Commercial and Funding


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 merits or demerits of standard forms of contract
  • Accelerating project launch and time to market
  • Reducing the complexity of system/ownership contracts and structures
  • System design life and associated commercial matters
  • Risk and insurance on all aspects of system ownership including marine maintenance
  • The cost/quality/time trade-offs involved in system design and exploitation
  • Typical C&MA issues and their solutions or work-arounds
  • Geo-political or cultural differences which underlie industry approaches
  • COVID-19, and what we can do as an industry to prepare for the next pandemic

 

“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”

 

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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 16 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:

  1. Click on "Enter Call for Papers Portal"   
  2. If this is your first submission you will be required to register. Complete all the details in the form and submit
  3. You will be sent an email confirmation and be directed to the submissions form.
  4. Fill in the submission form, then click on ‘Submit’(note all fields with an asterisk are required)
  5. You will receive an email confirming your form submission
  6. You can submit multiple submissions 
  7. You will be able to edit your submission up until the 16 September 2022

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.

 

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