Roundtable with maritime industry businesses at Turnchapel Wharf
Last week, I hosted a roundtable discussion with representatives from M Subs Ltd, Thales, Fugro, Marine AI, Cattewater Harbour Plymouth, Zero USV, Oshen, ACUA Ocean and Helsing, bringing together businesses working at the forefront of maritime and autonomous systems at Turnchapel Wharf.
Plymouth has long been associated with marine activity, and that experience is being applied to new and emerging technologies. Hearing directly from the multiple companies based at Turnchapel Wharf gave valuable insight into the broader challenges the sector is facing, particularly around the ongoing issues of outdated regulations, access to skilled local talent and the practical barriers to growth.
We also discussed the increasing need for the right infrastructure at Turnchapel Wharf, so businesses already operating in the area can scale up, collaborate, and continue to develop and test new technologies. What was clear from the discussion is that while Plymouth has many of the building blocks in place, turning that into a genuine opportunity to lead on the world stage will depend on getting policy, skills and infrastructure right.
After the roundtable, it was great to head out onto the water with Matthew Ratsey, Managing Director of Zero USV and his team, to hear more about the further action needed to support the sector – and even try my hand at operating one of their unmanned vessels!
I’m grateful to everyone who took part and shared their expertise and to Ryan for helping to facilitate a constructive and open conversation. Looking forward to seeing many of you at the launch of the National Centre for Marine Autonomy at Oceanology International at Excel tomorrow!
