Marine autonomy
The South West.Home to the UK’s marine autonomy industry.
World class testing, development & innovation of autonomous technology, all in one region
We’re the centre of the UK’s marine autonomy industry, with more manufacturers, experts and data specialists in the South West than anywhere else in the country. We’ve got the best test sites, the most experienced developers and a network of knowledge to turn the potential of marine autonomy into a reality.
What is marine autonomy?
Marine autonomy refers to the development and use of craft which have a degree of independence from human operators. Often this means they’re unmanned and operated remotely, like a marine drone. But it also means craft which can make their own decisions.
They vary hugely; they can be anything from a 4ft miniature submarine to a 12m boat capable of carrying a shipping container.
Some are powered by the action of the waves, some use electric motors and batteries, some have conventional diesel engines. Some are designed for short journeys and some can stay at sea for months. There are as many different types of autonomous craft as there are crewed ones.
If a job can be described as dirty, dull and dangerous, it’s perfect for an autonomous craft.
Because they don’t need a crew, autonomous craft can get to and stay in locations that could be difficult, dangerous or stressful for humans. They can spend much longer at sea than humans, without the need for provisions or refuelling, which means long-term data collection becomes easier and cheaper. They don’t get tired, bored or hungry,
They’re also less disruptive to the environment they’re in. They’re often small and silent, so they’re less likely to disturb animals, which makes them ideal for monitoring marine environments. Electric and kinetic-powered craft have no local emissions, so don’t pollute the environment they’re monitoring.
Anything involving conditions that would be stressful and tiring for human crews could be carried out by autonomous craft, and they’re the future of many operations at sea, such as the servicing and maintenance of offshore energy platforms and the inspection of infrastructure.
Why the South West leads the marine autonomy industry
Solving problems for business and industry
With this much expertise in one region, it’s easy for businesses to access the kind of help they need to solve their problems. Marine autonomy solves many commercial problems such the complexity and cost of monitoring remote sites or collecting data from challenging environments.
The UK’s best proving ground for marine autonomy
Plymouth Sound is one of the world’s best understood bodies of water, making it the perfect site for testing autonomous craft. That’s why it’s home to Smart Sound, the UK’s most advanced real-world proving ground.
Everything you need to develop, build and test your craft
More marine scientists, more vessel builders, more sensor makers and data collectors than anywhere else in the UK. Sites such as Turnchapel Wharf in Plymouth provide dedicated facilities for manufacturing.
Collaborate and learn with the best
With this much knowledge and expertise in one region, collaboration comes naturally and learning is easy. Maritime UK South West connects you to the UK’s best experts, leaders and mentors. Industry-leading groups such as the Future Autonomous at Sea Technologies Cluster bring together the major players, making it simple to access their knowledge.
Be where your customers are
Crucial infrastructure, defence institutions and thousands of marine businesses are based in the South West, making it the perfect place to build relationships with your customers.
The people you need to make your business a success
Specialised training and skills development is one of the region’s biggest strengths, and out talent pool provides a ready, skilled supply of employees, trainees and new recruits. City College Plymouth even has its own foundation degree in marine autonomy, the only such course in the country.
How Maritime UK South West’s members are forging the future
Acua Ocean wants to make collecting data from the ocean easier, faster and simpler. To make this happen it designed and built the Pioneer uncrewed surface vessel, a 14.2m craft capable of carrying a standard 20ft shipping container and a 6.5 tonne payload. Built from aluminium, the Pioneer uses a twin-hull design to increase stability and can deal with waves of up to 4m. Power comes from either twin electric motors or optional hydrogen fuel cell and diesel range extenders, which give it the ability to stay at sea for 50 days.
Global players in naval architecture, BMT is also deeply involved in the development, testing and regulation of autonomous craft. It covers every element of the process from dealing with and shaping regulations to training operators on its Rembrandt ship simulator. BMT’s design and engineering consultancy, and its experience in ship design, gives it the skill and knowledge to help create a new generation of autonomous craft.
City College offers the country’s only foundation degree in marine autonomous systems, designed to qualify people to work in new high-tech ocean economy, as well as give them the right grounding to start their own businesses. With the University of Plymouth, which awards the foundation degree, it’s planning to launch a BSc in marine autonomous systems.
Cornwall-based Inductive Power Projection is developing a charging system for the drones used to inspect offshore wind turbines. The wireless chargers will be located at sea, near to the turbines, so the drones don’t have to return to shore to be charged, and will be capable of delivering more power at greater distances in less time than existing inductive systems.
Plymouth Marine Laboratory owns and operates Smart Sound’s above-surface technology. It runs a lab dedicated to the research and development of autonomous vessels at its Plymouth HQ, and through its commercial arm uses its knowledge of autonomous technology to help solve customers’ problems.
The UK’s most advanced real-world proving ground for marine autonomy, Smart Sound is a 1000sqkm of on and offshore water off Plymouth, rigged with sensors and transmitters to track and assess craft. Smart Sound was created by the UK’s largest group of marine science and tech experts to help business and institutions develop the marine autonomy industry. A fleet of autonomous craft is available for systems trials, backed up by research and support boats, along with a private 4G and 5G network.
On the banks of the River Dart, South Devon College’s Marine Academy is training apprentices and young people how to use autonomous craft. In a joint venture with BMT, the college is upgrading its ship simulator by adding a remote operations centre, capable of running autonomous and remote craft. It will train operators in real life scenarios, giving them the skills they need before they progress to working with real craft.
One of the UK’s leading manufacturers of underwater instruments, Teledyne Valeport has become a leader in building sensors specifically for use in autonomous craft. From its South Devon HQ, it develops, tests and builds a huge range of sensors, with applications in environmental monitoring, water surveying, dredging, civil engineering and scientific research.
USS uses its own craft to provide data surveying for its clients across the world, ranging from pipeline surveys in Nigeria to offshore cable inspections in Germany. Designed and built in Cornwall, USS’s two models of autonomous craft cover onshore and offshore operations, with the ability to work beyond the horizon. Each craft can be fitted with sonar, echosounders and habitat mapping systems, and the data is processed in-house.
At the heart of the South West’s marine autonomy industry, the University of Plymouth is a hotbed of research, testing, development. It runs the autonomous marine systems research group, which brings together staff and researchers from across the University to investigate the future of autonomous ocean science. It also works closely with other universities and industry to develop marine autonomy, using its own extensive facilities.