UK Maritime Regions Network launches with Humber buy-in to strengthen collaboration across coastal economies

HUMBER CALL: A vessel leaves Port of Immingham. ABP/ Karl Andre Photography

The Humber is part of a significant national collaboration launching on World Maritime Today.

It is one of 11 founding clusters uniting to establish the UK Maritime Regions Network (UKMRN) - a new forum designed to amplify regional maritime intelligence and strengthen a joined-up approach across vital coastal communities.

Humber Marine and Renewables is the organisation spearheading the move in the region, supporting its members in doing so. They now have a voice alongside representatives from Cornwall, Isle of Man, Mersey, Northern Ireland, North Yorkshire, Scotland, the Short Straits, Solent, the South West, and Tees. 

Stuart Baker, chief executive of Maritime Solent, has been elected as the inaugural chair of the UK Maritime Regions Network. He said: “The UK’s coastal regions are home to extraordinary maritime strengths, innovation assets, and communities whose contribution is vital to the national economy. By bringing together the 11 regional maritime clusters, the UK Maritime Regions Network provides a simple and effective way to share insight, compare challenges, and highlight opportunities emerging across the country.

“We look forward to working collaboratively with national bodies, Government, and industry partners wherever regional perspectives can add value. This is about ensuring that the voices, strengths, and realities of the UK’s coastal economies are visible, coherent, and easy to access.”

The network provides a simple mechanism for bringing together work already undertaken within each region, offering a coherent route to grounded, place-based maritime intelligence from across the UK. Each cluster represents the full spectrum of activity, working daily with allied industries, academia, local government and skills providers.

It will also complement existing national maritime organisations by providing an efficient way to connect with the regional clusters simultaneously, aiding access to a combined perspective on common issues. 

Four priorities for the first year have been set. These are: 

• Engagement with Government and national maritime bodies, providing a structured route to regional maritime insight.

• Aggregating network data to evidence collective reach across industry, academia and coastal communities.

• Showcasing regional economic impact data to demonstrate the contribution of maritime activity to productivity, employment and innovation.

• Delivering a national ‘This is My Maritime’ careers campaign, featuring young people in diverse maritime roles.

Region-specific engagement will continue to be led by individual cluster organisations, ensuring that local strengths, needs, and priorities remain at the forefront.

Dave Dawson, stakeholder manager at Humber Marine and Renewables, said: “The Humber is home to the UK’s largest port complex, with the diverse maritime cluster spanning logistics, shipping, engineering, manufacturing and other support services, as well the country’s pre-eminent offshore wind cluster with world-leading operations and maintenance capability. 

“What makes the Humber particularly valuable to the UK Maritime Cluster Network is the way these sectors connect, with many maritime businesses also supporting offshore wind and wider energy supply chains, creating opportunities to share expertise and collaborate on skills, careers, innovation, supply chain development and resilience across the network.”