The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCR CA) and Mersey Maritime are seeking industry engagement and feedback around a new ‘Maritime Innovation Action Framework’ which has been co-produced and in collaboration with a wider group of stakeholders. The draft document has been released to the Mersey Maritime membership for comment, ahead of a likely launch at a major event during the dedicated LCR Innovation Investment fortnight in late May 2025. During this fortnight, Mersey Maritime will hold its first ‘Maritime Innovation Summit’ as part of its Department for Transport supported Navigating Maritime Innovation in the Liverpool City Region project. The summit will feature a dedicated slot to explain further the principles behind this initiative and detail next steps.
Writing to Mersey Maritime members (on behalf of John Whaling, Lead Officer – Innovation & Commercialisation at Liverpool City Region Combined Authority), Simon Eardley, Head of Policy & Innovation at Mersey Maritime, said:
“As you may be aware, Mersey Maritime has been working increasingly closely with the LCR Combined Authority over the last 18 months to raise the profile of the region’s maritime sector and accelerate associated funding and projects, and by representing the industry voice.
One key element of this has been the production of a “LCR Maritime Innovation Action Framework (MIAF)”. This is a short, dynamic, high level, strategic document designed to plant a flag for our maritime sector by bringing together and profiling headline priorities and activities across 5 themes and subordinate key workstreams, rather than reference every organisation or set out every single project in a detailed action plan. This will in turn be used to help properly position maritime in the evolving LCR Local Growth Plan linked to the new national Industrial Strategy, plus Cluster Action Plans, and to help attract funding and investment to our region. It also sits within the wider context of the LCR being genuinely at the forefront of UK place-based innovation and associated devolution.
The CA and Mersey Maritime are now very keen to get industry input into any/all aspects of the document to provide rigour to the contents plus show support for its strategic intent. The aim is to launch it at our high profile Navigating Maritime Innovation in the Liverpool City Region event on 20 May during LCR Innovation Investment Fortnight (12-23 May). We would therefore be very grateful if you could provide any feedback or detailed comments to innovation@merseymaritime.co.uk by close of play on Tuesday 06 May at the latest.”
Mersey Maritime members were issued the above note and a copy of the draft document on Tuesday 29thApril 2025. Its key themes are areas of focus include:
- Sector Development & Commercialisation
- Port & Maritime Digitalisation
- Port & Maritime Decarbonisation
- Inspiration & Skills
- Policy, Profile & Partnerships
Find out more about the Mersey Maritime Innovation Summit, and register to attend, here: https://merseymaritime.co.uk/events/mersey-maritime-innovation-summit/
