Terry Sloane

Industry Liaison and Technology 2010-17

My role on the Challenger Council:

• Liaison with marine scientific industry to ensure that membership has access to news, research opportunities, commercial opportunities and employment opportunities from within the ocean business community.
• Liaison with AMSI (Association of Marine Scientific industries) trade association to provide an independent conduit to and from appropriate government organisations and policy makers from a lobbying, economic and business perspective and with the international oceanographic, hydro graphic and meteorological instrument manufacturers and suppliers.
• To strengthen the relationship between the two organisations to provide a coherent business and science contact point to government and the media.
• To provide the council and membership with information on developing technologies, “horizon thinking” sponsorship opportunities, and technology search capabilities, and to respond to membership requests for technical information.
• To provide industry with an overview of the future requirements of the oceanographic research community and to publicise requirements of membership within the instrument manufacturers community.
• To facilitate introductions between membership with respect to joint venture and licensing opportunities.

How I got into science?

From a very young age I wanted to do “underwater stuff” and trained as an electronics engineer in the mid 70’s working for Marconi Space and Defence Systems, Naval Division on under water acoustics and weapon systems and have been working with underwater technology ever since with a brief break into meteorology. Shortly after qualifying I joined NBA Controls, as a designer working on CTD systems, tide gauges, current meters and wave buoys. The application of electronics in the marine environment has always been extremely challenging. We have placed men on the moon, but not on the deepest seabed of our own planet, have explored other worlds in greater detail than our own oceans and we continue to do fantastic science and engineering on what is realistically a shoe string budget.

Who inspires me?

Like most people of my age I was first exposed to the underwater world through the TV and the exploits of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Hans & Lotte Hass and Troy Tempest! Since those formative days I have been fortunate to work alongside some of the best engineers in the business and still do.