Marine tech start-up in Lee-on-the-Solent disrupts petrol engine market after £300,000 grant success

A TECH start-up in Lee-on-the-Solent is revolutionising marine electric propulsion and disrupting the traditional market of petrol and diesel engine drives.
By Kimberley Barber
Published 29th Dec 2020, 11:00 GMT
Stephen Brownlie, Centre Director, Clive Johnson, RAD Propulsion’s Chief Executive, and the centre’s Innovation Director, Monika Dabrowska.Stephen Brownlie, Centre Director, Clive Johnson, RAD Propulsion’s Chief Executive, and the centre’s Innovation Director, Monika Dabrowska.
Stephen Brownlie, Centre Director, Clive Johnson, RAD Propulsion’s Chief Executive, and the centre’s Innovation Director, Monika Dabrowska.

RAD Propulsion manufactures electric propulsion systems for all types of marine applications, from kayaks to zero emission vessels.

It was founded by Richard Daltry and Dan Hook who previously developed ground-breaking marine robotic ASVs - marine robotic vessels - for the oil and gas, defence and oceanographic sectors.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They set up the business two years ago and moved into one of 20 light manufacturing workshops at Fareham Innovation Centre, which is owned by Fareham Borough Council and run by Oxford Innovation, in 2019.

Clive Johnson, Chief Executive at RAD Propulsion, which works from Fareham Innovation Centre.Clive Johnson, Chief Executive at RAD Propulsion, which works from Fareham Innovation Centre.
Clive Johnson, Chief Executive at RAD Propulsion, which works from Fareham Innovation Centre.
Read More
Solent Airport: A look at what’s happened at Daedalus since Fareham Borough Coun...

With encouragement from the centre’s in-house innovation director, Monika Dabrowska, the firm has recently secured two grants totalling £300,000 from Innovate UK, Britain’s innovation agency, and is set to grow further.

Clive Johnson, RAD’s chief executive said: ‘We made Fareham Innovation Centre home because of its proximity to the sea for trials, along with the thriving ecosystem of like-minded tech entrepreneurs, the superb R&D facilities, the phenomenal business support and the fact we can utilise fellow occupiers for ancillary services.

‘Here we are, just 12 months in at the centre, and we’ve already had a lift to R&D and export ambitions through £300,000 worth of funding from Innovate UK. Having in-house business support service to draw upon is an incredibly powerful thing.’

Fareham Innovation Centre. The centre is next to Solent Airport.Fareham Innovation Centre. The centre is next to Solent Airport.
Fareham Innovation Centre. The centre is next to Solent Airport.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Monika said: ‘It was great to be able to support RAD with their proposals using my experience in grant application writing and challenging the team to articulate their ideas and innovative design into application-ready facts. RAD’s success in being awarded two Innovation UK applications is well deserved.’

SEE ALSO: Portsmouth's Debenhams set to close - what should happen next?

The two successful projects will look to improve sustainability and the electric revolution.

One of the company’s products is the RAD40, the largest drive currently on its books, with intuitive operating features that provide a safe and reliable propulsion system for RIBs and powerboats.

At the other end of the scale is the RAD1, a lightweight, portable product for paddleboards and kayaks.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Research is also focusing on increasing the size of the electric propulsion units for much larger vessels as operators anticipate emissions regulations.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

The News is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism.

You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news online - as well as our new Puzzles section.

Related topics:Lee-on-the-Solent

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.