Mersey Maritime is delighted to announce the appointment of Paul Tallon as its new Innovation Manager, a role specifically intended to help deliver its Navigating Maritime Innovation in the Liverpool City Region project. Officially launched in February 2025, this project, which is funded by the Department for Transport’s Maritime Cluster Development Fund, with support from industry, is bringing a dedicated focus on maritime innovation in the region and helping to unlock existing and new opportunities around the themes of decarbonisation, digitisation and future skills.
The Innovation Manager role is dedicated resource to help co-ordinate and exploit innovation opportunities within the Liverpool City Region and wider North-West and will see delivery of a comprehensive maritime innovation asset mapping database, bring industry partners together for focused tech and innovation themed events and build connections between potential consortia partners within the Mersey Maritime membership and wider stakeholders.
Paul Tallon brings over a decade of experience working at the intersection of innovation, advanced manufacturing, and place-based economic development. Most recently, he led the Liverpool City Region Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Network, driving increased R&D activity, strategic investment, and sector-wide knowledge sharing. As a member of the LCRCA Advanced Manufacturing Priority Board, he has contributed to shaping regional infrastructural strategy. With his background spanning both public and private sectors, Paul is passionate about translating capability into real-world impact—supporting businesses to overcome challenges and unlock opportunities through collaboration and innovation.
Chief Executive of Mersey Maritime, Ruth Wood, commented:
“We have made great strides already this year with the delivery of our Navigating Maritime Innovation in the LCR project. The appointment of Paul as Innovation Manager is a key milestone in the project delivery and will propel its activity forward with renewed vigour in the months ahead. We know our industry is keen to play its part in responding to the strategic challenges of decarbonisation and digitisation in the sector. We have some fantastic innovative maritime businesses already in this region, but there has often been limited co-ordination of knowledge and understanding of the full range of assets and innovation activity that is taking place. As Innovation Manager, Paul will help bring the sector together in a clear and joined up way in the months ahead. We are very much looking forward to delivering this focused activity further over the next year.”
Commenting on his appointment, Paul said:
“I’m thrilled to be joining Mersey Maritime as Innovation Manager at such a pivotal moment for the sector. There’s huge potential in the region, and I’m excited to work with partners to map capability, attract investment, and strengthen the maritime innovation ecosystem. Liverpool has always been a hotbed of maritime excellence and innovation – it’s time for this sector to re-emerge as a critical piece in the region’s future economic growth.”
Simon Eardley, Head of Policy and Innovation at Mersey Maritime said:
“Unlocking innovation opportunities is a key factor in the delivery of regional economic growth, helping to revitalise our coastal communities and ensure local entrepreneurs maximise the potential of their ideas to drive jobs and investment into the sector. Mersey Maritime members have told us this is a major priority for them, not least as government, both regionally and nationally, focuses on the potential maritime has to delivery on key missions to help build the UK economy. With maritime decarbonisation an essential component of the drive to delivering net zero by 2050, we will use this role and Paul’s activity within it to gain a greater understanding of existing maritime innovation in the region, what future opportunities are on the horizon and make connections between industry, academia and government to maximise funding rounds that lie ahead.”
Find out more and get involved in Mersey Maritime’s innovation project here: https://merseymaritime.co.uk/innovation/
