New maritime technical advice centre

The centre is a collaboration and joint investment between defence technology and security experts, QinetiQ, and the UK Ministry of Defence.

Although the centre will focus mainly on supporting security for the defence industry, it will also support elements of the merchant fleet and help serve the growing offshore renewable energy sector. It will offer advice, assessment and analysis in the continual drive to improve safety and safeguard against terrorism.

Sarah Kenny, managing director of QinetiQ Maritime, said: “Every ship and every energy production platform at sea generates ‘noise’, be it audible, vibration, electrical, radar or magnetic. Running engines, operating standard equipment, passage through water, generating electricity or pumping oil – all these create a detectable signature.”

She explained that this noise signature can be thought of as a measure of wasted energy and increased wear and tear. To maintain effective capability therefore, “operational units must sustain high levels of signature hygiene.”

The new centre will provide the space, the information and the means to provide effective “signature management.”