Tuesday 5 September 2017

Scotland and Japan team up on underwater research

Scotland and Japan have announced a new agreement to help both countries capitalise on subsea technology opportunities.

Scottish Enterprise and The Nippon Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work together and invest in research and development within the sector.

The projects will predominantly address challenges faced by the Japanese industry, with Scotland using their knowledge and expertise of the marine environment to help develop solutions and provide advice.

Scotland accounts for 14% of the global subsea market, with approximately 370 companies generating an estimated annual turnover of £7.5 billion.

The collaboration will contribute to its plans to capture an even bigger share of the £50 billion global market.

Scottish Enterprise Director of Energy, Maggie McGinlay, said: "We’ve built up our expertise in subsea engineering in the harsh environment of the North Sea and many of the technologies developed here in Scotland have revolutionised the worldwide oil and gas industry.

"This experience and reputation means we are ideally positioned to work with The Nippon Foundation and to support its ambitions for the sector in Japan."