Strathclyde researchers have contributed to a report into the UK’s research capabilities for shipbuilding.
The UK’s Academic Capacity and Capability for Shipbuilding Report funded by the National Shipbuilding Office (NSO) provides an insight into the UK’s current research capabilities and what key global competitors are doing. It provides a series of recommendations to industry and government.
The NSO oversees all of Government's interests in UK shipbuilding and has a mandate to drive transformative change across the shipbuilding enterprise.
Critical investment
The report outlines the leading areas of research in UK shipbuilding and the areas that require critical investment to enhance the competitiveness of the UK shipbuilding industry.
It aligns world leading maritime innovation and research conducted by the UK’s academic sector with the 2022 Refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSbS). It aims to drive understanding in industry and academia of the latest technological and environmental innovations, and to propel UK industry to the forefront the global shipbuilding sector by 2030.
Research output
The academic partners of Maritime Research and Innovation UK (MarRI-UK), which is hosted at Strathclyde, reviewed research output across the UK, focussing on the maritime engineering and technologies that underpin the industry. They identified that the UK produces leading research in the areas of decarbonisation, design and specialist ships. By concentrating efforts and resources on these areas, and utilising the UK’s research capability, the UK Shipbuilding Enterprise can improve its global competitiveness.
Strathclyde researchers from Design Manufacturing & Engineering Management and Naval Architecture, Ocean & Marine Engineering were involved in the report, with the other academic partners University College London (UCL), University of Southampton, Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), Newcastle University, University of Liverpool and the Alan Turing Institute.
Dr Ian Whitfield, Reader in Systems Engineering Management of the Department of Design, Manufacturing and Engineering Management at Strathclyde said:
This report provides a clear picture of how academic research has supported UK shipbuilding, and how it should continue to do so.
“Collaboration is key to supporting this innovation, to advance practices across a broader range of activity, and to continue to deliver high-quality impactful research. This report clearly describes the role and success of UK academic maritime research, its appetite for developing future capability, and for delivering the skills required.”
Professor Evangelos Boulougouris, Head of Strathclyde's Department of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Marine Engineering, said: "This report is a first step towards the strengthening and repositioning of the UK's shipbuilding research capability and we are very satisfied with our participation and contribution.
“The report captures not only the present situation, but also the tremendous potential that the sector has, and concludes with a list of recommendations for industry and government.”
Innovation investment
Rear Admiral Rex Cox, CEO of the National Shipbuilding Office said: “To drive the UK to the forefront of the shipbuilding industry, we need to expand and invest in innovation and effective engineering across the enterprise.
“Aligning our world leading academic research sector with our NSbS Refresh is key. The UK shipbuilding enterprise can be world leading in areas such as decarbonisation, autonomy and intelligent systems. However, to reach this position we must commercialise UK’s research capability, leveraging it to enable a productive, thriving and globally competitive industry.”
Future growth
Simon Reid, Director of MarRI-UK, said:“MarRI-UK is proud to have collaborated with the NSO on this important project which will enable the future sustainable growth of the shipbuilding industry in the UK. It outlines interventions that will positively disrupt the global market, provide future regional and national growth and enhance the skills development of the UK workforce in the shipbuilding industry.”
MarRI-UK is an industry-led membership organisation, hosted by the University of Strathclyde, that drives the global competitiveness of the UK maritime through extensive partnerships in identifying, developing, and leveraging emerging technologies.