IC-ENC Information

The International Centre for ENCs (IC-ENC) represents many national hydrographic offices who wish to offer a centralised and consistent database of electronic navigational charts (ENCs) to the marketplace. Operating as a regional ENC co-ordination centre (RENC), IC-ENC's mission is to deliver to its member HOs a cost-effective service designed to meet the needs of the mariner and enhance safety at sea by providing high quality, fit-for-purpose ENCs that comply with IMO and IHO standards. IC-ENC validates ENC data for consistency, with the S-57 data transfer standard, and compiles a consistent ENC database which is then made widely available. IC-ENC aims to provide services, at a low cost, to national hydrographic offices that ensure their ENCs are compliant to the international standards, consistent across the global dataset and readily available for use so that shipping can navigate safely, efficiently, and confidently, whilst ensuring other maritime users are using the same approved data. The IC-ENC headquarters is hosted here in the UK, and there are three other IC-ENC regional offices based in Australia, Brazil and United States, which contribute to the quality assurance of the ENCs. IC-ENC has a budget and governance structure which means that each of the member HOs has a voice in how IC-ENC is run and the services it provides.