World Conference on Floating Solutions 2023: Tokyo

Background

In recent years, the safety and security of people’s lives around the world has been threatened by frequent floods and rising sea levels attributable to climate change. The COP 26 has set a common global goal of limiting the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. It is an urgent task to cope with climate change as well as to utilize decarbonized and renewable energy.
The UN is promoting the SDGs which aim to achieve 17 Goals between 2015 and 2030. However, efforts to reach the Goals will not end in 2030, but will be an ongoing challenge for humanity beyond 2030.
Here, we tentatively call the Goals to be achieved after the SDGs as “Next SDGs”.

WCFS2023 Japan aims to pioneer the SDGs and Next SDGs by making the most use of ocean and water. Ocean and water have the potential to provide solutions to the disasters such as flooding and sea level rise due to climate change. In this context, WCFS2023 Japan will position ocean and water as the urban infrastructure and will explore new technology and feasible solutions. In particular, it is necessary to consider urban planning, marine architecture, port planning connecting land and sea, disaster prevention, renewable energy and food production on the sea and water. Further, it is indispensable that knowledge, experience, dream and strong desire to realize these challenges are supported by a diversity of people.

Introduction

World Conference on Floating Solutions (WCFS) aims at providing solutions to mitigate challenges associated with climate change, population growth, renewable energy, food production, etc. by using floating technologies. The first conference was held in Singapore in 2019 by the “Society of Floating Solutions, Singapore (SFSS) ” and the second one in Rotterdam in 2020. We are delighted to announce the third conference, WCFS2023 Japan to be held in Tokyo under the theme of “Floating Solutions for the Next SDGs” as described below. We encourage you to join WCFS2023 Japan and exchange opinions together to make a step forward to realize sustainable society in the light of Floating Solutions.

Conference Executive Committee

Name	Affiliation
Shigeru Tabeta	Chair of Conference Executive Committee, WCFS2023 Japan Professor, the University of Tokyo
Tomoki Ikoma	Vice chair of Conference Executive Committee, WCFS2023 Japan Chair of Organizing Committee, WCFS2023 Japan Professor, Nihon University
Sam Tabuchi	Professor Emeritus, Toyo University Chair of UNECE PPP Working Party in Geneva
Hidekatsu Kikuchi	Executive Manager, Business Strategy and Promotion Department, Chodai Co., Ltd.
Motoko Imai	General Manager, New Business Innovation and Promotion Division, Chodai Co., Ltd.
Toshio Nakajima	CEO, Waterfront Real Estate Co., Ltd.
Yoshihiko Yamashita	Senior Adviser, Waterfront Real Estate Co., Ltd.
Yuki Yamashita (Secretariat)	Chief of Water City, Energy and Environment section, Chodai Co., Ltd.
Ikuo Yoshida (Secretariat)	Manager, Ocean Programs, Emerging Frontier Division, Shimizu Corporation
Donghee Ko (Secretariat)	Manager, Ocean Programs, Emerging Frontiers Division, Shimizu Corporation

Organizing Committee

Name	Affiliation
Tomoki Ikoma	Chair of Organizing Committee, WCFS2023 Japan Professor, Nihon University
Chikako Fujiyama	Professor, Yokohama National University
Daisuke Kitazawa	Professor, the University of Tokyo
Hideyuki Niizato	Technical Research Institute Hitachi Zosen
Jin Sasaki	Renewable Energy Engineer, Arup
Kazuhiro Iijima	Professor, Osaka University
Kenichi Fujita	Associate Professor, Nagasaki Institute of Applied Science
Mitsuhiro Masuda	Associate Professor, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology
Motohiko Murai	Professor, Yokohama National University,
Ryo Sugahara	Associate Professor, Nihon University
Shinichiro Hirabayashi	Associate Professor, the University of Tokyo
Takahide Terakuchi	Associate Professor, Nihon University
Takero Yoshida	Researcher, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
Tomomi Kanemitsu	Institute of Technology Shimizu corporation
Yoshitsugu Kawakami	Professor, Hiroshima Institute of Technology
Yasuhiro Aida	Associate Professor, Nihon University
Yasunori Nihei	Associate Professor, Osaka Metropolitan University

Advisory Committee

Name	Affiliation
Hideyuki Suzuki	Professor, the University of Tokyo
Ken Takagi	Professor, the University of Tokyo
Koichi Masuda	Professor Emeritus, Nihon University
Koichi Maekawa	Professor, Yokohama National University
Takeshi Ishihara	Professor, the University of Tokyo
Takeshi Kinoshita	Professor Emeritus, the University of Tokyo
Tomoaki Utsunomiya	Professor, Kyushu University
Lim Soon Heng	Founder President and Senior Advisor of the Society of Floating Solutions, Singapore
Chien Ming Wang	Professor, University of Queensland

Key dates