A subsea survey and inspection company has opened a new office in Bristol which it says will become a global innovation hub.
Sulmara's new base at the Generator Building at Finzels Reach is home to a specialist team, focusing on enterprise data infrastructure, software development and data analytics driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
It is understood the Bristol team will transform how offshore survey data is collected, processed and delivered, with the work aiming to reduce the number of people working offshore, improve survey accuracy and shorten project timelines.
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The company has also appointed Richard Goodwin as its chief information officer. He will lead the firm's global technical development and operations, driving the integration of AI and machine learning, cloud and automation into subsea survey workflows.
Mr Goodwin spent two decades at Capgemini where he held global senior leadership roles. His background spans multiple sectors, including marine and subsea.
“This is more than just a new office – it’s a highly experienced team ready to deliver from day one,” he said. “With AI and machine learning, we see a huge opportunity to transform underwater exploration – making it safer, faster, and more precise than ever before.”
Kevin McBarron, chief executive at Sulmara, added: “We’re really pleased to welcome Richard and the wider team to Sulmara as they settle into our new Bristol office. They bring a high level of technical skill, professionalism, and a collaborative spirit that aligns with how we work as a company.
“Having this team in place adds further depth to the expertise we offer our clients, and we’re genuinely looking forward to working together.”
The Bristol hub will focus on developing tools for tasks such as UXO identification, seafloor target picking and boulder detection, which Sulmara say is "critical" to reducing project risk and enabling greater adoption of remote technologies.