STOR-i PhD students Matt Speers and Rui Zhang recently completed a research visit to the TIDE Research Hub and the University of Western Australia (UWA). The visit, supported by TIDE, aimed to bridge statistical methodologies with practical applications in ocean engineering.

Rui and Matt presented their latest research, which focuses on developing statistical tools to support ocean engineers in tackling industrial challenges. Rui’s project explores the optimal allocation of drifters for efficient mapping of ocean currents, while Matt’s research centres on estimating extreme loads on offshore structures—both critical areas for enhancing the safety and efficiency of ocean engineering projects.

During the visit, Rui and Matt delivered hour-long presentations at TIDE’s biannual workshop. These talks provided an opportunity to share their work with domain experts and practitioners, sparking valuable discussions. The title of Matt’s talk is “Efficient Estimation of Structure Failure Probabilities” while Rui’s is “BALLAST: Bayesian Active Learning with Look-ahead Amendments for Sea-drifter Trajectories”. Numerous stimulating discussions and constructive comments were spurred during and after the presentations. Reflecting on the experience, Rui noted, “Engaging directly with practitioners gave us a clearer understanding of their current workflows and inspired ideas for tailoring our research to better meet their needs. It also offers us a fresh perspective on our research.”

Interactions with the TIDE community were a highlight of the visit. The researchers benefited from discussions with academics, postdoctoral researchers, and PhD students, who offered insights into ongoing challenges in the field. Rui and Matt also toured the UWA laboratory, gaining firsthand experience with the tools and techniques employed in practical ocean engineering.

The STOR-i PhD students expressed their gratitude to several individuals who made the visit possible, including TIDE’s director Phil Watson, co-investigator Ed Cripps, and postdoctoral researcher Lachlan Astfalck for their invitation and warm hospitality. Administrative staff Kath Lundy and Chris Pestell were instrumental in coordinating the visit, while the broader TIDE community welcomed the Lancaster team with open arms. Rui and Matt also acknowledged Prof. David Leslie from Lancaster University, whose efforts in fostering the collaboration between TIDE and Lancaster have led to opportunities like this visit.

Matt concluded, “The experience has been invaluable, not only for sharing our work but also for understanding how statistical methodologies can make a tangible impact in the field of ocean engineering. We look forward to further collaboration with TIDE and UWA in the future.”