Glittering Maritime UK Solent Awards night in Portsmouth showcases world-class success

In the second event of its kind, the Maritime UK Solent Awards 2023 will choose 13 different winners at a night of celebration at Boathouse 7 in the Historic Dockyard, with Portsmouth North MP and Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt and Lord Mayor of Portsmouth Tom Coles attending.

The setting may be historic but the region’s maritime sector is growing and looking towards a bright future, with more than 90 entries - from start-ups to global trade partners - demonstrating the depth of excellence and level of achievement over the past year.

Among the categories are Net Zero Navigator Award,Technology Game Changer Award, Future Skills Award and Global Trade Award, along with prizes for best maritime start-up, small and large business of the year.

Thursday night’s prestigious event is the biggest in the Solent’s maritime calendar with Stuart Baker, Managing Director at Maritime UK Solent, saying: ‘Here in the Solent, our message is simple. Solent means success. This year has been an exceptional example of this. Our Maritime UK Solent Awards night celebrates every achievement, development and milestone from our region in the last year.’

Maritime UK Solent has a mission to lead the Solent maritime sector to success, project a collective voice for the region and raise its profile as a world-leading maritime cluster In 2023, it hosted colleagues from Finland and the US Federal Maritime Commission, supported a visit of Indonesian government officials to the region and joined a trade delegation to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Addressing guests in the evening’s brochure, Maritime UK Solent Chair Anne-Marie Mountifield said: ‘The Solent has a rich and unrivalled maritime history and it is fitting we are at this historically important venue to celebrate the forward-thinking spirit of today’s maritime innovators and leaders - connecting that pioneering spirit of our past to our ambitions for the future.

‘The Maritime UK Solent Awards offer a unique opportunity for the industry to come together here on the South Coast to showcase the Solent’s world-class maritime innovation and technical excellence.’