Kerrie Forster
CEO
Workboat Association
My interests
About the Speaker/Moderator
Attending
Speaker/Moderator's Sessions (6)
Date
Session
Live - In-Person Event
Get Set for Workboat 2050 - Series 5 Session 2 - Driving future efficiency with innovation, skills, fuels & infrastructure

The ‘Get Set for Workboat 2050’ series of conferences deals with decarbonisation and improving OPEX efficiencies. In partnership with The Workboat Association and the Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners, Session 2 of the current series takes place at the Wereldmuseum in Rotterdam.
The Dutch commercial marine and workboat sector offers many diverse elements and is one of the largest and busiest in Europe.
Join the 1-day conference to gain insights and updates from leading experts as the industry navigates geopolitical challenges, confronts future skills gaps, and embraces OPEX efficiencies. It also offers a great opportunity to meet and network with colleagues, old and new.
Get Set for Workboat 2050 Series 5 is supported by

Speakers (12)
Max Baan
Co Founder & CFO, ParaPyHerman Broers
Director, Nederlands Loodswezen B.V.Moderators (2)
Kerrie Forster
CEO, Workboat AssociationSession
Seawork - Conference Room 1
Get Set for Workboat 2050 - Propulsion systems - the Good, the Bad, and the Reality
Workboats face a complex propulsion evolution, with efficiency, sustainability, and practicality shaping future choices.
Propulsion systems come with individual advantages and trade-offs, shaped by operational demands, vessel design, plus challenging weather and sea conditions. In this session we will be discussing the Good, the Bad, and the Reality of vessel propulsion choice and how they each affect a vessels overall efficiency.
Our expert speakers will tackle key discussion points on reliability, power, range and manoeuvrability with the realities of capital costs, supply chain challenges, emissions reduction and regulatory pressure.
Seawork 2025 Jun 10
Presented by Seawork
Speakers (5)
James McPaul
Application Engineer, Volvo PentaAlex Stevens
Technical Sales Director, Cjr propulsionModerators (2)
Kerrie Forster
CEO, Workboat AssociationSession
Hosted - Conference Room 2
The Workboat Association Safety Forum - Prevention of hand and finger injuries
The session, running from 14:00 – 15:00 in the conference rooms, will bring together knowledge from across the industry and out, with an aim to share best practice, latest concepts and altogether highlight this serious cause of ongoing significant injury within the workplace.
This session is open to all Seawork visitors.
Seawork 2025 Jun 11
Hosted by Seawork
Moderators (4)
Gareth Bonner
Workgroup OfficerSession
Hosted - Conference Room 1
Workboat Association Technical Workgroup
Workgroup Chairman Andy Page will be speaking with Rob Taylor, Code Vessel lead at the MCA, and joined on stage by representatives of industry and the Certifying Authorities, to discuss where things are at with Workboat Code 3 and the publishing of the NEW* Sport and Pleasure Code.
Topics to be discussed include:
- Workboats, including Pilot Boats
- Light Duty Workboats
- Vessels in Commercial Use for Sport or Pleasure
- Autonomous and Remotely Operated Unmanned Vessels
- Search and Rescue Vessels
This session is open to all Seawork visitors - both Workboat Association members and non-members.
Hosted by Seawork
Seawork 2025 Jun 12
Speakers (4)
Owen Preece
Managing Director, MecalMike Schwarz
CEO, IIMSModerators (2)
Kerrie Forster
CEO, Workboat AssociationSession
Live - In-Person Event
Get Set for Workboat 2050 - Series 6, Session 1 - Autonomous and Remote-Operated Vessels: Operational Scaling and Regulatory Alignment
In partnership with Seawork, Maritime Journal and The Workboat Association, we present Session 1 of Series 6 - Autonomous and Remote-Operated Vessels: Operational Scaling and Regulatory Alignment. It will take place at The Workboat Association AGM in November.
The topical and informative “in-person” session will explore the following:
• Examine the classification of maritime autonomy — remote-operated, semi-autonomous, and fully autonomous — and how emerging IMO frameworks are shaping their deployment.
• Assess the operational and workforce implications of autonomy, including task automation, system supervision, and the integration of advanced control software.
• Analyse the drivers behind the transition to autonomous and remote-operated workboats and explore strategies for scalable implementation across fleet operations.
The session will take place on the afternoon of Monday 18 November, at the Workboat Association AGM, Oulton Hall, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.
Get Set for Workboat 2050 Series 6, session 1 is free-to-attend, but delegates should note that other events at Oulton Hall are for The Workboat Association members only.
Get Set for Workboat 2050 Series 6 is sponsored by

Get Set for Workboat 2050
Speakers (4)
Simon Adams
Founder & Director, The USV GroupEsme Flegg
Innovative Technology Lead, Maritime and Coastguard AgencyModerators (2)
Kerrie Forster
CEO, Workboat AssociationSession
Live - In-Person Event
Get Set for Workboat 2050 - Lifecycle Emissions Accounting and Carbon Capture Technologies
• Evaluate the technical and operational feasibility of onboard carbon capture systems tailored for workboats, including measurement accuracy and integration challenges.
• Discuss how onboard capture technologies can interface with emerging port-based carbon storage infrastructure, enabling end-to-end emissions mitigation strategies within the workboat sector.
Get Set for Workboat 2050 Series 6 is sponsored by

















