Marine South East wins £50k funding for energy resource project

Marine South East has recently won a bid to run a Knowledge Network exploring the exploitation and use of marine energy resources (MEREX).

The inclusion of maritime emissions within proposals to the Copenhagen climate conference will have a dramatic impact on the design and operation of ships and ports. The commercial incentive to reduce diesel and bunker fuel use will drive major changes in the world fleet over the next generation. In particular, non-fossil based fuels will become very attractive.

In parallel, increasing costs of waste processing and disposal (e.g. further increases in landfill tax) will increase the incentive to generate waste-derived fuels for ships. Ports have large waste streams, and there is an opportunity to use these as resources for generating power and/or alternative fuels for use by the port. A significant upturn in interest in novel waste treatments (e.g. autoclaving and gasification/pyrolysis) has been observed.

The SE region contains a wide range of companies having an interest in these potential market applications (either as users or solution developers), and also a variety of knowledge-base organisations in disciplines such as renewable energy research, waste processing, design of ships and propulsion systems etc.

The MEREX network will focus on four types of activity offering key advantages to SE businesses and knowledge base partners, activities will include:
- Bringing together evidence of the market opportunities for business, considering a number of scenarios addressing carbon reduction policies, renewable fuel subsidies and commercial pressure for fuel cost saving.
- Workshops involving businesses and science base to promote understanding of available knowledge base & identify capability gaps where advances are needed.
- Explore with businesses and other stakeholders (e.g. Research & Technology partners, financing bodies) selected business models able to support market growth in alternative fuel use, and define key innovation priorities to be addressed in collaborative RTD
- Disseminate plans, progress and achievements of the network, and hold targeted events to expand the participation in the network, especially from parallel initiatives including Knowledge Transfer Networks, (KTNs) and European programmes such as Networks of Excellence.

The project is being run in partnership with Southampton University, Southampton Solent University, the Crown Estate, the Institute for Sustainability, Partnership for Urban South Hampshire, Thames Gateway Partnership, Veolia, B9, Ovendens and Ricardo

If you would like to find out more or would like to get involved email simon@marinesoutheast.co.uk

Posted 2009-11-30 12:31:57

Ports advisor joins Marine South East team

Howard Holt has joined the team at Marine South East to develop projects in ports and shipping infrastructure. He is largely funded through SEEDA to act in a regional liaison role on all matters of policy and strategy concerning ports.

Howard is assisting SEEDA's European team with a number of EU funded Interreg projects involving transport, distribution and logistics activities around ports in the South East, Northern France and Belgium. He has already set up the South East Regional Ports Group, consisting of all the major commercial ports in the South East, to assist with communication in these areas. He also has an influencing role in Westminster and Brussels on behalf of the ports industry.

Howard commented: 'There are so many opportunities for the ports and shipping industry in the coming months and years, I believe they will be critical in helping us out of recession. There are also significant opportunities for ports to lead the way in developing initiatives to maximise the potential of green energy resources."

Howard was formerly Head of Corporate Affairs at the Port of Dover where he headed up a team communicating with all the external stakeholders of the port and the wider community. He is a Chartered Civil Engineer, a Vice-President of the Federation of Regional and Local Channel Ports (French and English) and has previously been a Marine South East Board member.

If you would like ot get in touch with Howard email howard@marinesoutheast.co.uk

Posted 2009-11-30 12:40:47

SEEDA seeks developer for new 400 berth Cowes Marina and Breakwater

The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) has launched its search for a partner to design, build, finance and operate a new marina at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

The marina, being developed in partnership with Cowes Harbour Commissioners and The Crown Estate, is an integral part of the wider East Cowes Regeneration Project and Cowes Waterfront Initiative.

Expressions of interest are being sought from marina operators capable of delivering the c.400 berth marina, the construction of a permanent breakwater for Cowes Harbour, extending the 'Shrape Breakwater' and dredging a new Eastern Channel. The breakwaters and the Eastern Channel will subsequently be adopted by Cowes Harbour Commissioners.

David Holifield, SEEDA's Senior Project Manager said: "The Outer Harbour Project will deliver a unique opportunity for a new marina in one of Europe's most prestigious yachting locations. The marina is a key part of SEEDA's regeneration objectives for this area, and the partners are committed to this development as part of the ongoing investment in this part of the Isle of Wight."

Neil Jacobson, Head of Coastal Operations at The Crown Estate added: "We are pleased to be working with SEEDA to offer this exciting project to the market. The Crown Estate endorses the approach being undertaken to bring forward this holistic solution for Cowes Outer Harbour and acknowledges the part that a new marina can play in the regeneration of East Cowes."

An outline planning application including an Environmental Impact Assessment has been submitted to the Isle of Wight Council and is expected to be determined early in 2010. The selected operator will be offered a 125 year lease of the marina and, subject to planning, construction is expected to start in Autumn 2010.

Expressions of interest from organisations interested in being considered for this unique opportunity should contact David Holifield at SEEDA for a questionnaire. Davidholifield@seeda.co.uk The deadline for receipt of completed questionnaires is 15th January 2010.

You can keep up to date with all the latest news from Cowes Harbour Commission, sign up to receive regular newsletters and watch the latest Outer Harbour Project Video here: http://www.cowes.co.uk

Posted 2009-11-30 11:56:33

South East company’s success at this year’s Dame Awards

The 19th annual Design Award METS competition attracted a total of 125 products from 108 companies. The Jury selected the overall DAME Winner, together with seven outright Category Winners, and two Special Certificates for ‘Most ECO Friendly’ and ‘Most Innovative’ product and 14 Special Mentions.

Portsmouth-based McMurdo received a special mention in the Life Saving and Safety Equipment Category for its Fast Find 210. On receiving the honour Jeremy Harrison of McMurdo commented: "This recognition has crowned a very good year for McMurdo. The Fast Find 200 series has sold well in excess of targets around the World."

To find out more about McMurdo's winning product go to http://www.mcmurdo.co.uk

Posted 2009-11-30 11:30:25

Investing in UK Maritime Renewable Energy - Engineering Challenges & Business Opportunities, 10-11 February 2010

Venue: Assembly Rooms, Bath

The annual conference of the Society of Maritime Industries takes a look at the emerging offshore renewable energy market which will see a huge investment with an expected capital spend of £70 billion for offshore wind farms alone.

Governments across the world have set themselves ambitious targets for the generation of energy from renewable sources. In the case of the UK, 30% of our electricity needs must come from renewable sources over the next 20 years and to speed the growth towards this target the Department for Energy and Climate Change has launched an Office for Renewable Energy Deployment. Maritime renewable energy projects off our long coast line will form a substantial part of this target and a number of these are in an advanced stage of planning notwithstanding many of the engineering challenges that have still to be resolved.

What is clear is that the time to deliver energy from offshore renewable sources has now arrived and this conference will seek to portray those challenges and map out the many business opportunities which are already emerging for the maritime engineering sector. The South West region of England, blessed by geography to exploit this emerging energy resource, has been amongst the most innovative and active in progressing these exciting new concepts and is the lead sponsor of the conference.

Papers will be presented by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, The Crown Estate, European Environment Agency, UKTI Energy, Scottish Power Renewables, BP Alternative Energy as well as key players from the industrial and academic renewable energy community.

Registration is now open and details can be found at http://www.maritimeindustries.org or by emailing Clementina Upton at events@maritimeindustries.org

Posted 2009-11-30 11:42:18

Solent Named ‘New Capital of Industry’ for its success in marine engineering

The Solent’s contribution to England’s economic success was recognised last month as the area was named a ‘New Capital of Industry’ for its success in marine engineering.

The Solent marine sector contributes £5.5bn to the local economy and provides 77,000 jobs. The south coast region has invested in skills and training and a new £48,000 welding facility at Southampton City College.

Jay Hunt, Acting Area Director for Hampshire and Isle of Wight for the South East England Development Agency says:
"The Solent is a major global hub for the marine industry covering shipbuilding, manufacturing and marine leisure, through to high-tech electronics and environmental management, with one in eight marine businesses looking to expand. Thanks to considerable investment the Solent has the talent and technology necessary to remain at the heart of innovations in the marine engineering industry."

Developing the skills needed to fuel the area's marine sector, Southampton City College works closely with local employers to provide Marine Apprenticeships and courses in cutting-edge aluminium welding.

Lindsey Noble, Principal and CEO of Southampton City College, says:
"The boat building industry is a major part of the south's economy. We want to make sure learners are armed with all the relevant skills to help them succeed. The students of today are the boat builders of the future. Nurturing the talents of these individuals will keep the UK ahead of its competitors and able to excel in industries like the marine sector."

The 'New Capitals of Industry' list was produced by the Association of Colleges (AoC) ahead of Colleges Week (9-15 November), a national celebration of the role colleges play in providing opportunities for communities, businesses and individuals.

The Solent joins towns and areas up and down the country, including Brighton, Warwickshire and Cumbria that have demonstrated considerable growth over the last few years and are examples of the development of new industries and skills which will keep the UK competitive.

Clive Jeffery, Owner of South Boats SP Ltd, says:
"The marine engineering sector is growing rapidly - we need employees with high-level skills to work in the industry. Southampton City College provides its students with the experience and ability to slot easily into our business and drive growth."

Colleges Week is coordinated and organised by the Association of Colleges and the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS). To find out more go to http://www.aoc.co.uk

Posted 2009-11-30 12:17:07

Solent team committed to helping innovative companies

The Solent Innovation & Growth Team (IGT) has been set up to help innovative businesses in the Solent Region. It delivers a range of products especially designed to help innovative and high growth businesses. Every business will have its unique set of circumstances and so support is often tailored and in some cases blended to ensure that every need is being addressed.

Fundamentally the aim is to provide eligible businesses with expert support, advice and guidance which is largely free of charge and is there to help companies succeed along every stage of their growth.

The Solent IGT is led by newly appointed Guy Whitaker, Director, who has more than 25 years’ experience working for a variety of businesses and other organisations in the UK and internationally. “This is a truly exceptional opportunity for companies with high growth potential to benefit from a very strong, integrated and focused set of support,” explains Guy Whittaker. “Solent is a hotbed of innovation, not just in small and medium businesses, but also in large corporations who can benefit from collaborating with a wide range of creative innovators.

“Our aim is to make a major step change to the local economy by supporting companies with real and significant potential to unlock new opportunities for growth.”
Being part of the Community of Innovation entitles you to receive quarterly newsletters and invitations to events focused on fuelling excitement around growth and innovation and opening door to opportunities to help potential high-growth companies realise their ambitions.

The Community of Innovation is open to all companies and service providers who:
- Consider themselves to be an innovative or high growth business
- Aspire to become a high-growth or innovative company
- Are connected to, or regularly meet with companies with these characteristics

If you would like to find out more, you can visit our website or feel free to call us on 01489 889 882. We look forward to hearing from you.

Posted 2009-11-30 12:20:44

London Boat Show again offers chance to ‘meet the buyer’, 12-13 January 2010

Venue: London Boat Show, Excel

The British Marine Federation and UK Trade & Investment are again this year running a Meet the Buyer event at London Boat Show. The world's leading boat and super yacht builders and distributors will visit the Tullett Prebon London International Boat Show for one-to-one meetings with UK suppliers on 12 and 13 January 2010.

This is the tenth time that UKTI and the BMF have hosted an international Meet the Buyer event at the Show. Last year saw 23 buyers and 58 UK suppliers represented, resulting in over 300 one-to-one meetings and the generation of significant levels of new business.

A survey following the January 2009 event revealed:
- 93% of suppliers were successful in meeting new potential buyers and 83% identified new market opportunities
- As a result of attending Meet the Buyer, 88% of suppliers estimate they will supply to new OEM customers; mostly estimate two, with a maximum of five
- The total value of new business generated is expected to amount up to £50,000 for the majority, with five suppliers estimating up to £100,000, two suppliers up to £200,000, and one supplier up to £300,000

Tom Chant, BMF International Development Manager said: "Both buyers and Suppliers that attend the Meet the Buyer event report considerable benefits year on year. The Tullett Prebon London International Boat Show provides an excellent backdrop for the event, which is conducive to business generation. With ten years experience behind us and continued support from UKTI, the event has developed into a sleek and effective operation."

If you are a supplier of marine products or services interested in taking advantage of this opportunity, details of the 2010 event can be found at http://www.bmfmeetthebuyer.co.uk/

UKTI International Trade Advisers (ITAs) specialising in the marine sector will attend the Show ready to discuss export issues with British suppliers. There will be two ITA's from UKTI South East, Christopher Uniacke and David Nickolls.

The Tullett Prebon London International Boat Show http://www.londonboatshow.com/ is at the ExCel centre in Docklands from 8 to 17 January 2010.

Posted 2009-11-30 12:37:53

Mabway training develops new maritime training programme

The Maritime sector of the Mabway was established in 2007. Since then the company has been involved in the design and delivery of Marine Engineering training and has recently developed the Mabway Training Academy with the aim of delivering high quality training when and where it is required. The Training Team has qualified experience in both Commercial and Military Maritime equipment and operations and has considerable experience in training delivery.

Whilst delivering the Electrical Power Generation and Management (EPGAM) course, run in mid November, Mabway were pleased to welcome a visit by MTU, a leading global supplier of engines and systems for the World's Marine Markets.

MTU had come to view a selection of Maritime and Marine courses delivered by the Mabway Academy based in Gosport. These courses include Power Management courses for the Marine & Sea going Industries, Specific Electrical Fault Finding, Electrical breaker courses and a selection of Diesel courses.

There are currently spaces on a couple of courses in the New Year, these are:

Electrical Power Management Systems - A one day course built to give students sound practical experience of operating ships electrical switchboards, with background knowledge in SOLAS Electrical Regulations.

Electrical Power Generation and Management (II) - This is an advanced electrical P and D course, designed to raise the electrical knowledge of Marine Mechanical Engineers but may also be of benefit to less experienced Electrical Fitters/Engineers. The course deals with all aspects of Marine Electrical Power systems from the principles of Generation through to the Management and Control of ships' systems. Special consideration is given to the avoidance of electrical blackouts and how to deal with them if they do occur.

If you would like to find out more about these and other marine training courses go to http://www.Mabway.com alternatively contact the Head of the Maritime Team, Michael Cooke MBE on 01329 848 123 or email Michael@Mabway.com

Posted 2009-11-30 12:07:06

New berthing scheme offers incentives for brokers

Premier Marinas has announced the launch of its new ‘Berthing Commissions Scheme’ which aims to reward brokers and yacht sales companies for berthing referrals into its marinas. The scheme will pay commissions of up to 30% for introductions that result in12 month berthing contracts for the company.

The scheme is practically admin and paper free. Brokers need to sign the business up to the scheme once by emailing berthingcommissions@premiermarinas.com or by calling 01489 884094. Then when a salesman wants to refer a new customer they just provide the most basic details online - and Premier handles everything else.

Premier trialed this scheme early in 2009 and it has been very successful for those who took part. Commissions are accounted for through monthly statements to the businesses and the money can be distributed by the business at their discretion. For example, some dealers are using the percentage cash back to complete a sale by passing the discount, wholly or partially on to the customer.

Managing Director, Pete Bradshaw explained 'We know that finding just the right berth is an important part of a customer's journey towards buying a boat, which is why many of our yacht sales colleagues have regularly found themselves recommending that their customers berth with Premier. But recent analysis has shown that this informal route into our marinas is an important one for our business, and one that should be rewarded - and that's why we have now formally introduced this scheme.'

The scheme is available in all Premier Marinas (subject to berth availability) and the reward is 30% of the first year's berthing fees for Premier tenants and 20% for non tenants. Brokers and yacht sales companies can introduce customers into any Premier Marina, not just their local one.

Posted 2009-11-30 12:35:43

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