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          • SMI Team
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          • A Brief History
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            • Donald Maxwell Student Award
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        Newsletter Signup

        Solar Solve’s Trade with France is Increasing Despite UKI

        It would be wrong to say that the UK’s Independence from the EU has not caused Solar Solve any problems at all.  The sudden emergence of mountains of extra paperwork has certainly been daunting for the admin team but they are coming to terms with it, realising that quite often, much of it is not relevant to the particular products or the sectors the company serves.  A good deal of the extra time expended and added trauma experienced by the Solar Solve team, has been due to deciding what to deal with as compulsory and what to ignore as not needed. 

        The dilemma was worsened after being advised of rumours that some huge penalty payments are being bandied about as the result of people or organisations completing their documents incorrectly.  The reality is that they are obviously the exception, and only applied to people/organisations who deliberately try to mislead or ignore initial advice and warnings.

        As expected, some EU countries have caused more problems than others.  The surprise was, which countries actually turned out to be the most difficult.  The South Shields, UK based marine equipment manufacturer, has experienced very few issues with France, post UK Independence and is happy to report that the problems encountered have been minimal, when equated to the huge increase in business it is enjoying with its near-neighbours, compared to 2020.

        During the first 8 months of 2021, the same number of orders were received from French based customers but the total number of screens and blinds supplied was twice as many as were sent there throughout all of 2020.

        John Lightfoot MBE, Solar Solve’s chairman commented:

        “Doubling our turnover to France in only 8 months has been a great achievement.  With around 90% of the products supplied being Solar Solve’s Brand Leading, Type Approved SOLASAFE roller sunscreens, it is even more rewarding for the whole team.”

        “Currently, all of the indicators are pointing towards a really great post Covid-19 recovery for the global marine industry and here at Solar Solve we are already doing our bit and enjoying the benefits if it.”

        Full details of Solar Solve Marine and its product range are available from the company website at www.solasolv.com, email info(at)solasolv.com or by telephone on +44 191 454 8595. 

        News

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        12 May 2026

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        The UK’s maritime engineering, marine science and technology, and business services industries will increasingly need to manage a variety of…

        7 May 2026

        Captain Ben Vickery, Royal Navy, Joins Exail for Mine Warfare Systems Development in the UK

        6 May 2026

        Secretary of State Visits Artemis Technologies as Region Accelerates Delivery of Clean Maritime Innovation

        SEE MORE NEWS

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        12 May
        12 May 2026, 09:30 – 14:00

        Navigating the UK Defence Ecosystem: Opportunities for Marine Science and Technology

        The Society of Maritime Industries' (SMI) Marine Science and Technology Group (MSTG) is running a seminar to provide a high-level overview as to how non-traditional defence suppliers including...
        01 Jun
        1 Jun 2026 – 5 Jun 2026

        POSIDONIA 2026

        Posidonia brings the whole shipping world to its exhibitors. The international shipping community attends in strength with national pavilions and thousands of visitors.
        09 Jun
        9 Jun 2026, 08:30 – 11 Jun 2026, 17:00

        Seawork 2026

        In 2026, we are once again partnering with Seawork, Europe’s largest commercial marine and workboat exhibition, to host a dedicated SMI Hub within the exhibition.
        01 Sep
        1 Sep 2026 – 4 Sep 2026

        SMM 2026 (Shipbuilding, Machinery and Marine Technology trade fair)

        When it comes to meeting up with all the leading protagonists of the global maritime industry, there’s no place like SMM, one of the leading international maritime trade fairs. 
        13 Apr
        13 Apr 2027, 09:00 – 15 Apr 2027, 17:00

        Sea Asia 2027

        SMI will once again organise the UK Group Pavilion at Sea Asia in its role as the official Country Pavilion organiser. The event will return, bigger and bolder on 16-18th March 2027. To register...
        07 Jun
        7 Jun 2027, 09:00 – 11 Jun 2027, 10:00

        NorShipping 2027

        SMI will once again organise the UK Group Pavilion at Nor-Shipping. The event will return, bigger and bolder in 2027. 
        19 Oct
        19 Oct 2027 – 22 Oct 2027

        Kormarine 2027

        Join SMI in the UK Pavilion at Kormarine a leading international marine exhibition held biennially in Busan, South Korea. Kormarine highlights cutting-edge advancements in shipbuilding, maritime...
        SEE MORE Events

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        The Society of Maritime Industries (SMI)

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