Marine-i roll out campaign to promote marine tech to businesses in related fields
Marine-i are launching a new campaign in September 2021 to encourage businesses in related sectors to consider diversifying into marine technology.
Businesses already operating in related fields, such as engineering, software, aerospace and marine leisure, could potentially find new opportunities in marine technology markets.
Professor Lars Johanning, Programme Director of Marine-i, says: “Part funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Marine-i is a unique programme designed to help the marine technology sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly grow through harnessing the full potential of research and innovation. We have already supported over a hundred marine tech businesses and we want to extend our support to businesses in related fields and help them to exploit the exciting new opportunities in the marine tech sector.
“Through Marine-i, businesses have access to research experts, scientists and engineers at the cutting edge of marine technology. Our experts will work alongside teams to help identify opportunities for new products or services, then put together a development plan to help bring it to market more quickly and with a greater chance of long-term success. To help this process, we can arrange access to a range of world-class testing facilities. There has never been a better time to consider diversifying into marine technology. The sector is brimming with opportunities for innovative businesses, ranging from new types of marine propulsion to the fast-growing floating offshore wind power industry.”
Here are just a small selection of the many opportunities for businesses in related fields.
Engineering businesses
The development of Floating Offshore Wind in the Celtic Sea is creating a vast number of opportunities for engineering firms, for example:
- Site surveys in coastal and deep waters
- Carrying out repairs and maintenance on offshore wind structures
- Improved components, more efficient manufacturing, and designs that make installation easier for floating offshore wind
- New types of mooring systems
- Electrical infrastructure to deliver highly efficient power transmission from floating offshore wind
Software businesses
The Floating Offshore Wind farms of the near future will generate a huge volume of performance data. Without innovative new approaches, this would overwhelm their operators. As a result, people working in tandem with Machine Learning systems and AI assistants will be a core feature of how this new infrastructure is managed. Examples of opportunities include:
- Sensors and data communications, including asset monitoring
- Floating Offshore Wind Farms will present new challenges for Cyber Security specialists. High levels of security will need to be maintained across a new and complex supply chain.
Aerospace businesses
There are particular parallels between marine and aerospace, as both are harsh environments and both are being revolutionised by the latest advances in autonomous vehicles and satellite communications, amongst others.
The emerging opportunity for Floating Offshore Wind in the Celtic Sea is also raising a wide number of new challenges, including:
- Data solutions to support the development of offshore sites
- Using technology to conducting site surveys in deep and hazardous waters
- Electrical infrastructure to deliver highly efficient power transmission
- The manufacture of innovative, lighter and stronger components that help to make construction more efficient and safer
Leisure marine market businesses
The sector is rich in opportunities for innovative businesses, ranging from more eco-friendly manufacturing methods for surf boards, new ways to involve visitors in combatting plastics pollution of the marine environment or using technology to enhance leisure marine activities.
Opportunities could include areas such as:
- Using technology to improve the visitor experience of the marine environment
- More environmentally friendly ways to deliver leisure marine experiences
- Novel ways to promote reducing the carbon footprint related to the leisure marine sector
- Using technology to recycle marine items and add value
To reach out to businesses in related fields, Marine-i are running a PR campaign in the trade media of related industries. From September 2021, activity will now include using digital media and LinkedIn to reach new businesses, as well as direct email campaigns through industry bodies and sector networking groups.
Marketing materials have been created setting out the various opportunities for businesses in related fields.
PDFs can be downloaded here:
Leisure marine market businesses
[Image: Josh Beech on Unsplash]