A first of its kind collaboration between defence and oil and gas will lead to the development of advanced underwater technology to solve challenges across both sectors.
Subsea UK and its technology arm, the National Subsea Research Initiative (NSRI), have joined forces with the UK Defence Solutions Centre (UKDSC) to accelerate the development of underwater robotics, unmanned operations, sensors and other technological and digital innovations.
Described as NASA but on the seabed, the British subsea sector, represented by Subsea UK, is focused on highly sophisticated underwater engineering and technology for, primarily, the oil and gas industry but, more increasingly, for offshore wind and marine renewables. Generating around £8billion per annum, this sector supports 45,000 jobs.
Subsea UK and NSRI have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with UKDSC to enable collaboration between the two sectors on research and development (R&D) activity through knowledge sharing, innovation transfer and maximising resources.
The signing of the MoU follows more than a year of discussions between Subsea UK and the UKDSC, which began at the Subsea UK ROV conference in 2017. Neil Gordon, chief executive of Subsea UK, then presented at a UKDSC event in Farnborough where he highlighted the UK’s underwater autonomy capabilities and technologies.
