Babcock innovation zone judges wowed at UDT 2018
On day two of the Undersea Defence Technology conference and exhibition in Glasgow, each company in the Babcock Innovation Zone ‘pitched’ its ideas to a specially convened judging panel comprising George Zvara, Director of International Coordination, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Tanya Price, Marketing Manager, Drumgrange and Dominic Anderson, DST Engineering Director, Babcock. The companies had a short time to impress the judges with their innovative designs and concepts before Copenhagen Subsea A/S was chosen as the winner.
The Babcock Innovation Zone has provided a unique platform for 11 start-ups and small business to showcase their innovations. The specially commissioned technology exhibition space provided an opportunity for SME’s to engage with delegates in the highly competitive underwater market with the technology space enthusiastically received in its inaugural year.
Allan Nygard Bertelsen, Managing Director at Copenhagen Subsea A/S said: “The Babcock Innovation Zone really has been a great opportunity for us to profile our business. There has been a lot of interest from a range of potential users and as a growing and ambitious business – it has been a fantastic experience for us. Winning the trophy for best pitch has topped the show off.”
The judges commented that Copenhagen Subsea’s ‘silent’ thruster – which has no gearbox or oil inside, with lubricant provided solely by surrounding seawater – was a unanimous choice due to the different approach to product development taken by the company. The panel recognised the sustainability of the product in the marine environment, adding that it was a very neat solution and fully ticked the box on innovation.
The trophy was presented by Jim Sibson, Head of Research and Partnerships at Babcock.
The companies taking part in the Babcock Innovation Zone at UDT 2018 were:
› Copenhagen Subsea A/S
› pureLiFi
› SeaGard
› Centre for Marine Biofouling and Corrosion
› Rawwater
› Olsen Subsea Controls
› Nednano
› Kahootz
› Joost Engines
› Inductosense
› RS Aqua
