On 27 April local time, the Executive Committee of the International Association of Institutes of Navigation (IAIN) convened in Vienna, Austria. All Executive Committee members including the President, Senior Vice‑President, Vice‑President, Secretary‑General and Treasurer were present. IAIN representatives accredited to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG), International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the U.S. Positioning, Navigation and Timing Advisory Board (US PNT) attended as observers. Observers from navigation institutes of China, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Egypt and the United States also took part in the meeting. Zhang Baochen, Vice‑President of China Institute of Navigation, presided over the meeting in his capacity as IAIN President.
The meeting received reports on the final financial statements for 2025 and the financial position for 2026, recent activities of IAIN representatives to international bodies, preparation progress for the 2027/2030 IAIN World Congress, and the operation and maintenance of the IAIN website. It examined and approved the membership of the new IAIN Awards Committee, the establishment plan for the Technical Committee and its annual work programme. Participants also discussed arrangements for the Executive Committee election next year. The meeting resolved to launch immediately the nomination process for the next Executive Committee members, rotating members of the Technical Committee, and public consultation on the Rules of Procedure for the Technical Committee. The Technical Committee shall be formally established and IAIN’s first set of technical standards reviewed within the year.
张宝晨主持会议
During the session, Zhang Baochen delivered a detailed briefing covering the establishment plan and operating rules of the Technical Committee, the development of terminology standards for autonomous ships, nominations for the next Executive Committee, and outcomes achieved by China Institute of Navigation (CIN) since it took charge of content maintenance for the IAIN website, facilitating consensus across all agenda items. The meeting confirmed that Professor Hu Qing from Dalian Maritime University, Chair of the Communication and Navigation Committee of CIN, is appointed as a member of the new IAIN Awards Committee to participate in the evaluation of the Nicoloso Award, the John Harrison Award and the Honorary Membership Award. The inaugural Secretariat of the Technical Committee will be hosted in China.
Zhang Baochen and his colleagues attended the 2026 European Navigation Conference together with more than 450 experts, academics and industry representatives from Europe and across the globe. They held exchanges with IAIN Executive Committee members as well as representatives from the European Group of Institutes of Navigation (EUGIN) and the European Navigation Foundation, consolidating the foundation for communication and cooperation with the worldwide maritime and navigation community.
Founded in 1975, IAIN is a widely‑representative non‑governmental academic organisation in the international maritime and navigation sector, with the mission to foster global technical exchange and industrial collaboration on navigation. China joined IAIN in February 1988. China Institute of Navigation serves as the full member responsible for relevant affairs and keeps track of the latest global industry developments.