Industry showcase to focus South-East England defence technology

The event aims to highlight the subsea knowledge, skills and resources available within the local region.

The one-day conference will feature a series of presentations from manufacturers, technology firms and engineering companies from both the defence and oil and gas sectors. These include; EODEX UK, AutoNaut, Planet Ocean, Blue Ocean Monitoring, TP Services, Polaris Consulting, TSC, Rovco, BHGE and BPP-TECH.

Presentations will highlight new and advanced subsea technology, including unmanned autonomous systems (UAS), unmanned surface vessels (USV), ROV inspection and subsea condition monitoring.

Head of innovation at the UK Defence Solutions Centre (UKDSC), David Wotherspoon, will be at the event to provide further information on the cross-sector initiative between the UKDSC, Subsea UK and its technology arm, the National Subsea Research Initiative (NSRI). The initiative aims to accelerate the development of underwater robotics, unmanned operations, sensors and other technological and digital innovations.

There will also be an opportunity for operators who attend the conference to take part in a site visit to local subsea companies Saab Seaeye, which specialises in underwater robotics, and Magma Global, which is a leading provider of composite pipe technology. This will be by invitation only.

Neil Gordon, chief executive of Subsea UK, said: “The South of England is known for its prominent research and development (R&D) activity. In 2017, the region invested £4.8 billion in R&D and with seventeen universities based locally, there is a growing wealth of knowledge and innovation within the area. The supply chain showcase is a unique opportunity for local companies to get their innovative technology in front of decision makers.

“The region has a rich military and defence history and the ground-breaking underwater technology being developed in this sector will be showcased at this event. There will also be a focus on how the oil and gas and defence industries can better collaborate to advance the development of new technology and solve the challenges facing both sectors.”

The South of England Subsea Supply Chain Capability showcase follows on from the North-East England showcase which took place in Newcastle at the start of June. The event saw more than 100 delegates attend a one-day conference to learn about the capabilities in the region, 17 operators also attended a tour of local subsea businesses as part of the event.

The South of England Subsea Supply Chain Capability Showcase is free to attend and will take place at the Holiday Inn Fareham (Solent) from the 4 July 2019. 

To book your place, click here.