Great South West receives £7.5 million to boost marine and maritime innovation

The investment will further the region's leadership in sectors including clean maritime and marine autonomy

23 October 2023

The �鶹��ý has played a leading role in securing significant Government investment that will drive the South West’s future marine and maritime innovation.

The Great South West, the pan-regional partnership working to build the region’s economy and prosperity, has been chosen as the country’s Marine and Maritime Launchpad, recognising its leadership in the sector.

As part of the programme, the region is set to receive up to £7.5 million of investment to drive innovation and business growth.

The Marine and Maritime Launchpad represents a fantastic opportunity to boost levels of innovation across the Great South West. It will enable us to expand on what is already a world-class ocean economy cluster, creating commercial solutions to the challenges facing our marine and maritime sector. This funding will also unite government, industry and academia in the development of the regional economy, creating a cleaner, high growth and digitally enabled sector right here in the South West.

Mr Kevin Forshaw
Director of Industrial and Strategic Partnerships, and Chair of Maritime UK South West

The Marine and Maritime Launchpad has been developed by the Heart of the South West LEP and Innovate UK in partnership with Maritime UK South West, the universities of �鶹��ý, Exeter and Bournemouth, the Dorset and Cornwall LEPs, and the �鶹��ý and South Devon Freeport.

The Launchpad builds on work undertaken by the Ocean Futures Partnership to establish the Great South West as a global centre of excellence and supercluster in the testing, development and manufacture of autonomy, digital and clean ocean technologies.

Earlier this year, the Great South West partnership developed its Clean Energy Powerhouse Prospectus, revealing that the region had the potential to become one of the leading providers of low carbon energy in the UK.