Marine Institute benefits South West businesses

PLYMOUTH, U.K. - June 26, 2013 - PRLog -- An emergency turn to avoid hitting a burning cargo ship in Plymouth Harbour, navigating a fast ferry past the Statue of Liberty, and seeing the effects of wave propagation on the arctic ice cap were just some of the experiences enjoyed by a wide range of South West based marine businesses during a tour of the new Marine Institute at Plymouth University.
Organised by Adam Corney, Marine Commercial Director at Plymouth University, as part of a British Marine Federation SW event, over twenty companies including engineering  and manufacturing SME’s, marine insurers, marine lawyers, superyacht agents, yacht brokers and professional services companies specialising in the marine sector participated in hands-on demonstrations of the £19 million facilities available in the cutting-edge Marine Institute building.  

The five storey Marine Institute includes the Coastal Ocean and Sediment Transport (COAST) laboratory, which houses the UK’s most sophisticated wave tank. Combining wave, current and wind power in a dynamic ‘theatre’, the wave tank and smaller coastal basin complete with beach is used for device and array testing, environmental modelling and coastal engineering. Upstairs, the Marine Navigation Centre includes teaching facilities for all forms of navigation and maritime courses, and includes the latest electronic charting ECDIS systems. A Transas ship simulator creates a realistic ship’s bridge environment, where up to nine different ships in a variety of locations are used to teach navigation and electronic chart technology.  

Adam Corney explained that, as well as positioning Plymouth and the South West as a global centre for marine research, development and innovation, marine businesses can now benefit from the University’s facilities through its Marine Innovation Centre (MARIC). He explained how multidisciplinary teams within the university work together with companies and organisations to combine valuable academic work with business requirements. This may range from product testing to academic research studies such as those currently being handled for Natural England, on the effect of waves on marine protected areas. With the benefit of a recent £2m grant from the European Regional Development Fund, he explained how MARIC is now able to enhance and optimise the flow of knowledge and expertise between the Marine Institute and SMEs leading to more competitive and profitable products, innovation, collaboration, and increased employment prospects .

One of the attendees, Sam Crawford of CMS Marine, whose company has designed new technology for intelligent ultrasonic antifouling, says after seeing the facilities available, he hopes to use the Marine Institute for further product research and development.  “It’s a fantastic facility to engage with leading academics and to use the world-leading marine sector expertise in the further development of our range of products for the commercial and leisure marine market.”

Thanking Adam Corney and the University staff and students for their hospitality, Will Blagdon, Chairman of the BMF SW said, “The Marine Institute and MARIC is good news for South West based marine businesses. These world class facilities, together with the ability to draw on the knowledge, skills and experience of leading academics and graduates, will help promote British marine industries across the world.”