On 8th to 10th July 2025, IC-ENC hosted its annual Steering Committee meeting (SC26) in the city of Istanbul, Türkiye. The event was a great success, bringing together 59 in-person delegates and 21 virtual participants, representing a total of 44 Member countries.

The SC26 agenda was rich with updates and insights, covering a wide range of important topics, including:

IC-ENC’s S-100 Readiness
An overview of the S-100 Implementation, Maintenance and Benefits Realisation Plan (SIMBR)
Regional Office updates
Insight into S-57/S-100 Distribution and Assurance
IC-ENC’s strategy to support Members
The latest on the IC-ENC Activity Fund
...and much more!

A highlight of SC26 was the small-group workshops, which provided an invaluable platform for open discussion, feedback, and collaboration. These sessions encouraged Members to share perspectives and collectively address the key challenges and opportunities facing the community.

During SC26, Michael Andrew (Assistant Director Licensing and Dissemination, Australian Hydrographic Office) was appointed as the new IC-ENC Chair. Julia Powell (US), and Ayo Olugbode (NG) were also appointed as members of the Vice Chair team, alongside Leendert Dorst (NL), Pia Højgaard (DK) and Burak İnan (TR). Read more about the new Chair team here.

IC-ENC Team (L to R): Jake Sharland, Julia Powel, Pia Højgaard, Su Marks, Simon Hampshire, Michael Andrew, Ruth White, Alex Boobyer, Burak Inan, James Harper, Ayo Olugbode & Leendert Dorst

TN-ONHO boat trip on the Bosphorus Strait

IC-ENC extends its heartfelt thanks to all attendees for their active participation and valuable contributions, which played a crucial role in shaping the outcomes of the meeting.

IC-ENC would also like to share a special thank you to the Turkish Navy – Office of Navigation, Hydrography and Oceanography (TN-ONHO) for their warm hospitality in hosting SC26 and for treating delegates to a memorable boat tour along the Bosphorus Strait.

Steering Committee 26

IC-ENC appoint new Chair and Vice Chairs