Plymouth University's state-of-the-art Marine Building is open for business
The new Marine Building positions Plymouth University as a global centre for research, innovation and enterprise in the marine and maritime sectors.
The £19m building houses unmatched wave tank testing facilities in the Coastal Ocean and Sediment Transport (COaST) laboratories, a Marine Navigation Centre complete with state-of-the art ship simulator and electronic chart technology, and a Marine Innovation Centre for international businesses.
With 3000 staff, researchers and students, Plymouth University's Marine Institute is the first and largest institute of its kind in the UK. It represents an extensive pool of world-leading experts whose breadth of marine knowledge and expertise is equal to any, enabling us to understand the relationship between the way we live, the seas that surround us and the development of sustainable policy solutions.
It is a focus for business innovation and growth, knowledge exchange, renewable energy solutions, and practical solutions to help the world adapt to climate change.
COaST Laboratories
The COaST laboratories are unique in providing model testing with combined waves, currents and wind. These capabilities are offered at scales appropriate for device testing, array testing, environmental modelling and coastal engineering.
The facility can generate short and long crested waves in combination with currents at any direction to the waves, sediment dynamics, tidal effects and wind.
The ocean wave basin is 35m long x 15.5m wide x 3m deep, operable at different depths (with a raisable floor) and incorporating 24 flap wave makers of 2.0m hinge depth (in red) and recirculating current both inline and across the waves. The wave makers produce regular waves of up to 0.9m height and current recirculation, of both a long and across the tank. There is also a wind generation facility.
A high-tech suite of instruments that allow detailed and comprehensive acquisition of data include: Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) - laser measurement of flow speed and field, Six Degrees of Freedom video motion capture system for floating structures and 3D Laser scanning for accurate measurement of surfaces. There is also a sediment Wave Flume, 35m long x 0.6 m wide x 0.8m deep.
Marine Navigation Centre
The Marine Navigation Centre provides the cutting-edge resources needed to educate and train a new generation of professional seafarers.
A combination of dedicated systems and flexible teaching space ensures that Plymouth can continue to meet the needs of today's seafarers - whether they are navigating supertankers or super yachts - as well as providing professional development courses for key maritime organisations.
The Marine Navigation Centre uses the world-leading Transas NTPRO 5000 software and comprises: a Full Mission Bridge, two Advanced Ships, six Desktop Ships, 21 type-approved Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS), 9 type-approved RADAR systems, Full AIS, ARPA capability and global coverage with Admiralty Vector Charts.
The Full Mission Bridge re-creates the environment of a real ship navigating the world's oceans. This technically advanced facility enables mariners to perfect their skills on exactly the same systems used at sea, together with a highly detailed visual scene created by advanced computer imaging and projection.
Marine Innovation Centre
The fifth floor houses the Marine Institute and a brand new Marine Innovation Centre (MarIC) set-up to significantly enhance and optimise the flow of knowledge and expertise between Higher Education (HE) and Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs).
The MarIC will proactively target South West businesses, focussing on key Marine segments such as Energy, Manufacturing (including Leisure), Environment and Operations. The MarIC will deliver co-ordinated support for businesses at every stage of development, stimulating innovation by providing access to a range of technology transfer, research, development and testing solutions to increase competitiveness and help firms to become more environmentally friendly.
The key aims for the Marine Innovation Centre are to enhance industrial awareness of, and access to, appropriate knowledge, information, technologies and facilities, increase the uptake, commercialisation and impact of academic research through technology transfer and increase the rate of knowledge transfer and innovation between academia and small businesses.
MarIC will also increase the visibility and recognition of SMEs to local and national government and give confidence to prospective employees considering Marine Sector SMEs as a source of employment.
Growth Acceleration and Investment Network
This new building will ultimately house the headquarters of the Growth Acceleration and Investment Network (GAIN) - the strategic initiative behind its construction.
Backed by £25m of national and regional funding, GAIN is a 'growth hub' that will bring together individuals and businesses in a 'network of networks', supporting and enabling investment, innovation and growth to supercharge the local economy.
GAIN adds value to existing regional assets, from science parks, innovation centres to academic research facilities and expertise, by joining them all up to create a focused and accessible business ecosystem of aspirational businesses and investors.
The five-storey building has been constructed to extremely high standards of sustainability. Built from around 500 tonnes of steel, 4.8 kilometres of cable and 300 cubic metres of recycled aggregate, it boasts special features that make use of solar gain, natural ventilation and rainwater harvesting to cut down on its energy consumption.
Photographs: The Duke of Edinburgh views the Wave Tank during the official opening of the Marine Institute, the exterior of the Marine Institute Building; The Wave Tank in action, The Ship's Bridge simulator and office space. Credit: Russell Lloyd
