3rd June 2024
South Devon College is thrilled to be shortlisted as a finalist in the Future Skills category in the Maritime UK Awards 2024.
The award, sponsored by Trinity House, is open to all maritime business, charities, or organisations who have made a tangible contribution to meeting the future skills needs of the Maritime sector, and the College’s Marine Academy has been recognised for its collaboration with HydroSurv and BMT on an innovative project focused on Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) systems.
The project focuses on USV training and technology, in order to build workforce skills for the future requirements of the industry.
HydroSurv, a global innovator in Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) technology, and BMT, a maritime-orientated high-end design house and technical consulting firm, are working with South Devon College to use USVs in an operational capacity, alongside shore-based Remote Operations Centres (ROCs). This will automate the deployment, recovery and wireless charging of battery-electric USV systems, boosting efficiency and sustainability.
The USVs and ROCs provide inclusive and flexible working environments for shore-based operators, compared to traditional seafaring roles, as well as the ability for vessel surveillance patrol before returning to the docking station for wireless recharge using stored off-grid renewable energy.
The growing demand for ocean data, along with the need to decarbonise maritime activities, is driving growth in the USV market – the UK Government’s Maritime 2050 strategy recognises maritime autonomy as a pivotal technological development and predicts the UK will capture 10% of the global market.
This in turn will lead to a demand for an upskilled maritime workforce, and South Devon College’s Marine Academy is perfectly positioned to deliver the training necessary, serving as a model for the effective integration of industry and education, and paving the way for a future-ready maritime sector.
Steve Caunter, Assistant Principal at South Devon College, said: “For South Devon College, being nominated as a finalist in the Maritime UK Awards 2024 confirms our progressive role as an early adopter of state-of-the-art maritime autonomy infrastructure.
“The College is positioning itself as an authority in the academic and research aspects of maritime autonomy as well as emerging technologies and decarbonisation, and we are perfectly sited to develop the workforce skills of the future.”
The Maritime UK Awards bring together people from across the UK to celebrate the achievements and success stories of the sector, with finalists across 14 categories, and this year the awards will be hosted at the Titanic Belfast on 5th June 2024.
