Appledore Clean Maritime Innovation Centre
A research and development space for next generation sustainable maritime initiatives.
Scheduled to open in 2026 and funded, in part by £15.6m from The Levelling Up Fund, the new Appledore Clean Maritime Innovation Centre will provide a regional focal point for maritime innovation activity across the Celtic Sea and beyond.
Clean maritime refers to the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and minimising the environmental impact of maritime activities. The Centre will establish research and development space for the next generation of maritime initiatives in line with the Department for Transport's 2025 Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy.
The Appledore Clean Maritime Innovation Centre is intended to support innovation in fields including clean propulsion, maritime cyber security, aquaculture, autonomous (unmanned) vessels and environmental intelligence.
The Centre will provide workshops and office spaces with direct access to the Taw-Torridge Estuary via a 100m quay wall and slipway improvements, enabling businesses to move fluidly between the building and the water.
The Centre is set to bring benefits to the area including the creation of skilled jobs, a range of partnerships with industry at local, national and international levels, and modern office and workshop space for research and development by both new and established businesses including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The maritime sector has played such an important part of the region's history, and this project is seen as a real opportunity to move Appledore and the wider region into a national maritime future. By creating visible, high-quality activity the centre aims to provide a source of inspiration for young people in the process and to stimulate genuine economic benefits for the wider community, the planet and to support businesses to grow, creating both profit and wider social value. The project will also work with schools and education providers to build excitement around these new opportunities and to inspire learners to become the next generation of workforce for the industry.
