Email News March 2019
Welcome to the March 2019 Email Newsletter from Marine South East
If you would like to submit an article for consideration please email the text and a suitable image or logo to sj@mseuk.org
Posted 2019-02-02 17:32:23
OPEC: Offshore Platform for Energy Competitiveness project conclusions
The 15 month OPEC (Offshore Platform for Energy Competitiveness) feasibility project has produced a number of conclusions and recommendations which may be taken forward if further funding can be sourced.
OPEC, explored the technical and economic feasibility of using large offshore floating platforms to support various combinations of revenue generating applications such as renewable energy (wind, wave and current), generation, aquaculture and security and surveillance.
The project concluded that it is technically feasible to combine certain marine energy devices with other activities such as aquaculture in order to reduce the overall costs of build and operation of multi-use platforms at sea. However, the project also found that the economic viability of such a platform remains challenging and further work would be required to optimise the design and bring together the right combination and scale of marine energy and other revenue generating activities.
We were delighted to hear that our work on projects to reduce the installation and operating costs of offshore platforms, including OPEC, recently won the Rushlight Wind Power Award. The Rushlight Show and Cleantech Conference was organished by Rushlight Events and sponsored by Innovate UK and others.
To read the summary of the OPEC project findings please visit:
https://www.offshoreplatforms.eu/opec-downloads
OPEC was co-funded by Innovate UK through the Energy Catalyst Early Stage Feasibility Fund.
To find out more about other related projects to do with Offshore Platforms at Sea please visit https://www.offshoreplatforms.eu/
To receive regular updates as well as news of events and initiatives please sign up to the Offshore Platforms Interest Group at https://www.offshoreplatforms.eu/interest-group
Posted 2019-02-06 17:29:34
Innovate UK Smart Grants open for applications
Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, is to invest up to £20 million in the best game-changing or disruptive ideas with a view to commercialisation.
All proposals must be business focused, rather than pure research. Applications can come from any area of technology (including arts, design, media or creative industries), science or engineering and be applied to any part of the economy.
Project Size: Duration between 6 and 18 months: total eligible project costs between £25,000 and £500,000 (single company or collaboration). Duration between 19 and 36 months: total eligible project costs between £25,000 and £2 million (collaboration only).
Competition opens: Monday 18 February 2019
Competition closes: Wednesday 24 April 2019 12:00pm
For more information please visit:
https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/324/overview?utm_source=innovateuk&utm_medium=email
Posted 2019-02-28 12:47:37
Innovate UK New Investment for businesses to tackle ocean plastics crisis
Up to £6 million in simultaneous grant and private investment is on offer to UK businesses with innovative solutions to reduce pollution in the world's oceans.
Innovate UK and Sky Ocean Ventures https://www.skyoceanventures.com/ have joined forces to offer UK businesses funding to tackle the plastics problem by developing areas such as new recycling processing or alternatives to plastic. The first part of the competition has £2 million available.
Plastic pollution is creating an environmental crisis in the oceans. According to the United Nations, more than 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the water every year, killing up to 1 million sea birds and 100,000 mammals, turtles and fish. Unless significant action is taken, the amount of plastic in the seas will triple by 2025.
Innovate UK will provide up to £3 million in grants to enable the UK to lead the fight against waste, catalyse new ideas and quickly get products and services to market. Part of this is from the Plastics Research and Innovation Fund - a £20 million programme led by UK Research and Innovation https://www.ukri.org/
Sky Ocean Ventures will offer the same amount in private investment. Set up by Sky, the firm looks to support young companies and create meaningful change by highlighting environmental disaster caused by plastic pollution in the oceans.
Competition information
* the first part of the competition is open, and the deadline for applications is at midday on 13 March 2019
* micro and small businesses are eligible to apply, working alone
* applicants must be based in the UK and intend to carry out the work here
* we expect projects to have total costs of between £100,000 and £200,000 and to last up to 12 months
* funding is for feasibility studies, industrial research or experimental development
* successful applicants could get up to 100% of their project costs. This will be split between Innovate UK and Sky Ocean Ventures
For more information and to enter the competition please visit:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-investment-for-businesses-to-tackle-ocean-plastics-crisis
or to go direct to the competition details at:
https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/270/overview
Posted 2019-02-04 16:40:32
Navy seeking innovative ideas to track on-board personnel
In collaboration with the Royal Navy, the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) has launched the ‘Get the Ship in Shape: accounting for, and tracking, personnel’ innovation competition.
Do you have an idea?
Have you got the technology or think you have an innovative idea that could help us to rapidly account for personnel on board the newest and largest of the Royal Navy's ships, the UK aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth (QNLZ)?
You may already be tracking personnel in large corporate buildings or hotels and entertainment complexes or you may have an innovation that you think could be adapted. With DASA funding and the chance to trial on board QNLZ, you could develop these ideas further for use on board ships.
What do we need?
During emergency situations, it is essential that the number of people on the ship is known, and that they can be positively accounted for and that their location can be established. We have two challenges, firstly accounting for the number of people using a positive log system and the second is tracking those individuals in real time.
Who do we need to track?
There could be in excess of 2000 people who get on and off the ship at multiple points of entry and exit and more than 3000 compartments on board which increases the challenge of maintaining an accurate view of the number of people on the ship at any one time.
What's wrong with what we've got?
It is difficult to positively account for personnel using the current system of a physical peg board (for core Ship's Company), a T-card holder (for accredited visiting contractor / shore support staff) and a visitor log (for all other visitors) to account for the number of personnel on board. Peg boards are vulnerable to errors caused by personnel moving the wrong peg, or the boards being knocked over.
What support is available?
A minimum of £250k is available to fund multiple contracts of up to 9 months' duration. Proposals will include prototype testing on board the training ship, HMS Bristol, and the possibility of taking part in a trial of prototypes aboard HMS QNLZ.
Innovative solutions are urgently sought. Further information can be found in the Competition Document at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/get-the-ship-in-shape-accounting-for-and-tracking-personnel/competition-document-get-the-ship-in-shape-accounting-for-and-tracking-personnel
Posted 2019-02-28 13:15:24
Growth Accelerator Programme for Solent based businesses
The Solent LEP have developed a new Growth Accelerator Programm, in partnership with leading accountants and business advisers, BDO.
Businesses that qualify for this free new service, will receive 12 hours of one-to-one support that will focus purely on your business and where you want to take it. This is an ideal opportunity to discuss and explore a range of opportunities, such us securing finance, unlocking new markets, staffing, innovation, customer retention and more. It will be facilitated by an expert growth coach.
Whatever your ambition is, the Growth Accelerator Programme will help you to create a growth action plan to take your business to that next stage.
To be eligible for the programme your business must:
* Employ between 10 – 250 staff
* Have between £250K – £25m annual turnover
* Have at least a two-year trading history
and will demonstrate at least one of the following:
* Improved business productivity
* Develop new products
* Develop new markets
* Direct creation of private sector jobs
For more information visit https://solentlep.org.uk/business-support-and-funding/support-for-small-medium-business/
Posted 2019-02-26 12:16:11
Applications for the Ocean Solutions Accelerator Funding open until March 31
Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA) is committed to accelerate 100 ocean technology startups by 2021 and is seeking the most innovative ocean entrepreneurs from around the world to help them scale their solutions to the ocean's greatest challenges.
Applications for the Ocean Solutions Accelerator is now open until March 31 2019.
Fifteen ocean tech entrepreneurs will:
* receive an investment of US$25,000
* participate in a 8-week intensive startup development and executive leadership course in the San Francisco Bay Area from June 24th - August 15th 2019
* showcase their ocean solutions on stage at SOA's Silicon Valley Ocean Tech Demo Day on August 15th 2019
* join us for an 8-day 'Ocean Accelerator at Sea' adventure to Alaska with the support of Lindblad Expeditions
* be featured in international media and be showcased at the Our Ocean Conference in Oslo, Norway on October 25-26th 2019
More information is available at:
https://soalliance.org/ocean-solutions-accelerator/
Posted 2019-02-06 19:57:42
Brexit Toolkit for business
The Solent LEP Growth Hub provides a single point of reference to help businesses navigate their way through the complexity of support and information available from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors that will help them to start, grow and develop their business.
HM Revenue and Customs has published a number of guides to customs processes that will apply in the event of a No Deal Brexit. Individual documents cover a range of subjects including general importing and exporting from EU and non-EU countries as well information for specific activity such as courier and postal services, tour operators, alcohol sales, haulage, shipping and forwarding.
With Brexit ever nearing, the Solent LEP have been working hard to offer businesses in the Solent an easy-to-use Toolkit that provides them with a range of support surrounding Brexit and preparing to leave the EU.
The "Preparing for EU Exit" website is the central site for guidance aimed at businesses and individuals, please see the link here https://euexit.campaign.gov.uk/.
A tool has been developed for businesses as well to help them prepare for EU Exit. It asks businesses to answer 7 questions across key business operation areas that will be impacted and then pulls together guidance from across Gov relating to their circumstances.
The Brexit Toolkit is available on the Solent LEP Growth Hub website, which offers support from a variety of local and national support provisions.
https://www.solentgrowthhub.co.uk/brexit/
Posted 2019-01-15 17:27:55
Preparing for the growing data economy
Could your company make use of expert skills required for the rapidly growing data economy, including skills in programming, big data handling and analytics, and the latest statistical and machine learning techniques that underpin artificial intelligence?
Data intensive science has a huge, and rapidly growing, potential to influence the economic and societal health and wealth of the UK and the wider world. This potential has been clearly recognised by the universities, industries and businesses that have come together to form the Data Intensive Science Centre in the South East Physics Network, DISCnet.
DISCnet exploits the established and close interdisciplinary links between five UK-leading universities with expertise in STFC science: the Universities of Southampton, Sussex, Portsmouth, Queen Mary University of London, and Open University.
A key part of DISCnet are short placements in local data science industrial partners and non-profit organisations.
If you believe your organisation could benefit from a placement for three to six months, where some of the best talent in the South of England will address and support a real commercial challenge for your company (which we can also potentially fund), we would like to hear from you.
Please get in touch with Prof Mark Sullivan at m.sullivan@soton.ac.uk or discnetplacements@soton.ac.uk
Posted 2019-01-15 17:22:32
DIT South East Export ASEAN Programme for 2019
The Department for International Trade South East and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Export ASEAN programme have assembled a comprehensive support package for businesses looking to grow their international sales in Q1 2019.
The package is free to businesses (subject to eligibility) and is delivered via the DIT team of specialist International Trade Advisers in your area, supported by the teams based in British Embassies around the world. The custom-build programme will provide your team and you with expertise and resources to identify new sales opportunities and enhance your company's sales tools and customer service proposition.
DIT's International Trade Advisers will guide you through this accelerated export programme and can offer your business access to:
* Financial support and subsidies to access new sales markets
* Free masterclasses and workshops to build capacity and skills
* Free market selection consultancy service
* Free international digital audit service
* Easy to access Skype sessions on international business problem solving
Contast the DIT South East team today on 0330 300 0012 to speak to your local adviser
Email: info@tradesoutheast.com
This programme is part-funded by the following European Regional Development Fund's (ERDF's) programme. Export ASEAN, aimed at small and medium-sized businesses based in parts of East Sussex, Surrey and West Sussex
Posted 2019-01-10 14:15:33
ICOS Ocean Thematic Industry & Science Observing Forum, 19th March 2019, Southampton
The aim of the event is to bring together the shipping industry and the science community to explore ways in which we can work together to understand global environmental change.
The National Oceanography Centre would be delighted to invite business to join them along with our existing industry partners and the science community to celebrate ongoing successes and provide the opportunity for future partnerships to evolve.
The ocean takes up about 2.5GT C yr-1, approximately 25% of the carbon released by human processes such as fossil fuel combustion and land use change. However this net uptake represents the small difference between two large fluxes, meaning that resolving it requires large amounts of data. Realistically only the commercial shipping industry has the capacity to support the necessary observing effort and as a consequence our efforts to measure these fluxes continuously are dependent on observing systems hosted by commercial vessels.
This drinks reception (from 6pm-8pm) will bring together existing industry partners, potential new partners and the science community to celebrate ongoing successes, thank vessel operators and provide opportunity for future partnerships to evolve.
Attendance is open to anyone with an interest in sea surface observing from commercial vessels - there is be no registration fee however the NOC do ask that you register at the following link:
http://conference.noc.ac.uk/industryscience-observing-forum-registration
Registration closes Monday 11th March 2019.
For further information and to register for this event, please visit the following website: http://conference.noc.ac.uk/industry-science-observing-forum
Posted 2019-02-28 13:55:36
Solent LEP Annual Conference: Countdown to Brexit, 12th March 2019, Hedge End, Southampton
Join the Solent LEP for its 2019 annual conference, hosted by the BBC business editor Simon Jack. The Solent LEP Annual Conference 2019, 'Countdown to Brexit', will take place at the Hilton Ageas in Hedge End from 9.30am to 2.00pm on Tuesday 12th March.
In the context of the political debates taking place over coming weeks, and the potential changes that might impact businesses and individuals in the UK, speakers will consider technical and other business based advancements happening across the Solent region, and how corporate resilience will be key in the future.
The day will be hosted by BBC business editor Simon Jack, who will bring his unique insight on Brexit as well as chair a question time-style panel where delegates can pose their questions to the day's speakers.
SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
* Aart Hille Ris Lambers, UK Commercial Director at DP World
* Neil Garwood, Managing Director at Southampton Airport
* Hannah Clipson, Partner at law firm Irwin Mitchell
* Leigh Atkinson, Local Director at Metro Bank
At 2.00pm, after the main event closes, the Solent LEP are offering delegates the opportunity to take part in one of three interactive seminars, where comments, suggestions and observations will form the basis of the Local Industrial Strategy.
Topics to be discussed at these concurrent seminars are:
1. Innovation, Big Data and AI
2. Skills
3. Coastal Renaissance
Please follow the link to register for Annual Conference and following seminars.
https://tinyurl.com/y8aaquuf
Places are free but limited so please book your place now to avoid disappointment.
Posted 2019-02-06 20:05:33
NEXT GENERATION Specialist One Day Marine Safety Workshops, 2nd, 3rd, 4th April 2019, Southampton
NEXT GEN 2019 is a unique programme of three specialist one day workshops run 'back to back' on 2nd, 3rd and 4th April 2019 for the sub IMO/sub 24m professional marine sector.
Taking place at the Grand Harbour Hotel in Southampton, the fast moving programme brings together an international group of 25 experts armed with the latest knowledge to identify problems that affect the maritime sector worldwide - and highlight potential solutions!
The aim is to address the fact that in recent years less people are expected to do more work in less time and to ensure that safety remains paramount.
The programme for the workshops is as follows:
NEXT GEN Man Overboard Prevention & Recovery on 2nd April 2019 is relevant to all people working on or near to water. Expert presenters highlight lessons learned and give viable methods to reduce loss of life at sea, in harbours, docks and marinas.
NEXT GEN Safety Systems & Equipment Workshop on 3rd April 2019 delves into future requirements along with integration of traditional and innovative systems into the maritime workplace to improve safety, communication and situational awareness.
NEXT GEN Shock Mitigation Solutions Workshop on 4th April 2019 focusses on managing the risk of operating planing craft in waves. Extreme applications have driven rapid development and cost effective solutions are now becoming available for lower speed vessels.
NEXT GEN Workshop days are relevant to workboats, pilot boats, patrol, search & rescue, survey, wind farm support, superyacht tenders, training and charter vessels. UK attendees include Royal Navy, Ministry of Defence, Border Force, HM Coastguard and the RNLI. International attendees include professional and military organisations, boat builders, equipment manufacturers, service providers and classification organisations.
There is a discount for members of British Marine, UKMPA, RINA, YBDSA, UKHMA. Supporters of the event include UK Maritime Pilots, University of Southampton and Southampton Solent University.
To register for all or any of the Next Gen workshops please contact Julie Arthur on +44 (0) 7449 000228 or email julie@shockmitigation.com
To see the full programme and speakers please visit:
http://nextgen-marine.com/
Posted 2018-09-18 11:23:06
Find out about Key Enabling Technologies to drive innovation and competitiveness in your business, 9th April 2019, Ocean Business, Southampton
Marine South East will be hosting a workshop looking at how a number of Key Enabling Technologies are driving innovation and competitiveness in the maritime sector at Ocean Business on Tuesday 9th April 2019 from 10am to 12 noon.
Marine South East is a partner in a European project called KETMaritime and will be presenting information and case studies on key technologies such as micro and nanoelectronics, nanotechnology, industrial biotechnology, advanced materials, photonics and advanced manufacturing technologies all of which can assist maritime companies bring new processes, products and services to market.
The workshop will include discussion of the case studies to enable firms to understand how some of these technologies could directly assist their business. The event would be of interest to both SMEs and larger companies who are interesting in learning about Key Enabling Technologies that could transform their business.
For more information about the KETmaritime project please visit http://ketmaritime.eu
To reserve your place at this free event please click on the registration button below. Please note you will also need to register to attend the Ocean Business Exhibition and Conference at
https://www.oceanbusiness.com
The event will take place on Tuesday 9th April 2019 from 10am to 12noon in conference room 344/32 (level4) at Ocean Business which takes place at the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton.
Posted 2019-01-31 14:56:38
Save the Date: Demonstration of Hybrid Electric Propulsion System for Small Vessels, 22nd May 2019, Falmouth
The HEVIMA Innovate UK Project, led by REAPsystems, will be demonstrating its innovative modular hybrid propulsion at an event in Falmouth on Wednesday 22nd May 2019.
The event, which is free to attend, will enable interested parties to see the hybrid propulsion system in use on the working passenger ferry Kingsley II. Participants will learn about the benefits and opportunities this technology can offer through the technical presentations and there will be an opportunity to network with the HEVIMA project team.
The event is taking place on Wednesday 22nd May 2019, 10.00-15.00 at the National Maritime Museum, Falmouth.
HEVIMA is co-funded through the Government's modern industrial strategy by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. The project which is lead by REAPsystems has developed an innovative hybrid propulsion system that will potentially offer significant savings in fuel, engine power rating, weight, emissions, as well as reduced noise and vibration for commercial vessels up to 250kw.
The HEVIMA partners are:
* REAPsystems Project Lead
* Devonport Royal Dockyard (part of Babcock International)
* Cornwall Ferries Ltd
* University of Southampton
* Mainstay Marine Solutions Ltd
* Lloyds Register Marine
* Marine South East
Reserve your place now by clicking on the button.
