IH receives Director-General of the French Navy Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service

The Hydrographic Institute (IH) received, on 16 and 17 July 2015, the visit of the Ingénieur Général de l'Armement Bruno Frachon, Director General of the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the French Navy (SHOM), accompanied by the Deputy Director, the Ingénieur en Chef de l'Armement Laurent Kerléguer.

In addition to the visit to the divisions of the Technical Directorate and the Hydrographic Base in Azinheira, the programme of the visit of the Director-General of SHOM included a meeting on the MERCATOR Ocean consortium and a meeting on bilateral cooperation IH-SHOM.

At the meeting on the French consortium MERCATOR Ocean, its Director-General, Dr. Pierre Bahurel, presented the activity carried out by this operational oceanography centre, which is a European reference. The meeting recognized the work carried out by the IH in the area of operational oceanography, as well as the existing collaboration between the IH and SHOM in oceanographic campaigns and the expansion of the circulation model to the Iberian peninsula, place the IH as an interesting partner for the MERCATOR Ocean.

At the meeting on bilateral collaboration IH-SHOM, several issues of common interest were discussed and several actions were identified in the areas of hydrographic surveys, nautical cartography and oceanography, in order to continue the cooperation provided for in the bilateral cooperation agreement signed in 1996.

This collaboration identifies mutual benefits, with the sharing of experience and knowledge, resources and human resources. Thus, with this meeting, the relationship between OHI and SHOM becomes even more consolidated and strengthened.