Maritime UK South West offers access to world-class research institutions and innovation-led companies

ARCIMS Mission System on sea trials off the Dorset coast

A Marine and Maritime Cluster of Excellence

The area features Cornwall, The Isles of Scilly, Devon, Somerset and Dorset. This vibrant industry cluster boasts world-class universities and research institutions, a highly-skilled workforce, and offers significant business-support for new and growing companies and attractive relocation sites of all types, sizes and budgets.

With convenient freight and passenger ports, multiple airports and an efficient road and rail network, trading across

the UK and overseas could not be easier. Maritime UK South West continues to build on its competitive strengths and unrivalled reputation for environmental technology, innovative design and manufacturing.

Many varied opportunities are on offer for marine and maritime companies in collaboration with research institutions, with particular centres of excellence around Applied Autonomy and Robotics; Design, Engineering and

Manufacturing; Marine Energy and Renewables; and Sensors, Satellites, Big Data and the Environment.

Maritime UK South West partners with Cornwall Marine Network to represent the South West and is a board member of Maritime UK. The cluster has well established networks across government, business and research in addition to other international ocean technology clusters.

Maritime UK South West is recognised as the UK’s leading Ocean Economy clean innovation hub, with a rich maritime heritage, hundreds of kilometres of coastline, a concentration of world-renowned research institutions and a large and growing network of sector-leading, innovative companies.

A&P Falmouth Port Cornwall

Type 23 Frigate, Devonport Dockyard

SATELLITES, SENSORS, BIG DATA AND THE ENVIRONMENT

The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science is a marine science and technology world-leader. The Department for International Trade has identified Dorset as a “High Potential Opportunity” in sustainable aquaculture and the South West Aquaculture Network is working to develop the sector across the wider region. Satellite Applications Centres of Excellence (SACE) unlock the UK satellite applications and services potential. Plymouth Marine Laboratory provides a global Earth observation processing capability and works with the European Space Agency among others. Plymouth University have recently secured £3.2 million for a new Cyber Ship lab which will open in 2020.

APPLIED AUTONOMY AND ROBOTICS

The global market for marine autonomy is predicted to be $136 billion over the next 15 years with the UK taking a 10 per cent market share (Foresight 2018). The South West is home to a critical mass of the UK autonomy supply chain, test assets and research organisatons, with an active autonomy cluster (FAST) boasting leading organisations including MSubs, Seiche, Thales and UKHO working in collaboration. The South West attracts organisations from across the world to test and develop technology at two in-sea test and development ranges in Plymouth (Smart Sound) and in Weymouth which are backed up by world class innovation support from Plymouth and Exeter Universities, Plymouth Marine Laboratory and the Marine Biological Association who partner with Plymouth City Council to form the Marine Business Technology Centre innovation service.

MARINE ENERGY AND RENEWABLES

Cornwall’s Wave Hub is the world’s largest, technologically advanced renewable energy test site. FabTest, also in Cornwall enables device developers to test components, concepts or full scale devices in moderate wave climate. The University of Plymouth is home to state of the art COAST Lab facilities which include a wave tank and the University of Exeter in Devon and Cornwall is a Russell Group university for global research, which specialises in marine renewables. The €46.8 million TIGER project aims to drive the growth of tidal stream energy by installing up to 8 MW of new tidal capacity at sites in and across the Channel region thus driving innovation and the development of new products and services.

Research and development collaborations between the research institutions and marine companies result in world-leading disruptive innovations across the cluster’s centres of excellence.

Smart Sound Plymouth

DESIGN, ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING

The Centre for Marine Biofouling and Corrosion, based in Plymouth, provides offshore, inshore and lab testing facilities. The University of Exeter is home to CALM, the Centre for Additive Layer Manufacturing which is a leading independent research centre focused on the development of advanced High Performance Polymers. The National Composite Centre in Bristol aims to accelerate the growth of UK industrial output by enabling design and manufacturing enterprises to deliver winning solutions in the application of composites.

The testing ranges in Plymouth and Weymouth combined with a concentration of supply chain and research expertise make the South West a global leader in marine and submarine autonomy.

Port of Portland

World-Class Centres of Excellence

Strategic Partners

Sponsors

Cornwall Marine Network and Maritime UK South West work together to represent the South West and are board members of Maritime UK.

High-quality relocation and business growth space is available across the South West region, both in coastal locations and inland.

UK Marine

Investing in Maritime UK South West

The Maritime UK South West team offers extensive support to companies interested in relocating and growing here, such as bespoke introductions to any of the research institutions and many innovative companies, tailored property searches and introductions to business support organisations.

For further info

UK-based businesses benefit from a globally competitive tax environment, with the lowest corporation tax rate in the G7 and joint lowest in the G20.

The UK excels in cross-sector digital and satellite systems, new technologies and utilisation of big data. The UK is the leading destination for foreign direct investment and 5th largest trading nation in the world. The UK is rated by the World Bank as one of the easiest countries to do business in and was ranked top 5 on the Global Innovation Index 2019.

Significant business relocation, growth and export support is available throughout the UK, such as R&D tax credits and patent box incentives. The Maritime UK South West team ensures that potential investors and growing companies are well-supported with a strong network.

Marine and maritime companies assemble around several exciting new development sites across the South West including Enterprise Zones in Hayle in Cornwall; Oceansgate Plymouth, Brixham Labs and Dorset Innovation Park in Winfrith. Further sites and details are included in this pack, with many more options available on request.

The Cluster offers an extensive programme of support to relocating and growing businesses. This includes bespoke property searches; local planning and transport advice; and introductions to local business networks, skills and recruitment agencies, and R&D institutions for testing.

Oceansgate Plymouth

For any Maritime UK South West enquiries, please contact us at:enquiries@martimeuksw.orgwww.maritimeuksw.org