Following the UK’s Clean Maritime Plan unveiling, advocating zero-emissions ships by 2025, a consortium of maritime industry stakeholders has established a new national centre for maritime innovation
The new centre, called MarRI-UK, will be based at the University of Strathclyde and plans to have hubs around the UK, the first of which – 2050 Innovation Hub located at the Port of Tyne – timed its opening ahead of the government policy publication.
MarRI-UK includes eight maritime companies supported by the Society of Maritime Industries and four universities.
Babcock, BAE Systems, BMT Group, Cammell Laird, Lloyd’s Register, QinetiQ, Rolls-Royce and Shell make up the corporate contingent while Newcastle, Southampton, Strathclyde and UCL comprise the academic representatives.
A statement from MarRI-UK said the organisations have been working to develop MarRI-UK since 2013, led by Patrick Carnie of Babcock Marine and Technology and Professor Alex Duffy of the University of Strathclyde, working in collaboration with lobby group Maritime UK to attain support and secure funding from the UK Government.
Government recognition came from the UK’s Department for Transport, and investment from Babcock and BMT funded the establishment of MarRI-UK in March 2019.
With some of the funding, the group launched a £1M (US$1.25M) competition seeking innovative ways to reduce maritime emissions as part of the Clean Maritime Plan.
MarRI-UK said it is inviting more organisations to join as members to help shape its research, allowing all UK industries regardless of size to join beginning in August 2019.
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