Pembrokeshire will be hosting the sixth annual Marine Energy Pembrokeshire Industry Seminar on March 19 at the Bridge Innovation Centre, Pembroke Dock.

This event, which includes talks and panel sessions from industry experts, a tour of Pembroke Port and a networking dinner has been fully booked for the last five years and welcomes over 120 representatives with a working interest in the marine sector from across the UK and beyond.

Marine Energy Pembrokeshire are delighted that Carl Sargeant AM, Minister for Natural Resources, will be joining them to provide the keynote address at Wales' most important marine energy event.

Delegates will have the opportunity to listen to speakers from The Crown Estate, Welsh Government, Wave Hub, Pembroke Port, Welsh European Funding Office, Ocean Energy Europe, RenewableUK, Aquatera and many more.

The seminar, whose main sponsors include Welsh Government and Pembroke Port, is also a platform to provide an update on existing projects in Wales, including Tidal Energy Ltd, Marine Power Systems, Minesto, and Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay.

Interest in Pembrokeshire and Wales is on the increase due to the announcement of two marine energy demonstration zones and £80,342,755 of EU structural funding prioritising marine energy.

David Jones, project director of Marine Energy Pembrokeshire, said: "The Marine Energy Pembrokeshire seminar has gained a strong reputation in the industry and has proved a vibrant opportunity for networking and catching up on industry developments. We are looking forward to welcoming attendees and showcasing the strengths of the area.

"Pembrokeshire has huge potential to deliver a new sustainable energy sector and if you combine the natural resources we have with the grid connection possibilities, the transferable skills of the oil and gas industry supply chain, research links, the world class port facilities and the area's designation as an energy Enterprise Zone, it all adds up to provide a very attractive package for developers.

"Add to that the £80.34M of EU structural funding set aside for marine energy and Demonstration Zones for both wave and tide then, clearly, Wales is well positioned to play a leading role in the worldwide marine energy sector."

Since 2010, the MEP Industry Seminar has been fully booked. The number of supply chain companies, supporting organisations and technology developers has increased year on year, demonstrating the advancement of the sector and a growing interest in Wales. Of the delegates who attended the 2014 seminar, 62 per cent were supply chain companies, 20 per cent were technology developers and 18 per cent were from the government and research sector.

Delegate feedback from last year's seminar included Stephanie Thornton, former CEO of Ocean Energy Industry Australia, who travelled from California stating: "This was the most positive ocean energy conference I have attended. In just one day, there was a tremendous amount of information shared by industry, a real willingness to engage and I got a feel that Marine Energy Pembrokeshire was really moving forward in collaboration."

For details on how to book, including attending, sponsorship, exhibition packages, the pre-event Port tour and networking dinner, please contact Louise Rigby on [email protected]">[email protected]