Ratsey Marine Services plans a new wave of product innovations, with help from Marine-i
This company was formed in 2007 by Matthew Ratsey and was originally set up to provide product development and sales services to offshore manufacturing and marine product companies. Latterly, Matthew also acted as interim Managing Director for a large offshore sailmaker. This involved exporting to 38 countries and overseeing the development of new technical products and designs.
The next phase in the development of the company is to use this decade of experience in marine manufacturing and design to develop a series of innovative marine products from the company’s operating base in Downderry, Cornwall and then bring them to market. Initially, these will focus on immediate opportunities in the UK market with the potential to expand internationally.
Matthew Ratsey explains:
“We have a whole raft of ideas that have grown out of gaps that we have identified in the marine market, but initially we will focus on two.
“The first is a design for a Roto Moulded Light Trailer Board which would be ideal for sailing dinghies and smaller tenders or fishing boats. At the moment there is no equivalent product available in the marketplace. We have already designed and successfully tested a wooden concept version. We are now moving on with the procurement process and with the tooling and costings for a prototype production run.
“The second product is an innovative carbon tiller extension which is telescopic and would be lightweight, easy to use and highly durable.
“Both of these products will require bespoke 3D-printed parts. In order to progress them to the next stage of development, we needed to purchase a license for Rhino/CAD modelling software, together with a dedicated CAD computer screen and the skills training needed to operate the system effectively. At this point we engaged with the Marine-i project and successfully applied for a Rapid innovation Grant.”
Prof. Lars Johanning, Professor of Ocean Technology at University of Exeter, Lead Partner for the Marine-i Project, says:
“We were delighted to be able to support these important new developments. Not only are they significant commercial opportunities in their own right, they will also help add to the unique marine skills and knowledge base in Cornwall. Ratsey Marine Services have some brilliant ideas for improving the way that components are configured and manufactured in the marine sector, ideas which will further enhance the competitiveness of our local supply chain.”
Matthew Ratsey adds:
“We are very lucky to have the Marine-i team operating here in Cornwall. They immediately understood the issues facing our business and made the grant application process very straightforward. We can now focus on bringing these exciting new products to market as quickly as possible.”