Preview of International Speaker Line‑up for the 11th International Forum on Diving, Salvage and Offshore Engineering Technology

Release Date: 31 August, 2026

Event: 9th International Underwater Operations & Offshore Industry Expo, 11th International Forum on Diving, Salvage and Offshore Engineering Technology

Venue: Qingdao International Convention Centre (Laoshan), Qingdao, China

Dates: 6‑8 November 2026

This release provides a partial preview of confirmed international speakers. Additional speaker announcements will be made in due course.

QINGDAO, China — The 9th International Underwater Operations & Offshore Industry Expo will take place from 6-8 November, alongside with the 11th International Forum on Diving, Salvage and Offshore Engineering Technology on 7 November 2026. Under the theme Intelligence in Deep Blue, Innovation for New Horizons, the Underwater Operations Session will bring together world‑renowned industry practitioners, safety specialists and technology innovators to share hands‑on insights covering commercial diving safety, saturation diver emergency response and digital transformation for offshore operations.

The forum combines opening‑ceremony keynote addresses in the morning with the dedicated Underwater Operations Session in the afternoon. Confirmed international speakers draw decades of real‑world offshore experience across Europe and Asia‑Pacific, offering global perspectives for diving contractors, vessel operators, training providers, equipment manufacturers, research institutes and safety regulators. Delegates are welcome to join the open sessions for knowledge exchange and face‑to‑face networking with global experts.

Confirmed International Speakers

Darren Brunton CFIOSH MIIAI MAPIEx

Managing Director, KB Associates Pte Ltd / KBA Training Centre Pte Ltd (Singapore)

Darren Brunton brings more than four decades of experience across military and commercial diving sectors dating back to 1977. His extensive career includes roles as saturation diver, diving supervisor, client representative, diving‑system auditor and lead trainer for commercial diving and safety‑management programmes. Having delivered projects globally across the North Sea, Southeast Asia, China and Latin America, he founded KB Associates and KBA Training Centre in Singapore, delivering safety consultancy and industry training for offshore and in‑shore diving communities.

He holds an MSc in Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Management. He serves as Chairman of IMCA South‑East Asia Regional Committee, and sits on the IMCA Diving Division Management Committee, contributing to the development and review of global commercial‑diving safe‑work guidance. His presentation will focus on Global Diving Talent Training System: Commercial Diving Training Standards & Practical Teaching Experience of KBA Training Centre Pte Ltd.

Lino Brogneri

Founder and CEO, Logiit

Lino Brogneri is the Founder and CEO of Logiit, a digital‑compliance infrastructure platform built for global marine and offshore industries. Drawing on over 20 years of practical experience as a commercial diver, rigger and diving supervisor, he has witnessed the pain points caused by fragmented records, paper‑heavy workflows and limited offshore connectivity — which drove the creation of Logiit.

His platform delivers unified digital logbooks, competence management, operational planning and offline‑capable verification for diving, ROV, dynamic positioning and other specialist marine disciplines. Lino’s speech is titled Beyond the Surface — The Next Era of Offshore Work. He will explore practical pathways for marine‑sector digital transformation, shifting from simple paper‑replacement towards trusted, interoperable industry data to improve safety, compliance and future‑ready offshore operations.

Rolf Røssland

CEO, NUI AS (Norway)

Rolf Røssland has served as CEO of NUI AS since 2014. NUI delivers a broad portfolio of sub‑sea solutions covering advanced research, hyperbaric contingency testing, engineering, consultancy and specialist equipment validation. With over 40 years of offshore hands‑on background as an air diver, saturation diver, diving supervisor and HSEQ director, Rolf participates actively in key industry bodies including IMCA Europe & African Committee as Vice‑Chairman.

His presentation From Diving System Design to Hyperbaric Evacuation. A Norwegian Approach to Saturation Diver Safety will unpack full‑lifecycle safety principles for commercial diving. Highlighting the Norwegian operational model, he will discuss complete emergency‑response chains for saturation divers, including Self‑Propelled Hyperbaric Lifeboats (SPHLs) and coordinated cross‑party collaboration between diving contractors, vessel operators and on‑land Hyperbaric Reception Facilities (HRFs).

Join Us in Qingdao

The 9th International Underwater Operations & Offshore Industry Expo, 11th International Forum on Diving, Salvage and Offshore Engineering Technology create a rare cross‑border exchange platform connecting Chinese and international underwater‑operations professionals. Attendees will gain first‑hand case studies, actionable best practices and direct access to global thought‑leaders in commercial diving, safety governance and marine digitalisation.

Alongside the forum, UO Expo 2026 occupies 20 000 m² of exhibition space showcasing cutting‑edge diving & salvage hardware, underwater robotics, offshore‑wind equipment and marine‑safety solutions. Networking sessions and business‑matching activities will run throughout the three‑day event.

For more details on the forum agenda, speaker updates and event registration, please contact with us directly.

Jessica Dong

Director of International Cooperation and Maritime Affairs Department

China Diving and Salvage Association

Office: +86 (10) 65991595 (Mon to Fri, 8:30-17:00, UTC+8)

E-mail: llb@cdsca.org.cn

en.cdsca.org.cn