Plymouth and the South West could become a key player in the world’s US$3trillion ocean economy under a new vision for the region’s marine technology sector.
Industry, academia and local and central government have come together to produce the initiative which sets out a blueprint for how the South West can become a global centre of excellence for the testing, development and manufacture of autonomous, digital and clean ocean technologies.
The prospectus sees the region playing a vital role in the 海角视频’s ambition to be a science and innovation superpower. The Ocean Futures programme is designed at underpinning the country’s maritime industry and providing economic stability and prosperity.
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The document envisages the region’s R&D institutions and testing facilities working together to create a world-class marine tech centre where firms from around the 海角视频 could test and hone new inventions.
This would be centred on Plymouth, home to the Marine Biological Association, Oceansgate marine enterprise zone, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the new Freeport, the University of Plymouth’s world-leading Marine Institute, and the Thales Maritime Autonomy Centre.
But the vision also embraces key sites in Cornwall, such as the Falmouth Bay test site, Hayle Marine Renewables Business Park, the Offshore Renewables Catapult, and Wavehub in Hayle.
Devon sites are included too, such as the Electronics and Photonics Innovation Centre (EPIC) at Paignton, Teignbridge Hydrodynamic Research Vessel, Brixham Labs, the University of Exeter, and the Met Office in Exeter.
The South West Centre of Excellence in Satellite Application at Goonhilly and Plymouth, and defence firm QinetiQ’s sites in Plymouth and Portland, along with Weymouth’s Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) and the 海角视频 Hydrographic Office in Taunton, are integral too.
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Other big-name businesses and organisations partnering on the prospectus include Babcock, Plymouth City Council, City College Plymouth, M Subs Ltd, Witt Energy, Voyager Boatyard, Turnchapel Wharf, Maritime 海角视频 South West, the Heart of the South West LEP and Lloyd’s Register.
The Ocean Futures prospectus will be released this week and put before ministers in a bid to extract funding to ensure the vision becomes a reality.
Rob Watson, director of Plymouth based Marine Business Technology Centre (MBTC) said the idea is for the region to become a key innovation service hub for the 海角视频’s marine sector, based around the development of autonomous vessels, a safe and sustainable net zero environment and 5G digital marine communications.
It would provide a go-to spot for knowledge and a proving ground for new technologies, also creating the ideal location for a national marine autonomy certification centre, based in Plymouth, that will utilise the physical Smart Sound digital testbed in Plymouth Sound to allow live testing of tech such as autonomous vessels.
And utilising the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport, and its marine innovation hotbed at Oceansgate in Devonport, would also allow the region to become a world-wide business draw.
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“The aim is for Plymouth to become the place for testing, proving and certification,” said Mr Watson. “So this is a test for us in the South West to come together and present as a united front. We have put in a number of requests for support, at the lower end, but central to everything is to provide an innovation service.
“Innovation generally happens with SMEs, but where can they get the research support and equipment to prove their applications work? If we can place an innovation centre at Oceansgate it becomes a hub for the development of new technology,” said Mr Watson. “We could then have agreements with international businesses that would allow them to come here.”