Email News March 2009
Foreword
Welcome to the March issue of email news. Public sector support for marine companies looking to improve their business in areas such as skills, infrastructure, innovation and funding is a key theme this month. To find out more read on...
Posted 2008-12-30 12:33:52
South East marine companies have their say at meeting with Chancellor Alistair Darling
Last week the marine industry had the opportunity to put questions direct to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, at a meeting following the Government’s regional Cabinet meeting, which was held in Southampton (Monday 23rd February).
Chaired by Jim Braithwaite, Chairman of SEEDA, the lunch meeting gave a range of marine companies an opportunity to talk about the state of the marine industry in the current financial climate and discuss an action plan to help companies develop key markets.
The meeting was opened by Marine South East’s Jonathan Williams, who presented an overview of the state of the marine sector in the South East.
The region boasts a diverse marine industry, and whilst sales have dropped in some areas there are also segments of the market showing strong growth. Jonathan talked about the opportunities to increase marine international trade, which could take advantage of favourable exchange rates. This is particularly important for the Solent area where 25% of the economy is marine related, it contributes £5.5bn to the local area and provides 25,000 direct jobs.
He commented: “Government needs to recognise the scale of contribution that marine industries make to the economy and reflect this in its support for growing marine export revenues. We should be looking at relaxing restrictions on existing government support schemes in areas such as international trade and training.. Skills are also key and we are already seeing new projects in apprenticeships and upskilling as a result of more flexible training support offered by the Government. This shows how even more flexibility would help companies protect their business and retain or expand employment levels.
“We would also like to see public investment in research and innovation more focused on marine growth market priorities. Companies will need the technology base to innovate rapidly when the upturn gathers pace.”
Rob Stewart of the South Boats Group was delighted with this fantastic opportunity to bring the needs of the industry and South Boats to the attention of the Chancellor. “The marine industry in the South East is doing well, despite the economic gloom. Given the finance I think the industry could very quickly expand and take up some of the slack in the job market. The South East is becoming a Centre of Excellence for aluminium ship building, but we need continued support to make sure we have the capacity to expand.”
Rob Stevens, Chief Executive of the British Marine Federation also spoke at the meeting. He commented: “We are very pleased with the excellent representation of the marine industry at this meeting and feel it has been very beneficial for highlighting items of interest to our members. We are aware of the difficulties a number of our members are facing at present, and continue to make every effort to support them at Government level. We hope that these conversations help to shape any future marine policy discussions within the Cabinet.”
Following the meeting the industry is putting together an Action Plan which will be presented to Government. We will keep you updated on the latest developments.
Posted 2009-02-28 21:22:32
Solent Waterfront Strategy Update MareNet event, Tuesday 24th March 2009
Venue: QEII Cruise Terminal Berths 38/39, Southampton Docks
Marine South East's March MareNet event will be the promised update of where we are with Solent Waterfront Strategy and in particular its implication in the areas of spatial planning and marine skills.
The event will enable marine companies to hear about the activities and implementation that have taken place since the publication of the Solent Waterfront Strategy. It will also provide marine companies with a forum to voice their questions and feedback to the high level representatives speaking at the event.
Presenters will include:
- Stuart Roberts, Planning Lead for the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire PUSH) talking about the spatial planning implications of the Solent Waterfront Strategy
- Ann-Marie Mountifield, Skills Lead for PUSH talking about the implications for marine skills
- Dawn Baxendale, Economic Development Director for PUSH who will address the business and economic aspects of the strategy
- Steven Young, Deputy Port Director at ABP who will give an industry perspective on the Strategy and is kindly providing the venue for the event.
- Open Forum, questions and discussions facilitated by Jonathan Williams and to include SEEDA representatives
Registration for the event will begin at 4.00pm with presentations starting at 4.30pm. The evening will conclude with a networking buffet at 6.15pm.
MareNet events are free to attend but please be courteous and give us 48 hours notice of cancellation.
To register for this event please log onto http://www.marinesoutheast.co.uk/marenet email admin@marinesoutheast.co.uk or call 02380 111590
Posted 2009-02-28 21:26:39
Research unveiled at February’s MareNet event
Marine South East’s MareNet meetings continue to be popular with government and businesses alike, often resulting in a lively debate. The recent International Trade and Global Marine Opportunities MareNet event in Hamble provided an excellent platform for Marine South East to unveil the initial findings of its Global Opportunities Research to business leaders.
For the first time the research results make available strategic information to the marine industry, which identifies and evaluates both existing and emerging markets for a number of sub-sectors. Over the coming months the findings of the initial research will be verified and a comprehensive final report detailing the results will be made available to marine businesses in the South East later in the year.
The report analyses 744 marine activities and shows General Shipbuilding, Ship Repair & Conversion to be the largest global market with a value of £258bn. Total UK sales into marine markets come in at £61.7bn, placing the UK 6th in world rankings behind the US (£407.6bn), China (£273.9bn), Japan (£129.3bn), India (£122.7bn) and Germany (£80bn). The total world marine market is valued at around £2trillion.
The report was presented in two parts with the first analysing sales into global marine markets for both South East England and the UK as a whole. The second part provided an overview of world markets and their accessible growth potential.
The research was undertaken primarily to help support strategic planning by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), who financed the research, and Marine South East, who commissioned the work with econometric analysts K-Matrix. Importantly, the captured data will also support international activity outlined in the Regional Economic Strategy and provide a baseline against which changes in market share can be measured.
Marine South East is committed to assisting marine companies in the South East to ensure that even in economic downturns they can find ways to improve their bottom lines.
The MareNet event also covered other strategic topics such as; an overview of the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region, including SEEDA's involvement in helping businesses to exploit this market; Marine South East's strategy for developing markets, and a UKTI case study demonstrating the effectiveness of UKTI South East's programmes and schemes for international trade. For further information email admin@marinesoutheast.co.uk or call 02380 111590.
Posted 2009-03-01 19:46:39
SEEDA Head of Transport and Infrastructure visits Kent
SEEDA Head of Transport and Infrastructure visits Kent.
Detlef Golletz SEEDA’s Head of Transport and Infrastructure spent a day in Kent talking to key people in the marine industry about their future plans and how SEEDA could help and support them.
After an extremely useful discussion with Coastal Bulk Shipping about the potential to get freight off the roads and onto the water he met with Barbara Thompson from Shepway District Council who spoke about developments in Queenborough and Rainham on the Isle of Sheppey.
A short visit to the Sheerness Port Control Centre was followed by a climb down a boarding ladder to join the Medway Surveyor for a short trip up the Medway and a look at Thamesport and some of the other marine facilities from the water.
The day culminated with a meeting with Sandy Ezekial and Dominic Evans from Thanet District Council to talk about how to grow the Port of Ramsgate by strengthening ties with Ostende.
Following the visit Detlef commented: "it has been an extremely useful day that has reinforced the need to take a strategic view of all the marine assets in the South East Gateway to ensure that their potential is achieved."
Richard Barron, who arranged the visit, is Marine South East's Project Manager for Kent said: "We need to create more political awareness of the potential to create employment and increase the economic benefit of the port and leisure marine facilities in Kent to ensure that we get the support we need. Detlef's visit is the first step towards working more closely with his group to encourage investment and development."
If you would like to find out more email richard@marinesoutheast.co.uk
Posted 2009-03-01 19:57:42
New brochure reflects University’s commitment to the marine sector
The University of Southampton has recently launched a new marine brochure, a definitive guide to the wealth of maritime expertise that the University of Southampton can offer marine businesses.
The University works with the biggest and best in the maritime industry - including the RNLI, P & O Cruises and Lloyds Register - but is also committed to working with companies of all sizes. Southampton is currently the top UK University working with small to medium sized businesses - in terms of numbers and income.
The brochure covers subjects including:
- a comprehensive overview of its marine expertise, with capabilities ranging from hydrodynamics, aerodynamics and structural design to ocean energy and coastal processes.
- the range of services provided to industry, including collaborative research, consultancy, student and graduate placements and licensing new technologies. The University also offers a comprehensive range of ship and yacht testing facilities, available for hire or for use as part of a consultancy package.
- an insight into the ways in which they can work with your company.
- showcasing the very latest developments in maritime based research, from a project to develop a renewable energy scheme using water powered generators to plans to explore the world's deepest undersea volcanoes and find out what lives in a 'lost world' five kilometres beneath the Caribbean.
- more information on the plans to develop a Maritime Centre of Excellence (MCE) - a unique collaboration between the University and Lloyd's Register. The vision for MCE is to create a world leading centre for innovation, business and education in maritime engineering, engineering sciences and other relevant maritime disciplines at the heart of the Solent Maritime Cluster.
If you would like to see a copy, go to http://www.marinesoutheast.co.uk/docs/papers
Posted 2009-03-01 19:38:20
5th Seawork Innovation Showcase goes from strength to strength
This year’s Innovation Showcase and Awards, which is being held on the opening day of Seawork on 16th June, will be co-sponsored by Marine South East and the University of Southampton.
This competition is open to Seawork exhibitors who are introducing and promoting products, vessels, services or projects to their key commercial audience. Each year at the Seawork Gala Dinner, the 'Spirit of Innovation' trophy, is awarded to the overall winning entry to publicly reward the very best in innovation.
Located in a prominent area of Seawork's undercover exhibition area, the Innovations Showcase provides visitors with the opportunity to see at one time, in one place, new products, projects and vessels that have been introduced by exhibitors during the past 12 months.
To qualify for entry, nominated products or services must be genuinely innovative and new and have come to market in the 12 months prior to Seawork. There are six categories:
- Vessel Design & Construction
- Marine Electronics
- Safety & Survival
- Marine Equipment & Materials
- Marine Civil Engineering & Construction
- Diving & Underwater Technology.
This will be the 5th year that MSE is sponsoring the Showcase; the University's co-sponsorship this year reflects its commitment to helping innovative companies in the marine industry. The University of Southampton has a long and proud tradition of maritime related research and business collaboration. From its highly skilled graduates and students to the expertise of its academic schools and first rate ship and yacht testing facilities - it offers a number of ways for marine businesses to develop innovative solutions to meet customer's needs.
The university hosts a number of professional Enterprise Units which work on prestigious marine projects. The Wolfson Unit, for example, has provided model testing and analysis services for a number of America's Cup syndicates as well as the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup Finalists (Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Challenge).
To find out more about visit http://www.seawork.com/Whats_On/Innovations_Showcase or for information from Southampton University go to http://www.soton.ac.uk/business
Posted 2009-02-28 21:15:11
South Hampshire Skills Festival proves a hit for local youngsters
Over 1200 students from schools and colleges across the region attended the 2009 South Hampshire Skills Festival at the Hampshire Rose Bowl in Southampton. Local, national and global organisations put aside the thoughts of recession and created 90 exhibition stands with an abundance of activities, which the students could only describe as “Awesome”.
The Festival, held on Wednesday 11th February, provided students & young people an opportunity to participate in various industry skills including Engineering, Business, Finance and Marine.
Alongside Marine South East, marine organisations exhibiting at the Festival included Berthon Boats, VT Flagship, the British Marine Federation, Clyde Marine, Warsash Maritime Academy, Viking Training and City College.
Attendees could choose from a variety of activities including:-
- Television and Outside Broadcasting set-up with Southampton Solent University
- Model boat racing
- The diploma Roadshow - sponsored by Southampton City Council. The DCSF Diploma Roadshow was set up within the festival thanks to Southampton City Council. By participating in the colorful and innovative experience students developed an understanding about the various diplomas on offer. There were many careers and educational advisors available to support the students with information about the government's educational initiative.
If you are interested in taking part in future skills festivals email robin.smith@solentskillquest.co.uk
Posted 2009-03-01 20:30:20
Merchant Navy Training Board spreads the word about careers at sea
The Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) has launched the pilot project for an initiative which will see seafarers across the South East and nationwide promoting Merchant Navy careers to young people and students.
The MNTB is the sector body responsible for education and training provision, identifying skill needs in the Merchant Navy and providing information on careers and qualifications.
The new Careers at Sea Pilot Programme involves around15 ‘Ambassadors’ equipped with a range of resources designed to support their visits to schools, colleges and youth groups to talk about the exciting and varied career opportunities available in the Merchant Navy.
The MNTB has been working with an educational consultancy to produce resources that can be used by anyone talking to students about Careers at Sea. The materials offer key facts and figures, templates/slides which can be adapted, website and further information details as well as top tips and hints for delivering careers presentations.
Ranging in experience from individuals in the early years of their careers to more established professionals, their careers include working on cruise ships, fishing patrol vessels and oil tankers, as well as shore based roles.
Once the pilot programme has been completed, evaluated and any adjustments incorporated, the Careers at Sea Ambassador Programme will be rolled out nationwide.
The new Careers at Sea resources offer up-to-date, quality, professional tools, developed using the MNTB’s expertise, a specialist education supplier and supported by the Marine Society and Sea Cadets and Nautilus UK.
If you would like more information about Careers at Sea, becoming an Ambassador or arranging a presentation, please contact Beth Richmond, Careers Co-ordinator, Merchant Navy Training Board on 020 7417 2825 or e-mail beth.richmond@british-shipping.org.uk .
Posted 2009-03-01 20:12:10
Funding for companies looking to develop business leadership skills
Through its Leadership & Management programme, Train to Gain is offering owner managers and company directors the opportunity to apply for funding to help develop business leadership skills.
This offer is available to companies in the South East with 5-250 staff. A qualified and experienced Leadership and Management specialist adviser will help you identify your own personal training and development requirements and offer a choice of flexible, tailored learning solutions to suit your individual and business needs. As part of the application process, companies will be provided with a tailored Personal Development Plan.
The learning programme can be funded up to a maximum contribution of £1000.
- the first £500 is available to managing directors, owner managers, and company directors and does not need to be matched.
- a further grant of up to £500, which must be matched funded, is available to any senior manager or the management team. This money can be put towards one or a combination of training, which could include:
- Higher Education qualifications (must be matched in entirety)
- Solutions provided by training providers
- Workshops
- Online training
- Training programmes
- Bespoke/tailored training options
- Peer learning
- Business mentoring/coaching
All training must have started and the grant claimed within 90 days of the grant being approved. All grants are exclusive of VAT.
Previous beneficiaries (same director/manager within the same organisation) of Business Leader funding are not eligible to apply. For more information call the Employer Hotline at Guildford College on 01483 448530 or e-mail employerenquiries@guildford.ac.uk
Posted 2009-03-01 20:53:45
SEEDA launches guide to business support in the South East
The South East of England Development Agency (SEEDA) has just launched a booklet with information on the help available to businesses across the South East during these difficult economic times.
SEEDA is responsible for the sustainable economic development and regeneration of the South East of England - the driving force of the UK's economy - and has introduced, with its partners, a range of measures to support small businesses through the downturn.
The new measures amount to at least £15 million for small businesses across the South East, including the £10 million Rapid Rescue Response package announced by SEEDA in August 2008.
SEEDA is also committed to paying all invoices within ten days to ease cash flow for its suppliers. The booklet contains a summary of the support available from organisations and programmes including Business Link, Manufacturing Advisory Service, Finance South East, Designing Demand, Grant for Business Investment and Train to Gain.
If you would like a copy of the booklet, email jin@marinesoutheast.co.uk or go to http://www.seeda.co.uk/Global_Competitiveness/Business/Business_Support/docs/OpenforBusiness.pdf
Posted 2009-03-01 20:56:51
US advisers, 9th – 13th March 2009
If the US is a target market for you, you may like to meet up with a small delegation from Hampton Roads, Virginia, that will be visiting naval and other defence companies in and around Bristol, Bath, Poole, Hampshire and London between 9-13 March.
A physical presence in the US, however small, can often be vital in securing US defence contracts. The team is expert in helping UK companies establish themselves in the USA, and can advise on business costs, personnel, tax, property and many other issues.
Hampton Roads is the area around Norfolk, Virginia - a major hub for naval suppliers. No less than $8 billion is spent annually in the region on defence procurement, mostly naval. The world's seven largest defence contractors have facilities there including Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems and the giant Newport News aircraft carrier and submarine yard.
It has the largest concentration of military decision makers outside the Pentagon with major HQs for the US Navy, Coast Guard, air force and army. It also has the home of Joint Services planning and requirements at JTASC, and, not least, an important local Congressional and Senate defence lobby.
If you would like to meet the team during their visit, or would like more information call Charles Macdowell on 020 7823 6003, who is organising the visit.
