The Marine Technology Trust has appointed new Trustees as the charity looks to scale its support and work with students in the fields of naval architecture, marine engineering, boat building and offshore renewables.
The Trust currently funds internships for 10 UK based students every year, chosen from the International Boat Building Training College and the Universities of Plymouth, Strathclyde, Southampton and Newcastle.
Since 2005, 67 different companies and organisations have accommodated students on placements funded by the Marine Technology Trust. The charity is now looking to expand the scale and size of the awards it makes, with a plan to prioritise the transition of the marine industry to digitalisation, clean shipping, automation and decarbonisation.
The three new Trustees appointed to take the charity forward into its fourth decade are Rosalind Blazejczyk, naval architect, founder and managing partner of Solis Marine Consultants; Dan Walker, deputy group chief scientist at Rio Tinto and a non-executive director of Ocean Infinity; and Jake Anderson, group director of Longitude Engineering.
They join the existing Trustees Chair R V Ahilan, chief energy transition officer at ABL Group, Professor Rodney Eatock-Taylor and Professor Stephen Turnock of the University of Southampton.
R V Ahilan said: “Working together with our supporters and sponsors, we can nurture and encourage students across the UK to excel in their chosen field. This will help to launch their early careers and maintain the UK’s position as an innovator and leader in the field of marine technology.
“As we look to a future of decarbonisation, clean shipping and alternative fuels, we see an important role for the Trust in supporting the development and growth of carbon neutral technologies, addressing key challenges and opportunities as we move towards the 2050 climate neutral goal.
“We want to thank all the companies that have given summer internships to our students over the years. We now look to continue to collaborate with our trusted partners and supporters and build new relationships to grow our fund and help to shape the future of our profession. To that end, we are keen to hear about opportunities to support excellence and genuine need wherever it exists across our sector.”