Solent Maritime Innovation Gateway

Click to read about Solent's Maritime Innovation Strength

Click here to see the Solent Maritime Innovation: Ecosystem Map that sets out the region's maritime assets, innovators, researchers, and relevant organisations from both the public and private sector.

About the Solent

As the nation's global gateway, with 340 miles of coastline, three islands, three peninsulas, three major international gateway ports, and an emerging freeport, the Solent boasts a rich maritime heritage and is home to world-leading maritime organisations, leading the way in emerging disruptive technologies, including regulators, researchers, defence primes and large technology companies. We are also home to leading consultancies, innovators, SMEs boat builders and manufacturers.

In a fast-changing world, the maritime sector is facing several changes - the transition to unlocking net zero, strengthening resilience, driving efficiency and digital transformation. These challenges create significant opportunities for innovators in the Solent to coordinate activity and build on the Solent’s position as a global leader in maritime innovation.

How it works?

The Solent Maritime Innovation Gateway is a ground-breaking collaboration introduced by Maritime UK Solent, the Solent Maritime Enterprise Zone and Connected Places Catapult. The Gateway will coordinate the region's exceptional business ecosystem and leverage its unique elements and wealth of existing activity to ensure the Solent maximises its potential on the global stage.

The Solent Maritime Innovation Gateway will be accessible through the Maritime UK Solent website to help connect the Solent's innovators, researchers and businesses.

We work with existing clusters to ensure that coherence is achieved; that the digital platform reflects the true extent of the facilities available, recognising and advertising business support across the complex innovation system. We ask stakeholders to help build the vision, share knowledge, industry challenges and opportunities to support Solent businesses to utilise their entrepreneurial flair to enable the Solent to exploit its strengths and its unique selling points to attract inward investment.