SMI has joined up with the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO), BMT and the Marine Business Technology Centre in Plymouth to bring you this webinar discussing the ADMIRALTY Marine Innovation Programme challenges and how the solutions can be turned into commercial business opportunities.

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is a world-leading centre for hydrography, specialising in marine geospatial data that helps others to unlock a deeper understanding of the world's oceans. Working with a wide range of partners, they source, process and provide access to this data, ranging from seabed to surface.

BMT is a leading international design, engineering, science and risk management consultancy with a reputation for engineering excellence. They are driven by a belief that things can always be better, safer, faster and more efficient.

The ADMIRALTY Marine Innovation Programme helps innovators and start-ups develop new solutions that support safe, secure and thriving oceans. Over a series of key challenges, participants will get the chance to develop these solutions using ADMIRALTY data sets, with winners receiving an opportunity to launch their products into some of the world's fastest growing marine sectors. The launch of this innovative programme follows extensive research commissioned by the UK Hydrographic Office into the Blue Economy, which is estimated to be worth £3.2 trillion by the year 2030.

The programme’s first innovation challenge, launched in 2020, focused on ‘Unlocking Autonomous Navigation’ and tasked participants with identifying how marine geospatial data can support the safe navigation of autonomous surface ships and other wider naval applications. For this challenge BMT created a new navigation system, which combines its field-proven REMBRANDT and TUFLOW simulation technologies to enhance autonomous operations planning and real-time navigation safety in busy waterways and ports. In addition to supporting safe navigation for present and future naval applications, the technology being launched by BMT will play a vital role in mitigating the effects of climate change, and more.

The Marine Business Technology Centre (MBTC) is the gateway for accessing comprehensive research and development support as well as cutting-edge facilities and expertise. MBTC gives client access to the Smart Sound Plymouth proving zone, funding programmes, research and development support and links to other commercial collaborative partners to aid the production of cutting edge marine solutions.

Smart Sound Plymouth is a first-of-its-kind within the UK, facilitating the design, testing and development of new products and services for the marine sector. The Smart Sound facilitates trials, validation and proving of marine innovative technologies across a diverse environment. All missions will be facilitated by a dedicated team in compliance with MAS codes of conduct and de-conflicted with other water users. From trials in shallow benign environments to deeper hostile waters Smart Sound can facilitate a wide range of conditions to suit the user's particular requirements.

Hear all about these UKHO Innovation Challenges, Smart Sound Plymouth and BMT's winning solution that supports the development of the Blue Economy and will help solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges when it comes to our oceans. Don't miss out - register today!

UKHO's Innovation Challenges and progression into business opportunities