UK Maritime Innovation Hub
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Department plans to publish an evaluation of the UK Maritime Innovation Hub after its first year of operation.
Answered by Department for Transport
My officials at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s UK Maritime Innovation Hub (UKMIH) regularly engage with maritime technology developers, ports, shipowners, universities, research organisations and other maritime stakeholders.
Establishment of the Hub was set out in Government's Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy in March 2025, and the Hub was launched in April 2026. Since then, discussions have focused on improving access to early regulatory engagement and helping organisations understand the regulatory requirements and potential approval pathways relevant to emerging maritime technologies. The Hub provides a clear point of contact for innovators, facilitates engagement between industry and regulators, and supports organisations seeking to undertake safe trials and demonstrations.
The Hub also helps organisations engage effectively with major government funding programmes, including my Department’s UK SHORE Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) and the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) fund, and signposts organisations to other opportunities, including the Transport Research and Innovation Grants (TRIG) programme.
Engagement with ports and shipowners has included discussion of the regulatory considerations associated with innovative technologies, opportunities for trials and demonstrations, and collaboration between industry, government and regulators. Discussions with universities and research organisations have included collaboration on emerging technologies, access to specialist expertise and research capabilities, the development and testing of innovative solutions, and improving understanding of the regulatory environment in areas including decarbonisation, autonomy, digitalisation and nuclear propulsion.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency records enquiries, meetings and wider stakeholder engagement undertaken through the Hub. To date, the Hub has logged 299 enquiries and engagement with 242 organisations.
The total cost of establishing and operating the UK Maritime Innovation Hub to date is £314,453.
The Department for Transport and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency keep the effectiveness of the Hub under review as it continues to develop. There are currently no plans to publish a separate evaluation following its first year of operation. Its performance is monitored through operational and stakeholder engagement measures, including demand for support, the effective coordination of regulatory engagement, timely access to relevant expertise, and its contribution to supporting organisations developing innovative maritime technologies.
The Hub’s performance is formally assessed through four Key Performance Indicators, which are reported through the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Annual Report and Accounts.
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