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Industry heavyweight praises Marine Design Centre

The man set to run the UK’s biggest shipbuilding company has praised the Marine Design Centre in Newcastle for its approach to the skills issue threatening the growth of the industry in the North East. Alan Johnston CBE, soon to be Chief Executive of BVT Surface Fleet, a joint venture between BAE Systems and VT Shipbuilding, made his comments while speaking at the Marine Design Centre.

BVT Surface Fleet is set to be the biggest shipbuilder in the UK and will be involved in the design and construction of two new aircraft carriers to be built for the UK Government.

Mr Johnston said: “We need to build a sustainable industry and a strong supply chain that has an abundance of skilled people capable of utilising new technologies.

“I am very impressed by the Marine Design Centre and its ambition to support the marine sector in the region so that it is fully capable of meeting the challenges and, most importantly, the opportunities that it faces now and in the future. If it can help provide solutions to issues such as training and skills, recruitment into the sector and the best use of new technologies then it will provide great service to the North East and the sector it promotes.

David Hewitt, Director of the Marine Design Centre, said: “Alan Johnston’s comments about the industry reflect the issues that many of our members keep reinforcing when we meet with them.

“There are great opportunities throughout the globe not just in the defence sector but in commercial shipping, oil and gas and renewable energy and North East companies are in an exceptionally good position to take advantage. The region is once again becoming a real international force in the marine sector and we need to ensure we have the resource to take advantage of each and every opportunity.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .