A few weeks ago, after a long-standing invitation and many conversations in Westminster, I was really pleased to welcome Maritime Minister Keir Mather MP to Southampton to see first-hand the strength, innovation and ambition of our maritime sector.
Since being elected, one of my priorities has been making sure Southampton’s maritime industries have a strong voice in Westminster. Our city is home to one of the country’s busiest ports, world-leading research and innovation, and thousands of skilled workers whose expertise supports jobs and trade right across the UK.
But sometimes the best way to make that case is simply to get Ministers here and show them what is happening on the ground.
Seeing maritime innovation in Woolston
We began the visit at Ocean Infinity in Woolston, where the Minister was able to see how robotics, software, autonomous vessels and remote technology are already transforming the way work is carried out at sea.
From its Southampton base, Ocean Infinity supports operations around the world across sectors including offshore energy, defence, science and government.
What struck me about the visit was that this is not technology that might change maritime in ten or twenty years’ time. It is already happening here in Southampton.
Ocean Infinity’s Operations Centre allows specialists based on land to support offshore operations thousands of miles away. During the visit, the Minister was even able to take control of an underwater remotely operated vehicle working off the coast of Norway.
This technology has enormous potential. It can reduce the number of people who need to work in hazardous offshore environments, improve efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of operations at sea, while creating entirely new highly skilled roles here on shore.
It is exactly the sort of innovation that demonstrates why Southampton is so well placed to lead the next generation of Britain’s maritime economy.
Investment at the Port of Southampton
I then joined the Minister at DP World at the Port of Southampton, following the arrival of the first two of four new quay cranes.
These are the largest quay cranes in Europe and represent another major investment in the future of the Port.
Southampton plays a vital role in UK trade, connecting businesses across the country with global markets. Increasing the Port’s handling capacity will help it respond to growing demand and ensure Southampton remains one of the UK’s most important international gateways.
Seeing the scale of that investment up close was another reminder of just how significant our city is to the national economy.
Unlocking port electrification
The visit was also another opportunity for me to raise directly with the Minister an issue I have been campaigning on since being elected: the need to unblock the barriers to electrification at the Port of Southampton.
We already have businesses, researchers and workers here with the ambition and expertise to lead the transition towards cleaner maritime.
But we need the electricity infrastructure to match that ambition.
Securing the power capacity the Port needs would allow Southampton to go much further on shore power and the electrification of port operations, helping ships and equipment reduce their reliance on fossil fuels.
For Southampton, this is about more than cutting carbon. It means cutting pollution locally, supporting cleaner shipping, attracting new investment and creating high-quality green jobs for the future.
That is why I have continued to raise this with Ministers, the Port, the energy network and other partners. I want to see the barriers removed so that Southampton can get on with delivering.
Southampton should be leading
The visit brought together two sides of the same story.
At Ocean Infinity, we saw the technology and skills that are already changing how the maritime industry operates. At the Port, we saw major investment strengthening Southampton’s position as a gateway for UK trade.
Our opportunity now is to bring those strengths together and make Southampton one of the leading centres for the next generation of maritime technology, decarbonisation and jobs.
That means backing our innovative businesses, investing in skills, ensuring regulation keeps pace with new technology and delivering the infrastructure our Port needs to decarbonise.
I’ll keep making that case in Westminster and bringing Ministers to Southampton to see what our city has to offer.
Southampton shouldn’t simply be part of Britain’s maritime future. We should and already do lead it.