LJMU launches Global Centre for Maritime Innovation

Liverpool John Moores University is to bring together its world-leading maritime education, research and innovation through a new global centre.

The university is recognised internationally for its long-standing maritime excellence and expertise, and its contributions to the industry worldwide.

Impactful research, education and training

The LJMU Global Centre for Maritime Innovation will provide new opportunities for collaboration and engagement between academics, external partners and the wider industry to deliver impactful research, education and training.

LJMU’s research supports the global maritime industry to innovate and informs the university’s curriculum to ensure graduates are equipped to take leading roles in the sector.

Professor Mark Power, Vice-Chancellor of LJMU said, "Bringing together our expertise under the banner of the LJMU Global Centre for Maritime Innovation reflects the university’s status as one of the world’s leading academic maritime centres.

The centre will build on LJMU’s reputation for outstanding education, research and innovation.

It will strengthen our links across the industry on a regional, national and international level, ensure our work continues to meet current and future sector requirements, and equip our students for their future careers."

The centre is just the latest development in LJMU’s proud history as a maritime university, having evolved from the UK’s first nautical school in the 1850s; the university was recently appointed to the International Executive Board of the IAMU, the global network of leading maritime universities providing education and training.

The CEO of Maritime UK, Chris Shirling-Rooke, said: "The UK is a world leader within the maritime sector: world-leading innovation, world-leading engineering, with world-leading education. The key of course to all of this are the people, our industry's greatest asset.

"Seeing one of our oldest maritime institutions investing in our future maritime people, something so critical to UK prosperity, is something we can all be proud of and is a further string to the UK’s maritime education bow.”

World-leading maritime research at LJMU

LJMU has an outstanding reputation for producing world-leading maritime research and has business partners across the world. This week, it was announced that the university will lead a new national maritime research and innovation project to drive economic growth.

Maritime Minister Mike Kane MP said: "The UK can proudly boast world-class maritime teaching and training with universities like Liverpool John Moores University leading the way in delivering the very best opportunities for its students.

“This new global centre reinforces Britain as a leader in this space and will help to drive forward the innovation that the sector needs.”

Ruth Wood, Chief Executive of Mersey Maritime, said: “We look forward to continuing our successful partnership with the university through the newly established LJMU Global Centre for Maritime Innovation.

“The maritime sector is one of the great strengths of the Liverpool City Region economy and LJMU’s expertise in education, research and innovation plays a significant part in that. Together we are working with a wide range of partners on key priorities for the sector, such as decarbonisation, digitisation and developing the technologies and skills to ensure the industry continues to thrive here and around the world.”