In the first 12 months of being housed at the Birkenhead facility more than 2,000 people have come through the door for meetings or to attend one of the 41 business events. Tony McDonough reports

Industry trade body Mersey Maritime says its move into the new Maritime Knowledge Hub a year ago has proved transformational for its profile and engagement.

The organisation was previously based at a training centre next to the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead.

Its new home is a facility owned by Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) in Vanguard Way and and the hub represents a collaboration between the two.

Surge in activity

In the first 12 months more than 2,000 people have come through the door for meetings or to attend one of the 41 business events – double the activity of the previous year.

The hub has provided a focal point for the 200-plus Mersey Maritime members that range from SMEs to large companies such as Peel Ports.

Chief executive Chris Shirling-Rooke said the pace of activity within the hub had already far exceeded first year predictions, and bore out a real demand for the facility.

He said: “Moving into our own premises was always the aim.

“We knew from consultation with our members and public sector partners that demand for a central resource of this type was definitely there, but what we didn’t predict was how much of a catalyst for growth it would turn out to be.

“The hub provides a very visual representation of who we are and the work we’ve been doing for the past 14 years.

New services

“It has allowed us to expand the range of services Mersey Maritime offers to the sector and have the space to make them happen.”

“We are also supporting fast-growth SME businesses by providing office space and tailored business support, all of which is contributing towards making our sector great again.

“By anyone’s standards I think that can be measured as success.”

Central resource

The hub provides a central resource to the maritime industry and related sectors such as energy, manufacturing and offshore oil and gas, for knowledge sharing, research and innovation, training and skills.

World leading simulator-based training suites housed on the top floor are complemented by a busy programme of business network forums, high-level meetings and workshops designed to engage industry and help build strong local supply chains.

Mr Shirling-Rooke added: “The LJMU partnership and our joint occupation of the Maritime Knowledge Hub has brought industry and academia together in a way that directly benefits the sector in and around Liverpool.

“Employers recognise the need to upskill the workforce and to recruit the best young minds into the maritime sector so that we can continue to promote Liverpool as world class centre of excellence.”