MARINE
H O W M A R I N E - I I S S U P P O R T I N G A N E W WAV E O F M A R I N E T E C H N O L O G Y I N N O VAT I O N I N CO R N WA L L . arine-i is a pioneering business support programme that has been designed to foster innovation in the marine technology sector in Cornwall. Professor Lars Johanning, Programme Director for Marine-i explains their philosophy: “Our goal is to help put Cornwall at the forefront of the sustainable marine tech industries of the future. These include marine energy, marine manufacturing, maritime operations and marine environmental technologies. This programme is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and aims to stimulate and support research and innovation, to help Cornish marine businesses exploit new market opportunities. Comprehensive support for marine technology businesses “Marine-i offers one of the most complete packages of innovation support ever designed for the marine sector. This encompasses business consultancy, research expertise, grant funding, access to some of the best testing facilities in Europe and graduate support at a subsidised cost. Marine-i provides a bespoke package to marine businesses that is geared to their specific needs and delivered through one point of contact. “There are six Project Partners who work closely together to create the Marine-i offer. These are the University of Exeter, University of Plymouth, Cornwall College Group, Cornwall Marine Network, Cornwall Development Company, and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult. They each have their own particular strengths and specialist expertise that they apply to support innovative marine businesses. “Marine technology is a vital industry for Cornwall, and one with high growth potential for the future. It will have a huge influence on the economic prospects of the county and will be vital in creating the high value jobs we need.”
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Photo credit: Feritech Global Floating Offshore Wind: a huge new opportunity for Cornwall Marine-i has supported local companies working in wind, wave and tidal power generation, helping to pioneer new ways of delivering the green energy of the future. The next ten years will see the most exciting development yet in our area – the building of floating offshore windfarms in the Celtic Sea. With floating windfarms, instead of attaching the turbine to a fixed foundation, the turbine is supported by a structure that floats on the surface. This is then tethered to the seabed. This technology means that turbines can be located in very deep waters, where the most powerful winds are. Cornwall is lucky because it has easy access to one of the world’s best locations for floating offshore windfarms, and the local engineering expertise to build them. The UK Government believe this technology will play a crucial role in delivering our country’s goal of a Net Zero economy by 2050. Cornwall will be right at the forefront of this new industry, one in which it has the potential to become a world leader.
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