RUSSIA will hold the World Maritime Technology Conference (WMTC 2012) in St Petersburg from May 29 May to June 1.

"We have been preparing for the past two years for WMTC 2012 and look forward to welcoming the marine, maritime and offshore communities to St Petersburg," said Vladimir Alexandrov, president, Science and Technology Society of Shipbuilders of the Russian Federation (NTOS).

With its theme "Uniting Ideas for a Global Future," WMTC 2012 is supported by 25 key maritime organisations from around the world, and endorsed by the Russian Federation, the United Shipbuilding Corporation and Rosneft and six ministries of the Russian Federation.

"In June 2010 the prime minister of the Russian Federation outlined key questions relating to the challenges of modernising shipbuilding, coupled with detailed discussion relating to both the long and the short term. This resulted in estimated data and transportation requirements in Russia being determined for the transportation of oil and gas in the Arctic corridors, north, southeast and west; and for transportation by rivers and eternal seas," said Mr Alexandrov.