NOC host visit of MEP and MP for roundtable discussions with Marine South East
Catherine Bearder MEP and Mike Thornton MP for Eastleigh visited the National Oceanology Centre recently to meet with Marine South East to discuss key priorities for the marine and maritime sector and opportunities for future strategic funding.
Discussions centred around the 'Blue Growth' agenda, the Solent Marine Cluster, EU funding and projects to develop Automated Underwater Vehicles for harvesting tidal power.
The two guests were given a tour of the NOC's state of the art facility as well as meeting with NOC staff and project managers.
Catherine Bearder MEP commented "It is fascinating to learn about these ground-breaking projects taking place in our area. AUVs are the future and to be able to get a glimpse of them was wonderful. I wish the MSE team luck in this project and will help them obtain further EU funding in any way I can."
Mike Thornton MP added: "We have the UK's leading institute for integrated ocean research and technology right on our doorstep. The maritime economy represents about 23% of the coastal Hampshire economy, according to the Solent Water Front Strategy Study, and the gross value added of the maritime centre is significantly higher than many other industry sectors. The strength of the NOC just goes to show how much we can gain from investing in research and technology."
Send this story to a colleague
