£1.2m invested in new underwater communications network in Plymouth

CHAMBER UPDATE £1.2m invested in new underwater communications network

The University of Plymouth is leading a £1.2million project to upgrade the offshore infrastructure of Smart Sound Plymouth.

The initiative, supported by funding from the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, will further enhance the unique proving ground for businesses to test, trial, prototype and commercialise new products and services.

The Smart Sound Connect Subsurface project builds on the Smart Sound Connect infrastructure launched in March 2022.

Working with Plymouth Marine Laboratory, it will install an underwater acoustic communications network that will be integrated with the existing private 4G/5G and wave relay mesh networks that provide connectivity more than 20 nautical miles offshore.

Combined, this upgraded network will reinforce Smart Sound Plymouth as a unique fully connected proving ground for businesses to develop advanced marine technologies across all domains; above, on and below the water.

In addition, the Smart Sound Connect Subsurface project will be enhanced by new specialist lab facilities at City College Plymouth’s Centre for Higher Technical and Maritime Skills at Oceansgate.

That connection will support training and development opportunities that will create a pipeline of future professionals via a range of full-time, parttime, apprenticeship and T-Level based study routes.

The University and City College Plymouth will also develop a skills escalator, to ensure that businesses and individuals can access the skills needed for the rapidly growing autonomy and marine technology markets.

The upgraded Smart Sound infrastructure is a priority in the Ocean Futures 10-year investment plan, developed by a private-public-research partnership across the Great South West, and will deliver new growth opportunities across multiple sectors including offshore renewable energy, aquaculture, defence, and advanced engineering.

It will also be integral to the success of the National Centre for Coastal Automony, the UK’s first autonomous fully integrated coastal observing and monitoring network, which will employ the latest autonomous technologies to deliver worldleading and cutting edge science.

Dr Alex Nimmo Smith, Associate Professor in Marine Physics at the University of Plymouth, said: “If we are to fully unleash the potential of advanced marine technologies, state-of-the-art communications will be essential.

Partnership supports the next generation of ocean guardians

Three masters-level students from the University of Plymouth are pursuing their passions for the marine environment with support from UK law firm Ashfords LLP.

The firm, a member of Devon & Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, provides financial backing to the students as they pursue programmes developed in response to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The funding has enabled three recent graduates, who completed their undergraduate studies in 2022, to stay in the South West and continue their education.

Caroline Millan and Janine Douglas have enrolled on the MSc Marine Conservation programme, and Maizie Edwards is working towards an MSc Applied Marine Science.

The scholarships are the latest element of a long-running partnership between Ashfords and the University’s Marine Institute. The firm has previously provided funding for undergraduate prizes, with around 20 students benefiting from the law firm’s support.

Professor Richard Thompson OBE FRS, Director of the Marine Institute, said: “As a University, we have a global reputation for our marine research and teaching. But if we are to continue advancing our understanding of the marine environment, and finding ways to preserve it, it is vital that we educate and inspire our young people.

“Our partnership with Ashfords will directly help us to achieve that, encouraging and enabling our students into professions that are critical for the future health of our planet.”

James Hemsley, a Partner at Ashfords LLP, added: “We live and work in the South West, so the coast and marine environment is an integral part of who we are as people and as a business. The continued development of expertise and talent in the region is also critical and particularly in the marine area, where we have a strong practice and reputation.

“These elements make our partnership with the University of Plymouth a great fit. After hearing the students’ passion for their new programme, we are even more proud to support them, the local community and the global environment.”