Minister tours ‘vital’ Maritime Knowledge Hub

A focus of the Minister’s visit was the Maritime Knowledge Hub, an architectural beacon at the heart of the Wirral Waters development which will provide a national base for marine engineering research and development and survival training as well as business accelerator space for the marine sector. The Maritime Knowledge Hub, a partnership project with Peel L&P, Mersey Maritime, Universities, leading industry figures and Wirral Council, presents a fantastic opportunity to develop jobs and skills in the growing maritime sector.

Maritime Minister Nusrat Ghani said:

“I was delighted to visit Wirral Waters and the Maritime Knowledge Hub this week.

“A key part of growing our world class maritime industry is its people, and the Maritime Knowledge Hub will be vital in training the next generation of mariners and ensuring our industry continues to thrive.”

Richard Mawdsley, Development Director Wirral Waters who was part of the delegation that met with the Minister, commented on the visit:

“The pioneering regeneration we are undertaking at Wirral Waters will act as a catalyst for the growth of the UK’s maritime sector. The Wirral has a proud heritage as a gateway to the world’s oceans and the development of the Maritime Knowledge Hub will continue that heritage long into the future. The Maritime Knowledge Hub presents a fantastic opportunity for job creation at economic growth locally and nationally. I’m very pleased that the Minister was able to see for herself how the investments Peel L&P are making are already having a tremendously positive impact upon the Liverpool City Region and beyond.”

Chris Shirling-Rooke, Chief Executive of Mersey Maritime, said:

“Right from the outset, Mersey Maritime has backed this project which has the potential to have a transformational impact on the former dockland area of Birkenhead. We know the maritime industry is the driving powerhouse for jobs and growth in our region and the future will see this trend continue. Realising the vision for the next phase of the Maritime Knowledge Hub project is so important for our sector locally. We were delighted to be able to help facilitate showcasing the site to the Maritime Minister today.”

Leader of Wirral Council, Cllr Pat Hackett, also met the Minister on the visit, and said: “This is an incredibly innovative project which capitalises on the maritime strengths of Birkenhead and the Liverpool city region. The range of partners who have come together to bring the Maritime Knowledge Hub to fruition shows the amazing opportunity this represents and highlights the unique importance of this sector to Wirral’s past, present and future.

Simon Reid, Head of Advanced Manufacturing for the Liverpool City Region, said “The Maritime Sector plays a key role for the Liverpool City Region, with the industry estimated to have driven almost 8,000 jobs and £650 million GVA in the LCR in 2017. The Growth Platform are keen to develop a strong working relationship with Mersey Maritime, its partners and Central Government as part of the Maritime 2050 strategy, providing an opportunity to drive economic and social benefits for this great region.”