The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), headquartered in Monaco for more than a century, has opened its first office outside the Principality, marking a significant step towards improving the safety and reliability of digital navigation worldwide.
The new IHO Infrastructure Centre was officially inaugurated in Busan, South Korea, on Tuesday, November 10, with the aim of strengthening the security of maritime navigation data used by ships around the world.
The facility will play a central role in the transition towards a new generation of digital navigation systems, ensuring that electronic maritime information remains authentic, reliable and protected as it reaches vessels at sea.
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At the heart of the initiative is S-100, an international framework developed by the IHO to bring together electronic nautical charts, water depths, tides, currents and navigational warnings within a single digital environment. The system is designed to provide mariners with more comprehensive information, updated in near real time, to support safer and more efficient voyages.
The centre in Busan will manage the registration and security services underpinning these digital products, helping hydrographic authorities, equipment manufacturers and shipping operators adopt the new standards.
IHO Secretary-General Rear Admiral Luigi Sinapi described the opening as an important milestone for the organisation, highlighting its role in strengthening international cooperation, technological innovation and support for member states.
The project builds on decades of collaboration between the IHO and South Korea in maritime training, technical assistance and capacity development.
An agreement establishing the centre was signed in Seoul on Monday, 9 November, followed by a further agreement signed during the inauguration ceremony by representatives of South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the City of Busan and the IHO.
During his visit to Seoul, Sinapi also met South Korea’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kim Jina, to discuss continued cooperation between the country and the Monaco-based organisation.
Dr John Nyberg, the IHO Director responsible for the new centre, emphasised that the success of digital navigation depends on mariners being able to trust the information displayed on their equipment. The Busan facility will oversee the systems needed to maintain that confidence as maritime technology evolves.
Founded in 1921 and based in Monaco, the International Hydrographic Organization now brings together more than 100 member states. Its work focuses on improving navigation safety and protecting the marine environment through hydrography, the science of measuring and mapping oceans, coastlines and waterways.
