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With a turnover of £37 billion pa and employing more than a quarter of a million people, the UK has the largest marine sector in Europe. 40% of this sector lies within the South East of England and this is clustered primarily around the Solent Region, the internationally renowned centre of the UK marine industry located in the south of Hampshire.
Key locations
Southampton is home to a world-leading cruise industry worth over £350m per annum to the local economy. The city is also the UK’s number one port for vehicle imports and exports, and the UK’s second largest container terminal. Commercial port and shipping activities are primarily based around Southampton’s Solent River, at Fawley refinery, Hamble oil terminal and various commercial wharves along the Rivers Itchen and Test.Portsmouth Harbour contains several defence establishments; the Navel Base, the armament storage sites at Frater and Bedenham; Fleetlands (used for the repair and maintenance of helicopters), Horsea and Whale island which is used for military training purposes.
These urban areas are surrounded by other more recreational hubs of marine activities in areas such as Lymington, the River Hamble, the rivers Test and Itchen, and in Langstone Harbour.
Sub-sectors
Hampshire supports a wide variety of marine sub-sectors including leisure marine, ship building and repair, underwater technology, marine equipment and maritime services.The sector is dominated by small firms with 95% of marine companies in the South East of England being SMEs. There are a small number of large firms which dominate the sector in employment terms. These are concentrated in sub-sectors like shipbuilding, oil and gas and maritime services.
Many firms have diversified across a number of marine sub-sectors for example marine electronics companies may sell products across the marine defence, ship building and boat building markets.
Industry support
Marine South East is a regional marine initiative developed to address the needs of the marine sector. Its role is to identify projects of strategic importance to the sector’s growth and to support increased economic development of the marine sector.
Hampshire’s marine sector thrives through the economic conditions allowed by strong support from trade bodies, a diverse supply chain and the research facilities, skills and training culminating from the premier maritime university in the UK. The University of Southampton offers a comprehensive range of marine related courses from ship science to marine biology resulting in a skilled local workforce as well as world-leading professional development opportunities.
Southampton Solent University’s Warsash Maritime Academy provides education, training, consultancy and research to the international shipping and off-shore oil industries.
Hampshire Economic Partnership’s Marine Policy Task Group provides a business-driven input into the planning and policy making process surrounding the marine industry. The Cruise Partnership Southampton works to attract and retain cruise passengers to add value to the local economy and the British Marine Federation is the trade association for the leisure and small commercial marine industry.
Events
Hampshire is home to several international marine events including the Southampton Boat Show and Seawork International, the biggest and fastest growing business to business event for the commercial marine and workboat sectors in Europe. Cowes Week, held annually on the Isle of Wight, is the largest sailing regatta of its kind in the world hosting 8,500 competitors and over 100,000 spectators.Marine South East holds regular sector events including networking, training and seminars.
Key facts
The marine sector in the Solent area is valued at £5.5billion a year and provides 25,000 direct jobs.
Related links
Hampshire Economic Partnership Marine Policy Task Group
Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH)
Case study
Event 14th June 2011
"During his visit to Portsmouth, Mr Prisk will also open the inaugural UK Naval Engineering Science & Technology (UK NEST) Careers Day at Portsmouth Naval Base. The event provides the opportunity for a broad range of University Careers Advisors to meet leading Naval Defence companies and to visit major Royal Naval projects including Type 45 Destroyers and the Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier module build facility."
Its quite a useful site from a HCC/Military perspective: https://www.uknest.org/home
Related Article: here
