Coastal Futures Conference 2024

On the 24th and 25th of January, Exo Engineering had the exciting opportunity to attend the Coastal Futures 2024 Conference, held at the Royal Institution, London. Attending alongside sister company Exo Environmental, the conference presented a crucial opportunity for networking between a wide range of stakeholders, including governmental organisations and advisory bodies responsible for the management of our coastlines and seas, including Natural England, the Environment Agency, the MMO, the Crown Estate, the IFCAs, JNCC, and many more.

With a special focus on the greater need for inclusivity in coastal and marine management, experts from a diverse range of fields were able to share some of the latest knowledge on current environmental trends and the actions which can be taken to overcome the biggest threats faced by our shared marine spaces. By initiating conversations about best practices, it is hoped that together we can shape policy and legislation which will underpin the approaches to marine management, allowing us to address the issues which have been identified and safeguard marine spaces.

The conference provided a platform for Exo Engineering to showcase some of the innovative designs that we have been working on to not only defend our coastlines, but to restore lost habitats and give nature the opportunity to thrive. Through the use of our Hybrid Nature Based Solutions (HNBS), we can help to mitigate the impacts of coastal squeeze by building habitats into the design of our coastal defence structures.

Exo Engineering were also fortunate enough to directly contribute to discussions, with Operations Manager Will Melhuish delivering a talk on the potential for eco-engineering approaches to defend our coastlines whilst achieving Biodiversity Net Gain in intertidal areas. This emphasised the role that legislation can play in encouraging a more nature-oriented planning process. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to speak at such a historic venue while discussing the future of our coastal and marine management, and be a part of conversations around whether the right solutions are being evolved to help restore healthy and thriving seas around our coastlines.