We’ve read the headlines, perhaps even attended February’s launch, but how is the CEO of Britain’s shiny new National Subsea Research Institute going to actually make this bold ambition happen?
“It is already happening and the fact is that, although we launched this in February, we’ve been working to this end over the past five or six years,” says Aberdeen University vice principal Albert Rodger, who has the task of leading the new institute on behalf of the Northern Research Partnership – Aberdeen, The Robert Gordon and Dundee universities.
By that he means that the trio, and especially the Granite City’s two universities, have been building up their energy-related academic human capital – growing the professorial head count and doctoral head counts.
“What we have now is a workforce that is able to engage seriously with the needs of industry,” Professor Rodger told Energy.
“It’s absolutely clear that what we’re setting up here is ‘the’ UK national institute for research in subsea.
“Although we have as founding members the universities of Dundee, Robert Gordon and Aberdeen, we expect to engage with all universities that wish to become involved.
“We’ll be having a number of discussions throughout the UK to that end.
“Not only that, though we’re saying it’s the national institute, it is, in fact, internationally connected.”
An aspect of the NSRI that causes confusion is that it is located on the Aberdeen University campus rather than neutral territory.
The trick will be that the three universities work equitably, and that is something that Prof Rodger is very well aware of.
“What we have is an institute that will conduct its business through facilities of the member universities (plus through associate Singapore University), although the administrative headquarters are here. Of course, the reason why the NSRI is located in Aberdeen is because much of the subsea sector is. In fact, the mistake would be to think that this is the universities’ institute. It isn’t, it is the industry’s.
“Remember, the idea didn’t come from the universities. It came from Subsea UK – from a need perceived within the industry – and we’ve been really careful to set this up to make sure that it is industry’s institute. As a consequence, it’s demand-led.
“David Pridden (formerly CEO of Subsea UK) was one of the key people behind setting up the NSRI.
“We’ve had huge support from Subsea UK, also Scottish Enterprise, which has put in money. Partnership is really important.
“I have to say, too, that there has been almost evangelical support from the industry, and that is reflected by the fact that, although we’re only a few months old, we’ve got a range of member companies already signed up to subscriptions.”
Prof Rodger explained that the so-called Subsea Technology Advisory Group, comprising 20 companies and which includes ITF (Industry Technology Facilitator), will be setting the national programme to be delivered by the academics, both within universities and utilising the resources of member companies as appropriate.
He added that the industry also had open access facilities such as the UK’s National Hyperbaric Centre and flow-loop in Aberdeen, plus the geotechnical centrifuge in Dundee.
All this adds up to a powerful capability and Prof Rodger expects it to be further reinforced by international links with other universities and share academics.
“There are other institutes out there and it’s our aim to partner as appropriate. I mentioned Singapore, but we have professors in joint appointments with key universities around the world that can act as links into these other institutes.
“So what we want to do is to make sure that we are appropriately partnering in order to take forward the research objectives.”
The spider’s web of relationships already extends into ultra-deepwater specialist Brazil, which has done so much to pioneer subsea technologies, and Prof Rodger believes that the NSRI is pushing at open doors worldwide. Moreover, he perceives some situations where academics can get through some doors more easily than subsea corporates.
“There’s huge strength in universities working together in collaboration … almost joint venturing in a similar way to industry. Indeed, what we’re creating through the institute is a joint venture between international universities and industry.”