provision
PROCESS
The Workshop over one week will benefit from a series of presentations on all aspects of Sustainability within the remit of the IALA cross committee and interest is expected from all IALA committees. The workshop will split into working groups to identify areas of sustainable AtoN provision that need additional guidance from IALA. In addition, the workshop will put together a skeleton document that will be further developed beyond the event to identify key sustainable practices that will be incorporated into future IALA standards, recommendations and guidelines.
VENUE
The workshop will be held at Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Loaghaire
Royal Marine, Marine Road,
Dún Laoghaire, Dublin,
A96 K063, Ireland
Tel: +353 1 230 0030
Website https://www.royalmarine.ie/
Email reservation@royalmarine.ie
Hotel rooms : -30 rooms are being held until 1st Sept 2025 for the week of the IALA sustainability WS. €150 BB single occupancy €165 BB double occupancy. All delegates can book directly with the hotel over the phone by quoting the Contract Number: 274061. If booked up please find attached a list of alternative hotels in the vicinity but there is still plenty of availability.
Sustainability Workshop Programme
International Marine, Lighthouse Tourism & Maritime Heritage Conference
Dublin Castle, 7–8 October 2025
Irish Lights is proud to celebrate ten years of the Great Lighthouses of Ireland partnership with the International Marine, Lighthouse Tourism & Maritime Heritage Conference, taking place at Dublin Castle on 7–8 October 2025.
This landmark event comes at a time when lighthouse tourism and maritime heritage are recognised as powerful drivers of sustainable growth, cultural renewal, and community wellbeing. The conference will explore lighthouse heritage and how to unlock the full potential of partnerships and tourism opportunities at international level.
Over two days, more than 40 contributors will address six interconnected themes, each guided by expert chairs.
IALA partners and speakers from around the world will share policy insights, international case studies and community experiences. See Speakers – International Marine, Lighthouse Tourism and Maritime Heritage Conference 2025 for more information.
The desired outcome is to demonstrate how marine and heritage tourism can support the preservation of lighthouses, and support the wellbeing of coastal communities, safeguarding the cultural and natural assets that make them unique.
Registration now open: www.marinetourismandheritage.ie
To have a plan for how to spend your free time in Dublin, you could find the interesting tourist attractions on these websites:
https://gocity.com/en/dublin/things-to-do/free-things-to-do-in-dublin