The opening ceremony will take place at the Busan International Finance Center 2 (BIFC2), with around 100 participants from 30 countries expected to attend, including the IHO secretary-general, government officials and maritime industry representatives.
The IHO is an intergovernmental organization responsible for international standards governing nautical charts and hydrographic information.
The new center will serve as a key IHO organization dedicated to developing and validating S-100, a next-generation international standard for digital maritime information.
Unlike conventional electronic nautical charts, the S-100 framework allows navigational systems to display multiple layers of maritime data, including tides and ocean currents, on a single screen.
The center will oversee the development and management of S-100 standards, operate supporting infrastructure, assist with type approval of Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS), and support S-100-based operational services.
Through these activities, it is expected to play a central role in helping countries transition to the new global maritime information framework.
"It is particularly meaningful that the IHO Infrastructure Center, which will lead the global maritime digital transformation, is opening in South Korea," said Hwang Jong-woo, South Korea's minister of oceans and fisheries.
"We will do our utmost to ensure that the center contributes to safer seas worldwide and strengthens the global competitiveness of South Korea's maritime industry," he added.
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