A group of leaders in the field of ocean autonomy, coming from a diverse range of technical and academic backgrounds; including ocean sciences, data management, engineering or software. The group will be at the core of the community, representing people and institutions from across Europe. The core group will lead by example, championing openness and inclusivity. The core group activity and leadership will be clearly distinct from other initiatives like the OceanGliders steering committee of the EuroGOOS glider task team and other international groups. There will be instances that some members could be part of those groups, this is normal, and to a point unavoidable, but  the core group must keep a distinct activity from them while keeping engaged and coordinated.