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North-east ports are partners in maritime

[ July 5, 2019   //   Chris ]

A new partnership has been signed between Port of Tyne in Newcastle and PD Ports on Teesside along with car maker Nissan, Connected Places Catapult, Accenture, Royal HaskoningDHV and Ubisoft to create the UK’s first Maritime Innovation Hub.

Partners in the ‘2050 Innovation Hub’ will collaborate to develop solutions to the technological challenges facing the maritime sector and the wider logistics industry nationally and globally. It will be a catalyst for sharing ideas, harnessing research and development, advancing technology and tackling shared challenges.

It is part of the Government’s Maritime 2050 Strategy and it will work closely with the Department for Transport and MarRI-UK to ensure that it delivers for the benefit of the maritime sector as a whole.

Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling visited the Port of Tyne on 4 July to open the 2050 Innovation Hub there. He said: “Ports are vital to the UK’s economy and the Port of Tyne is no different – driving trade and supporting key businesses, such as Tetley and Nissan, to deliver to their consumers.

“The British maritime sector is world famous for driving innovation. The Innovation Hub is a fantastic way to increase efficiency, making the our ports more attractive to businesses at home and abroad as well as ensuring the UK continues to lead the way in maritime technology for decades to come.”

Tyne Chief Executive Matt Beeton, added: “We’re delighted to launch the UK’s first Innovation Hub and welcome the support of all our partners in driving innovation for the benefit not just of the maritime sector, but also the global logistics and supply chain.  It’s important that we harness skills and innovation from all industrial sectors to develop our global proposition and enhance our competitiveness”.

His counterpart at PD Ports, Frans Calje, commented: “Northern Ports need to collaborate with manufacturers and technology partners to increase their global competiveness and rebalance the economy. The 2050 Innovation Hub will enable us to share knowledge and expertise to drive revolutionary change in the maritime industry powered by advancing technologies.”

The Hub also aims to attract more young people into the maritime sector.

Tags: Tyne; PD POrts; Maritime 2050