A Brief History

The origins of the Society of Maritime Industries (SMI) go back to the 1960s.  The UK marine equipment suppliers were then experiencing unprecedented reductions in demand for their products and services as the commercial shipyards faced a huge drop off in orders when the market for such ships shifted to the Far East, in particular Japan.  Recognising this market shift a group of equipment suppliers decided to form a dedicated association to promote its products overseas and lobby the UK government for support in its export ambitions.

Thus in 1966 the British Marine Equipment Council (BMEC) came into being.  The first office was hosted by Marine Progress & Research Ltd at 12 Devonshire Square in the City of London, and they provided the first Director-General, Donald Maxwell.  The first subscription was set at a flat 25 guineas per annum with a joining fee of a further 20 guineas.

As more companies joined BMEC and were involved with a broader range of markets it was decided during the 1970s to create four divisions with the names Naval, Fishing, Offshore and Safety.  In April 1978 these divisions were given formal direct representation on the BMEC Board and in October 1979 it was decided to evolve the division concept further by the formation of a Commercial Marine Division which held its inaugural meeting on 21 May 1980.

Concurrently with this, late in December 1979, it was proposed that the divisions should be named associations with the intention of applying the new names from 1 October 1980.  The names of these divisions were:

• British Naval Equipment Association (BNEA)
• British Offshore Equipment Association (BOEA)
• British Merchant Marine Equipment Association (BMMEA)
• British Workboat Equipment Association (BWEA)
• British Fishing and Small Vessel Equipment Association
• There was even a proposal to consider forming in the future:
• British Nautical Instrument Trade Association (BNITA)
• British Ports and Terminals Equipment Association (BPTEA)

The catalyst for this idea came from early discussions with the Association of British Offshore Industries, then a separately run organisation, which was determining its future and considering a merger with the Offshore Division within BMEC.  Subsequently the merger of the BOEA and ABOI took place in December 1982 and ABOI became one of BMEC’s associations.  The demands of the sector to be represented led BMEC to expand its scope further and, responding to demands to raise standards in clearing up marine oil spills, created the British Oil Spill Control Association (BOSCA) in April 1981 and, subsequently, a contract with the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) to undertake accreditation of oil spill contractors and the maintenance of a register which could be accessed by public bodies responsible for spills under their jurisdiction.

During the next two decades BMEC expanded its portfolio of maritime trade fairs and managed the UK pavilions at all the major global industry events in association with the UK government, administering trade promotion grants for SMEs exhibiting on those pavilions.  Furthermore, BMEC managed trade missions to all the major markets to ensure that exporting companies had access to the many opportunities which were emerging.  These activities became a core offer in the promotion of UK companies overseas and remains so to this day. 

Over the turn of the millennium discussions took place on a potential merger between BMEC and the Shipbuilders and Shiprepairers Association (SSA).  It was envisaged that a new organisation called the Society of Maritime Industries (SMI) would be formed incorporating the two legacy trade associations.  Late in 2000 these discussions foundered, although the BMEC board decided to push ahead with the creation of SMI on its own and advertised for a new chief executive to pursue this objective.

On 15 July 2001, SMI was officially launched at an all-day event on board the RV Triton, an experimental trimaran two-thirds the size of a frigate.  Moored alongside HMS Belfast the futuristic vessel, which was designed by QinetiQ and built by Vosper Thorneycroft, proved to be a big draw from across Whitehall and industry.  The television and radio presenter, Jeremy Vine, was master of ceremonies and the keynote opening address was given by Brian Wilson MP, Minister of State for Industry and Energy at the Department for Trade and Industry.  Later in the day Lord ‘Willy’ Bach, Minister for Defence Procurement also visited the ship signifying the strong links SMI would develop with these two government departments.

The next decade saw many changes within SMI as it cemented its position as the representative industry body for engineering and technology in the maritime sector.  The Ports and Terminals Group (PTG), which had been affiliated to BMEC since its inception in the 1990s, was brought fully under the umbrella of SMI and its members could enjoy the benefits it brought in the synergies with the other associations within SMI.  A further development occurred in 2004, when the Association of Marine Scientific Industries (AMSI) decided to join SMI providing a further expansion of the SMI’s remit, which subsequently attracted the major academic institutions to SMI’s membership.

The highly successful series of SMI conferences was inaugurated in 2004 and was expertly chaired from its inception until 2019 by the indefatigable Rear Admiral Terry Loughran CB.  The conference attracted the highest echelons of government and industry and became the industry’s premier networking event, taking place in many iconic locations around the UK.  Undoubtedly the highlight came in 2017 when HRH The Princes Royal opened the conference at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth and, furthermore, delegates were entertained by a performance of the Royal Marine Band on the parade ground with the sun setting over the River Dart.

As the status of SMI grew not only within the UK but also overseas, the board determined that a more fitting headquarters office was needed and, as the lease on its home for 25 years south of the River Thames was coming to an end, in August 2008 SMI was able to secure an appropriate suite of offices in Threadneedle Street in the heart of the City of London.  The new home became a great success with members who could book the free use of the boardroom to meet their clients, particularly from overseas, and also enabled SMI to host a number of foreign government ministers in its smart new surroundings.
Just as in the early days of BMEC, SMI recognised the need to respond to changes in the market place and provide avenues for member collaboration to seek out new business opportunities.  In 2009 a new specialist group came into existence named Maritime Security and Safety Group (MSSG).  Then in 2016 the increasing development of autonomy in a wide range of maritime activities prompted the creation of the Maritime Autonomous Systems Group, which was received enthusiastically across all areas of the membership.

Subsequently early in 2018 it was decided to rationalise and rename some of the business interest groups in SMI to Offshore Industries Group, Marine Science & Technology Group, Commercial Marine Group, Maritime Defence & Security Group, Maritime Autonomous Systems Group, and Ports & Terminals Group.  However, the evolution did not stop there and at the end of 2018, the Board agreed to the creation of a Digital Technology Group to meet the ever expanding importance of data management and at the same time other business interest groups absorbed the activities associated with offshore industries, allowing the Offshore Industries Group to lapse.

After more than half a century, SMI is recognised as the leading trade association for all UK based companies involved with the business of maritime science, engineering and technology and will continue to evolve as the needs of its members change in response to the global maritime market. 

John C Murray OBE
SMI Chief Executive 2001-2020