Smart Sound Plymouth receives major financial boost

A new network of high-speed mobile data connectivity off the coast of Plymouth is set to put the city at the very forefront of marine innovation.

Plymouth’s Marine Business Technology Centre (MBTC) has been awarded £1.8 million of grant funding to build a cutting-edge communication system as part of the MBTC’s Smart Sound Plymouth testing and proving ground, known as Smart Sound Connect. This will be the UK’s first 5G testbed for marine innovation, providing high speed communications on the water and connecting the existing network of sensors, which includes scientific data buoy networks and autonomous vessels.

MBTC offers support to businesses in the region working within the marine and maritime sector, facilitating innovation in the industry.

The network will build on the centre’s existing offer, providing high speed connectivity across Plymouth Sound and 20 miles of surrounding coastal waters, covering the entire area of Smart Sound Plymouth. This provides a state-of-the-art platform with military-grade secure connectivity, where businesses and organisations can run trials of new autonomous assets and other facets of innovative marine technology.

Use of Smart Sound Connect will be free to eligible businesses, and gives local marine industry partners the ability to develop and deliver advanced marine technologies. It offers a wealth of possibilities, enabling the development of new technology for smart ports and shipping, clean propulsion, green ports, and environmental management.

“The marine science and maritime industries are vital for Plymouth and so it’s fitting that the Marine Business Technology Centre will use this funding to develop this cutting edge technology, creating new jobs and bringing wider benefits to the region,” says Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government, Simon Clarke MP.

“Securing the funding for this network is a very significant step for the Marine Business Technology Centre and our partners,” says Rob Watson, MBTC Director. “This will be the first 5G testbed focussed purely on smart marine technologies and, with the support of our research partners, we are now able to offer an enhanced end-to-end innovation service that rivals the best in the world.”