Humber maritime group wins share of national coastal towns fund

Iain Butterworth, chair of Humber Marine & Renewables

Amounting to nearly £1m, the Maritime Cluster Development Fund has been divided amongst nine UK maritime clusters and is intended to drive investment and help local businesses through delivery of skills, training and educational programmes.

The funding, which is to be matched by Humber Marine & Renewables’ supporters, will assist in its marketing of the region’s maritime sector as well as enhancing its work with new and existing members through additional business development activity.

Iain Butterworth, chair of Humber Marine & Renewables and director of Butterworth Marine, said he was excited about what could be achieved as a result of the financial boost.

“Our roots are in the Humber’s historic maritime industry, and we have a long history in supporting its development which includes, in recent years, assisting companies to use their unique and valuable skills to diversify into offshore wind.

“This award will significantly augment our ability to provide targeted assistance to this important contributor to the region’s economy and help it shine on the world stage.

“I want to thank our members and supporters for their role in making this happen through match funding and support in kind, with special thanks going to our board member Camilla Carlbom Flinn for her invaluable work in the grant application.”

Humber Marine & Renewables has been instrumental in promoting the region for its expertise in maritime and offshore wind, with many of its members now working in the renewables sector regionally and globally.

It hosts the internationally recognised Offshore Wind Connections conference and, last year, added the Humber Renewables Awards to its portfolio.

The government’s Maritime Minister Mike Kane announced the funding, which is being managed by Maritime UK, and said that the maritime sector was key to unlocking regional economic growth. “The UK is a proud maritime nation, with our coastal communities being vital in unleashing our full potential and unlocking economic growth across the country,” he said.

“By investing in our excellent maritime clusters, we can deliver jobs, skills and training for local communities and turbocharge growth by delivering investment into the sector.”  

The nine clusters receiving funding (incl. allocation breakdown) are:   

• Tees Maritime Cluster (£117,000)  

• Humber Marine & Renewables (£85,000)  

• Short Straits Maritime Cluster (£85,000)  

• Cornwall Marine Network (£124,100)  

• Mersey Maritime (£100,000)  

• Northern Ireland Maritime & Offshore (£100,000)  

• Scottish Maritime Cluster (£85,000)  

• Maritime UK South-West (£85,000)  

• Maritime UK Solent (£85,000)