Vice Chairs Commercial and Funding
Shota Masuda, RTI & Leigh Frame, Xtera
This broad subject covers the challenges of launching a project, from finding investment partners and anchor tenants to securing the finance, specifying the project, selecting a vendor and bringing the project into force. Systems can exist within a variety of ownership models and financing can take many forms, driven by many factors including the route and system configuration, the viability, the customer mix, market environment, team credibility and so on. Discussion of the effectiveness of each model and best practice in overcoming the issues or in constructing a compelling business case is welcomed.
The commercial area can be considered to span from the seed of an idea for a system or route, right through to the eventual decommissioning of a system. An area that deserves particular attention currently is macro industry considerations. This would cover such matters as the drivers of cycles and whether we are seeing a new paradigm of steady medium term growth which would be a first perhaps for subsea, the role of the OTTs and their deep pockets in driving commercial change in a very conservative industry, and trends within the global finance community that have influenced or changed subsea funding over the past years and expectations for the future.
Other areas to be discussed could include
“The research and the technologies that go into submarine cables are really fascinating; the speed and capacity have increased a thousand fold during the past three decades, and these topics are always the centerpiece of discussions at any SubOptic conference. However, you cannot build a cable unless you have the necessary funds and, since Submarine Cables would typically land in several countries, securing funds across multiple jurisdictions with diverse risks was never an easy task. We have both struggled trying to get the equity funds and trying to get banks to understand the unique aspects of funding a submarine cable, an asset that should have the yield and lack of financial thrills of an infrastructure utility but which is typically a more exciting ride than that! Which is why we are so excited to co-chair the “Commercial and Funding” topic area. Papers on commercial contracts and perhaps about how to prepare for the next pandemic are also welcomed”
Guideline for Submission
The SubOptic Papers Committee is pleased to request industry experts to submit Abstracts for papers to be presented as either oral or poster presentations at SubOptic 2023
Deadline for Abstract Submission
The deadline for submission of Abstracts is 2 September 2022
Format of Abstracts
Abstracts must be written in English, and consist of plain text only, maximum 300 words. Essentially the abstract should be a brief summary (or an 'abstract') of the proposed paper or poster.
Each Abstract should be original in nature and cover some aspect of the program topics detailed in this Call for Papers. Abstracts will be evaluated and scored for quality, credibility, originality and general interest.
Overt product advertising or company publicity within an Abstract (or the subsequent paper) is not permissible and will be cause for rejection of the submission.
Any type of company of the submarine industry (operators, vendors, manufacturers, service providers, etc.) is invited to submit.
Abstract Submission Method
To submit an Abstract for consideration, the lead author of the paper should:
The SubOptic 2023 Papers Committee reserves the right to change the designated topic area for any Abstract, as may be appropriate.
Notification of Acceptance
Under the guidance of the SubOptic 2023 Papers Committee, multi-company panels of industry experts will review all abstracts in an objective and professional manner, and select the papers desired for presentation at the conference. The Lead Author will be notified by email in early November 2022 of the committee's decision.
Publication in the Proceedings of SubOptic 2022
If an Abstract is accepted for oral or poster presentation, the author will be required to submit a paper (nominally three to five pages, but any length within reason will be accepted), written in English, to the SubOptic 2023 Papers Committee by 31 January 2022
Accepted papers will be published in the SubOptic 2023 Conference proceedings, contingent upon the transfer of copyright to the SubOptic 2023 Executive Committee.