A new hub dedicated to research and development for the maritime sector has officially opened in at Port of Tyne, South Shields today
A new partnership has been announced between a number of organisations including Port of Tyne, PD Ports, Nissan, Connected Places Catapult, Accenture, Royal HaskoningDHV and Ubisoft to create the UK’s first Maritime Innovation Hub.
The ‘2050 Innovation Hub’ will see partners collaborate to develop solutions to the technological challenges facing the maritime sector and the wider logistics industry both nationally and globally.
The Secretary of State for Transport, The Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP, visited the Port of Tyne today to open the UK’s first Maritime Innovation Hub.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said,
“Ports are vital to the UK’s economy and the Port of Tyne is no different – driving trade and supporting key businesses, such as Tetley and Nissan, to deliver to their consumers.
“The British maritime sector is world famous for driving innovation. The Innovation Hub is a fantastic way to increase efficiency, making the our ports more attractive to businesses at home and abroad as well as ensuring the UK continues to lead the way in maritime technology for decades to come.”
The 2050 Innovation Hub will be a catalyst for sharing ideas, harnessing research and development, advancing technology and tackling shared challenges.
Matt Beeton, Port of Tyne Chief Executive Officer, said,
“We’re delighted to launch the UK’s first Innovation Hub and welcome the support of all our partners in driving innovation for the benefit not just of the maritime sector, but also the global logistics and supply chain. It’s important that we harness skills and innovation from all industrial sectors to develop our global proposition and enhance our competitiveness”.
Frans Calje, PD Ports Chief Executive Officer, said
“Northern Ports need to collaborate with manufacturers and technology partners to increase their global competiveness and rebalance the economy. The 2050 Innovation Hub will enable us to share knowledge and expertise to drive revolutionary change in the maritime industry powered by advancing technologies.”
As a centre for collaboration between a number of leading technology organisations and industry partners, the Maritime 2050 Innovation Hub will also attract more young people into the maritime sector.
The 2050 Innovation Hub is fully aligned with the Government’s Maritime 2050 Strategy and it will work closely with the Department for Transport and MarRI-UK to ensure that it delivers for the benefit of the maritime sector as a whole.
