Cornish Marine Industry Riding Crest of Wave

Cornish Marine Industry Riding Crest of Wave

Cornwall’s coastline, at 433 miles, is the longest of any U.K. county – so it’s not surprising that its marine sector is one of the most dynamic in the country. In a speech to an annual business seminar, Adam Corney, executive director of Marine South West, described the work of the Cornish Marine Network, one of four such networks in the South West. He said that the success of the network was one of the main reasons why this sector was singled out to receive continued support under Convergence funding, the successor to Objective One funding.

He explained that the mission for Marine South West which was founded in 2000 and is mainly funded by the South West Regional Development Agency, was that "by 2010 the marine industry in the South West will be regarded as the most competitive, innovative and coherent region in Europe".

He went on to say that "In the South West as a whole the marine sector is worth around £1 billion, encompasses 2,700 businesses and employs 32,000 individuals. In Cornwall it supports some 14,000 jobs and one in 7 jobs in the U.K. marine sector is now in Cornwall, with the county accounting for 8% of the U.K.’s marine sector turnover. That’s a fantastic achievement and I’m confident that Cornwall will become one of the most competitive marine regions in Europe".

Falmouth is the centre of the industry in Cornwall with 181 businesses (42% of the county total) and almost 3,000 jobs being located in or around the town.

Cornwall has 5,000 Marina berths, all occupied, and the county hosts up to 45,000 visiting yacht nights per year.

Business and management are the sector’s most needed skills according to a University of Plymouth survey.