Marine sector

Business

Plymouth’s magnificent natural harbour has enabled it to play a major role in trade and seafaring voyages around the world, and created an ideal location for marine business of all types. Plymouth has hosted the start and finish of many major sailing events including the Fastnet, Transat, Tall Ships and Clipper Races, whilst the Formula One Powerboat Grand Prix has become an annual summer event, attracting tens-of-thousands of visitors to the city.

Research carried out by the University of Plymouth shows the city has the largest cluster of marine and maritime businesses in the south west, with 270 firms operating within the sector.

It is already home to many well-established marine and marine-related companies, including

Boatbuilders

• Babcock Marine Limited
• Princess Yachts International plc
• Bridgend Boat Company Limited
• Devonport Yachts Limited

Marinas

• Mayflower International Marina
• Plymouth Yacht Haven Limited
• Queen Anne’s Battery
• Sutton Harbour Marina

as well as port operators, marine engineers, marine scientists, chandlers, sail makers, GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) services and marine leisure businesses

Training

Educational establishments

City College Plymouth is a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) in Marine Training, offering a wide range of practical marine and maritime courses, and the Marine Institute of the University of Plymouth was inaugurated in 2006 to bring together the marine interests established in the Faculties of Science, Technology, Social Science and Business. With the expertise of about 160 staff, the Marine Institute aims to give a new dimension to Plymouth's reputation as an international leader in marine science and technology.

Marine skills centres

In order to deliver and support projects within the marine sector, Marine South West was created, and part of its role is to deliver a range of training and workforce development programmes which meet the needs of Marine sector Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the South West through the creation of a network of Marine Skills Centres.

These centres, providing first class training facilities to ensure the highest standards of achievement, are based around clusters of marine industry activity in Falmouth, Plymouth and Poole. The three centres are linked by Marine South West as a network and form a partnership with Centre of Vocational Excellence in Marine Engineering across the locations.

The Plymouth Marine Skills Centre, specialising in GRP and out-fitting, opened in September 2006.

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Partnerships and organisations

Centres of expertise

The University of Plymouth’s Centre of Expertise - Marine Science and Technology (CoE MST) - is uniquely placed to help marine-based companies draw upon the experience, skill and expertise of several teams from within the university and beyond. These attributes, together with a range of existing and adaptable solutions, can be used to ensure that short, medium and long-term business needs are addressed.

City College Plymouth has three Centres of Vocational Excellence including one in Marine Engineering and Technology. The Centre of Vocational Excellence award is a three-year initiative by the Learning and Skills Council aimed at improving vocational skills through the development of a nationally co-ordinated network of centres.

Marine Biological Association

The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom is a professional body for marine biologists with some 1,200 members world-wide. The Association has earned an international reputation for excellence and innovation in research by the resident scientific staff and visiting research workers, including seven Nobel laureates.

Marine South West

Marine South West is a not-for-profit company dedicated to increasing the business competitiveness of marine sector companies in the south west. It is supported by a group of public sector bodies, including the South West of England Regional Development Agency, Government Office for the South West, South West Tourism, and the British Marine Federation. The project is directed by a Task Force which is made up of representatives of the partner bodies and prominent people from the business community.

Maritime Plymouth

Maritime Plymouth was established with the support of the Government Office for the South West, the South West of England Regional Development Agency, Marine South West and Plymouth City Council to act as a focal group for the whole maritime industry and associated interests in the Plymouth travel to work area.

Its formal aim is to secure the greatest economic benefit for the City of Plymouth and its people from its established strengths in port and marine activities and to make the best use of the unique natural resource represented by The Waters of Tamar and associated land-based activities.

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National Marine Aquarium

The National Marine Aquarium was the first aquarium in the United Kingdom to be set up solely for the purpose of education, conservation and research. It remains Britain's foremost aquarium and, in the six years it has been open, has attracted over two million visitors through its doors and thousands of enquiries by letter, telephone, fax and email. Its multi-million-pound ExplorOcean science centre opened earlier this year.

The National Marine Aquarium is now firmly established as a source of reliable and accurate information and is a regular adviser to many newspaper, magazine, radio and television projects - the BBC's 'Blue Planet' Series is perhaps the best known.

Plymouth Marine Laboratory

According to their website, Plymouth Marine Laboratory exists to carry out fundamental, core strategic and applied marine research of a world-class standard. The current core research programme (2001 - 2006) is a research contract with the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and has a mission to contribute to the issues of climate change, marine pollution and sustainability - topics that are of national and worldwide importance.

Plymouth Marine Sciences Partnership

The Plymouth Marine Sciences Partnership, consisting of the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the University of Plymouth Marine Institute, the Marine Biological Association of the UK, the National Marine Aquarium, the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, Diving Diseases Research Centre and the Royal Navy's Hydrographic, Meteorological and Oceanographic Training Group, works closely together to optimise their knowledge and strengths for the benefit of the region, the UK and international communities.

Schools Marine Challenge

The Schools Marine Challenge, started in 2004, provides an excellent opportunity for schools in the south west of England to take part in an innovative engineering challenge, racing model powerboats they have designed and built, with the aim of introducing school children to the world of marine technology and engineering and encouraging them to consider a career in this sector. Local marine businesses are heavily involved in this project, providing expert advice and assistance.

Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science

The Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science is an international charity that operates the Continuous Plankton Recorder survey. The Foundation has been collecting data from the North Atlantic and the North Sea on biogeography and ecology of plankton since 1931. More recently, as the foundation has become more involved in international projects, work has been expanded to include other regions around the globe.

The results of the survey are used by marine biologists scientific institutes and in environmental change studies across the world. The Continuous Plankton Recorder team is based in Plymouth, and consists of analysts, technicians, researchers and administrators, who all play an integral part in the running of the survey.

Diving Diseases Research Centre

The Diving Diseases Research Centre is a charity which aims to promote and take part in the medical treatment, training and research associated with the use of hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of diving diseases and other medical problems.

Hydrographic, Meteorological and Oceanographic Training Group

Located at HMS Drake in Plymouth, the Hydrographic, Meteorological and Oceanographic Training Group is responsible for training all Royal Navy specialists (and also personnel and units of foreign and commonwealth navies and other arms of the services) in these environmental disciplines to a level which allows them to operate in the challenging environment of the modern battlespace.

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