IOSTIA (IO-sha), the International Ocean Science and Technology Industry Association, is a new 501(c)(6) industry association representing businesses that provide technology and services for sectors such as: • Renewable ocean energy • Environmental monitoring protection • Fisheries and aquaculture • Marine science • Maritime security • Ocean mining • Marine telecommunications • Autonomous vehicles • Offshore wind energy • Oceanography • Subsea mining • Sensors • Arctic change • Marine archeology • Ocean observations • Hydrography • Ports and infrastructure • Diving and manned exploration IOSTIA’s goal is to provide focused programs and services that create new opportunities and encourage a favorable business environment for science and technology companies that sustainably utilize the oceans. We also want to develop a serious, substantive, and unified voice on Capitol Hill and in the regulatory agencies on issues that matter exclusively to ocean science and technology companies – unencumbered by mixed messages coming out of other associations with hundreds of disparate and unrelated companies. As 2/3rds of IOSTIA-related companies are overseas, this industry association will also be international in scope and substance. We’ll be engaging the foreign Embassies located in Washington to assist international companies entering the U.S. market. In August, Dave Gardy, CEO of Maritime TV, interviewed me and Jeff Taylor, who will head up our government relations and public policy efforts, on the topic of launching IOSTIA. It can give you a sense of the staff’s vision for IOSTIA. The interview is on the Maritime TV site at: http://www.tvworldwide.net/Player?VID=Maritime/170814_MaritimeTV_IOSTIA.mp4