SMMI has a number of strategic partnerships with key organisations. Typically these are based on longer term visions of collaboration to achieve specific goals. They comprise a series of key activities that are regularly reviewed.
The University’s collaboration with Lloyd’s Register goes back over 40 years. Beginning from initial discussions about sail design it has grown into a major campus sharing co-location, the largest university – business collaboration in the UK. The close relationship led to the creation of SMMI.
The University of Southampton and Shell Shipping & Maritime have launched the Centre for Maritime Futures which will bring together university and industry partners to transform the energy shipping industry to be safer, cleaner and more efficient. The Centre has received a gift of £1.5m from Shell Shipping & Maritime, the largest corporate gift in the University’s history. Drawing on the extensive expertise in maritime research in both institutions and using ground-breaking digital and technological advances, the Centre will play a vital role in delivering the UN International Maritime Organisation’s goal to reduce greenhouse emissions from international shipping by 50 percent by 2050.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the University of Southampton which will link research projects to top level work with design, manufacturer and operation of autonomous ships and emissions reduction.
Students from the University will be able to benefit from training, internships and PhD placements at the MCA, and staff from the MCA will be guest speakers at the University on courses related to marine design and engineering.
The University has an Advanced Technology Partnership (ATP) with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution that involves many of SMMI’s members. Developed in 2001 on the back a relationship spanning twenty years, the ATP delivers a range of projects that keep the two organisations fully engaged in research, development and innovation.
Developing a better understanding the oceans is the basis for our collaboration with the National Oceanography Centre. The Centre is a government owned research organisation that has had very close links with academics and researchers from the University’s Ocean and Earth Sciences department for many years. Co-located at the Waterfront Campus in Southampton the relationship covers all aspects of marine science as well as key innovations such as autonomous systems.