Marine-i offers testing support to marine tech businesses

Marine-i is calling on local south-west marine tech businesses to take advantage of fully-funded testing capacity available at its partner sites to accelerate their innovation.

Part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Marine-i is designed to help the marine technology sector in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly grow through harnessing the full potential of research and innovation.

“The test facilities that Marine-i can offer are among the most advanced in the world,” says Prof Lars Johanning, programme director for Marine-i. “I urge local marine businesses to take advantage of this opportunity, as well as businesses operating in the supply chain. These could include, for example, potential manufacturers of turbine blades, bearings, electronics, or foundations for offshore turbines. By working with Marine-i, you can get your product innovation to market more quickly, and with a greater chance of success.”

Cornish businesses that are already benefitting from these Marine-i facilities include ARC Marine, which tested its Reef Cubes at COAST Lab, AMOG Consulting, which trialled its new wave energy device at FaBTest, Reflex Marine, which has tested its innovative anchoring system for floating offshore wind at DMaC and Falco Drone Technologies, which is set to test its new inspection drone at Levenmouth.

Eligible businesses can gain access to over 20 advanced testing facilities. These include:

• The COAST Lab in Plymouth which provides physical model testing with combined waves, currents and wind, offered at scales appropriate for device testing, array testing, environmental modelling and coastal engineering.

• FaBTest, located in Falmouth Bay. It is a nursery ocean facility for demonstrating marine technologies which enables developers to test technologies, components, moorings and deployment procedures in a moderate wave climate.

• Dynamic Marine Component test facility (DMaC) at Penryn, a purpose-built rig that aims to replicate the forces and motions experienced by marine components in offshore applications.

• Some of the UK’s leading technology innovation and research centres for advancing wind, wave and tidal energy, including the National Renewable Energy Centre based at Blyth in Northumberland and the world’s most advanced open access 7MW offshore wind demonstration turbine at Levenmouth, Fife.

Marine-i is currently offering to arrange visits to these facilities to businesses interested in developing RD&I activities through Marine-i, and is able to offer financial support for these facility visits.