Email News June 2012
Welcome to the June 2012 edition of the Marine South East email newsletter
If you would like to submit an article for consideration please email the text and a suitable image or logo to sarah@marinesoutheast.co.uk
Posted 2012-05-23 19:00:15
MSE diversifies its business activities
Marine South East has had a busy start to the year managing its existing European projects, as well as bidding for funding on new projects. In addition the marine sector specialist has been working with a number of marine companies to develop research projects and assist marine businesses in accessing the limited government funding still available.
Marine South East continues to be an expert in building consortiums and working with existing international marine clusters to bid for new European projects. MSE recently heard that they had been successful in winning a significant European Project looking at maritime resource efficiency which is profiled in more detail in a separate article in this newsletter.
Marine South East has also been working with a number of marine businesses looking for research into new markets, assistance in developing innovation as well as expert guidance and project management in putting together bids to attract government funding.
These new activities are becoming increasingly important to MSE as an organisation and marine businesses looking to maximise their development of innovation and new markets.
If you are interested in talking to Marine South East about developing a bid for government funding as well as research into new markets please contact Jonathan Williams at jonathan@marinesoutheast.co.uk
Posted 2012-05-29 11:54:45
MSE wins £1.5M European Project on Resource Efficiency
MSE has secured funding for a £1.5M European Project which will maximise the impact of marine clusters which are active in the fields of maritime development and marine & coastal resource management. At the recent European Maritime Days in Gothenburg MSE was able to promote the project in front of the 250 people who attended the EMSAC event.
The REMCap project aims to harness maritime growth to
create economic and employment benefits for Europe.
Increasing Europe's innovation capacity in maritime resource efficiency will underpin successful exploitation of these growth opportunities.
Traditionally, the maritime industries have been slow to explore how demands for resource efficiency would impact on them. Fish stock depletion and rising fuel costs have, of course, risen quickly up the political and commercial agendas, and shipping companies as well as builders and engine manufacturers have invested in improving fuel efficiency.
However, the wider needs for maritime resource efficiency are posing challenges which in many cases lack viable solutions. Emerging marine activities (for example in exploiting marine renewable energy) are presenting new opportunities for innovation, but are also highlighting areas where further improvements in resource efficiency need to be achieved.
European member states contain a number of Regional Research Driven Clusters (RRDCs) which are active in
the fields of maritime development and marine & coastal resource management.
This project will add significant value to this existing cluster infrastructure, via three main approaches that will
support their long-term development and sustainability:
* Facilitating interaction and knowledge exchange between RRDCs each focused on its world-class strengths
(Smart Specialisation);
* Raising the effectiveness of RRDCs by strengthening shared approaches to innovation support
* Using RRDC activities to stimulate involvement of supply chain companies
For more information please contact Marine South East on info@marinesoutheast.co.uk
Posted 2012-05-29 12:34:59
WaveSentry host successful workshop on Advances in Sea-state Measuring and Forecasting at Seawork
The WaveSentry Knowledge Network hosted an initial workshop for businesses and organisations interested in improved sea-state measurements and forecasting at the recent Seawork 2012.
The WaveSentry KN is being run by MSE to build upon the work of the WaveSentry project to identify and exploit new technological solutions and market opportunities.
The workshop was attend by representatives from the business community, science and research organisations and regulatory bodies - all with an interest in the market demand for improved sea-state measurements and forecasting.
MSE will analyse the workshop outputs and organise further events and activities to develop the most promising ideas into new collaborations and project proposals.
The WaveSentry project is part funded by the Technology Strategy Board to develop a wave measurement and forecasting system to:
* Exploit new data sources, including novel satellite remote measurements as well as real-time buoy and ship data.
* Develop and apply techniques to substantially enhance the integration of diverse data sources, in order to offer adverse sea-state data to multiple end-user markets
For more information or to register for the WaveSentry Knowledge Network, please visit: http://www.groupspaces.com/wavesentrykn/join
Or contact the project manager: Simon Powell
Marine South East Ltd
Tel: +44 (0) 2380 111 592
simon@marinesoutheast.co.uk
http://www.marinesoutheast.co.uk
Posted 2012-05-29 11:11:31
Marine South East delivering successful offshore wind farm project for E.ON
Marine South East has successfully delivered the first part of a project with E.ON looking at the local supply chain for the Rampion Offshore Wind project.
MSE delivered a series of awareness events at three different locations which attracted nearly 200 delegates during April. Speakers from E.on were able to inform local businesses about potential opportunities arising from the proposed Offshore Wind Farms off the South Coast of England.
Project Manager for E.ON’s Rampion Offshore Wind Farm, Vaughan Weighill, said: "Marine South East are delivering an important piece of the jigsaw for us in terms of identifying and maximising the potential for local and regional contract opportunities on our project. The supply chain study they are leading, in collaboration with E.ON and the local authorities in Sussex, has already enabled us to engage with nearly 200 SMEs in Sussex alone and MSE have staged three very successful and professionally delivered seminars in the region for interested contractors."
These events have been followed up by a series of one day workshops to help businesses involved in supplying products and services improve their chances of winning tenders by developing Winning Bids and to become more competitive by Reducing Costs. Presenters from Bid Perfect and the Manufacturing Advisory Service delivered the interactive workshops which have been extremely well received by over 50 businesses who attended them.
The next stage of the project is to build a website and arrange a number of meet the buyer events which are due to take place in 2013.
Marine South East is currently looking at ways to expand on the success of the Rampion project internationally and is working with a number of European clusters and consortiums to develop an on-going project.
For more information please contact Richard Barron on richard@marinesoutheast.co.uk
Posted 2012-05-29 12:23:53
Shipwrights Lecture for marine apprentices confirmed for October 2012
The 2012 Shipwrights Lecture for marine apprentices, young shipwrights and marine graduates will take place on Wednesday 17th October 2012 at the Turner Sims Hall, University of Southampton.
The annual lecture invites industry leaders from the leisure marine sector to inform and inspire young apprentices, shipwrights and graduates about the breadth, opportunities and career paths available in the UK's unique and dynamic marine industry.
The Worshipful Company of Shipwrights, in conjunction with the University of Southampton held the first Shipwrights Lecture in 2011. The event attracted over 300 delegates including apprentices from a host of well known British boatbuilders including Princess, Sunseeker, Pendennis, Fairline, Discovery Yachts, SYS, Berthon, Lyme Regis Boat Building Academy and Rustler Yachts. Training providers, universities, colleges and industry bodies including the British Marine Federation all attended last year's inaugural lecture and will be supporting the 2012 lecture.
The aim of the Shipwrights Lecture is to awaken apprentices to the opportunities in the immensely wide-ranging marine industry and to inform and inspire them of the careers that can develop from learning skills in laminating, wiring, joinery and outfitting to design, naval architecture and management. Attendance is free for apprentices nominated by their employers and young people under the age of 25 who are studying in the marine sector. Each apprentice receives a certificate of attendance.
The event is free to attend for apprentices, shipwright and graduates under 25 together their employers and lecturers
Online registration will be available from July 2012 at http://www.shipwrights.co.uk. Employers and Colleges are asked to compile the details of all the apprentices and students who will attend, together with the accompanying staff.
Posted 2012-05-29 11:34:41
MSE partners benchmarking exercise into improving the management of contracts
A great source of value for many businesses is in managing contracts better. After all, are you getting the benefits you worked so hard to capture in the contract award? Improvements in procurement and lean thinking are prevalent or being developed in many businesses and organisations but contract management is often the poor relation.
The University of Southampton and SCMG were commissioned by the Royal Bank of Scotland Group in 2011 to undertake research into benchmarking contract management. This led to the development of a contract management benchmarking tool (CMB) which is probably the most comprehensive benchmarking tool available that focuses on the contract management process.
The initial survey attracted over 70 high profile businesses and organisations. This included 84% from the private sector and 60% listed businesses including FTSE100 companies. Such was the success of the survey and the welcome it received from leading businesses that the survey will run again in 2012.
Participants can join a network of existing and high calibre businesses and contract managers to network and share best practice. The CMB benchmarking tool benchmarks participants in three main categories and nine elements.
Participants can take part in the survey and receive their report free of charge in return for submitting their survey response. This can be used internally to guide improvement agendas. All data and information is maintained on a confidential basis separate from RBS. Other benefits include focus groups, networking events, a LinkedIn group and a conference planned in Edinburgh in November 2012.
CMB 2012 will run from the 1st of June until the end of September 2012.
MSE are supporting the CMB2012 project and would encourage marine businesses to participate. This will help the researchers create an MSE peer group and provide a focal point for developing contract skills and capabilities as well as sharing best practice.
You can find out more information at http://www.cmb2012.com or email help@cmb2011.com
Douglas K Macbeth, Deputy Director Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute is responsible for the project; Douglas is Professor of Purchasing and Supply Chain Management at Southampton Management School
D.K.Macbeth@soton.ac.uk
Posted 2012-05-29 10:13:55
Seafarer Fatique Research Report Published
Proposals for evaluating new watchkeeping patterns, through the use of fatigue prediction models have been published in a major new report on the results of a 32-month EU part-funded research programme into seafarer sleepiness. The aim of the findings is to reduce the risk of fatigue-related maritime accidents.
The 11-partner Project Horizon study made pioneering use of bridge, engine room and cargo simulators to scientifically assess the impact of actual working patterns on the performance of watchkeepers in realistic seagoing scenarios.
A total of 90 experienced deck and engineer officer volunteers participated in rigorous tests at Chalmers University of Technology in Göteberg and at Warsash Maritime Academy at Southampton Solent University to measure their levels of sleepiness and performance during the most common watchkeeping patterns - four hours on/eight hours off (4/8) and six hours on/six hours off (6/6). Some volunteers were also exposed to a 'disturbed' off-watch period, reflecting the way in which seafarers may experience additional workloads as a result of port visits, bad weather or emergencies.
The project provided detailed empirical data on the sleepiness levels of watch keepers working within those realistic scenarios, enabling researchers to analyse the impact of sleepiness on decision-making, reaction times and other key elements of performance.
In addition to several conference presentations world-wide, details of the findings have been presented by the researchers to the European Maritime Safety Agency, the European Parliament's transport committee and delegates at the International Maritime Organisation's standards of training and watchkeeping sub-committee.
As well as the Project's Final Report, the prototype maritime fatigue prediction software, known as MARTHA, is available for free download and use, from the HORIZON project website at: http://www.warsashacademy.co.uk/research/horizon/publications.aspx
For further details, please contact: Graham Clarke, Project Co-ordinator, on
+44 1590 671177 or graham.clarke@inchmery.eu
Posted 2012-05-28 16:01:40
MSE attends ‘Forum Do Mar’ Porto, Portugal
Between 10 and 12 May MSE maintained a booth at the 2nd 'Forum Do Mar' in Portugal. The event was a good opportunity for MSE to promote its own activities and the wider capabilities of the SE UK regional marine sector to an international audience of professionals, scientists, policy makers and the general public.
As a maritime nation the Portuguese government recognises the importance of the European marine sector, demonstrated by a half-day visit to the Forum Do Mar by Aníbal Cavaco Silva, President of the Portuguese Republic.
The exhibition and conference was co-organised by Oceano XXI, the Portuguese national marine sector cluster. Oceano XXI are partners in 'REMCap' (Resource Efficient Maritime Capacity) a new MSE co-ordinated project due to start in November 2012, subject to contract negotiations.
REMCap is to be funded by the European Commission to facilitate interaction and knowledge exchange between 'Regional Research Driven Clusters' (RRDCs). Key actions will generate a shared approach to innovation, stimulate wider involvement of companies and supply chains and engage with other centres of maritime expertise.
