MARINE

HOW MARINE-I IS SUPPORTING A NEW WAVE OF MARINE TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION IN CORNWALL.

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.” 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.

FIND OUT MORE: WWW.MARINE-I.CO.UK

Photo credit: Principle Power Inc

Marine-i is supporting a range of Cornish innovators who are working in this field, including:

• J-Supplied, who are developing technology for the 3D printing of turbine blades.

• Tugdock, who have designed an innovative floating platform for offshore wind construction projects.

• Falco Drone Technologies, who are creating a long-range drone that can be used for surveying offshore windfarms. An exciting range of marine technology innovations Other innovative projects that Marine-i is currently supporting include: the development of electric and hybrid propulsion for vessels, technologies to reduce harmful ship emissions, the use of ocean thermal energy convertors to provide green electricity to remote island communities, novel sail systems that could replace fossil fuels on long-range vessels, devices for harnessing wave energy, and offshore farms to grow seaweed for food.

• Feritech Global, who plan to create the world’s first autonomous vehicle for subsea geotechnical surveys

• Inyanga Maritime, who are developing a new system for anchoring floating turbines.

• 4 Earth Intelligence, who plan to use satellite data to assist in the building and maintenance of offshore windfarms. A bright future for Cornwall’s marine technology industry Professor Lars Johanning concludes:

“The pioneering innovation that we are seeing in Cornwall today is building a brilliant platform for future growth, making this a really exciting time for our marine technology industry.

“The new ideas that are being developed right now in Cornwall can help lay the foundations for economic prosperity and job creation. All of these innovations could have a significant impact on marine technology around the world, helping to secure Cornwall’s reputation as a leader in this field.

“The Marine-i team is really proud to be able to help these businesses accelerate the development of their ideas and bring them to market more quickly, and with a greater chance of long term success.”