Posted on May 18, 2021
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal has performed the official opening of the National Maritime Systems Centre (NMSC) in Portsmouth, UK.
The Centre represents a £30 million investment from QinetiQ and the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to provide a modern working environment to attract critical skills and a hub for technological advances in the maritime environment in support of the Royal Navy.
During her visit, The Princess Royal enjoyed demonstrations of some of the critical work carried out at the NMSC in its new secure facilities. Three demonstrations, provided by QinetiQ’s recent graduate and apprentice intake, illustrated the complex systems engineering work being done for the Royal Navy. The Princess Royal saw how the facilities are using a mixture of real equipment and synthetic environments to derisk the introduction of new combat system equipment into service and how those same facilities can also be used to support new technologies such as autonomy and to provide training to the Royal Navy operators.
Solent LEP and HM Government’s Local Growth Fund have funded The Innovation and Collaboration Hub (ICH), part of the NMSC. This will offer opportunities for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to collaborate with QinetiQ and other tenants at Portsdown Technology Park in developing maritime engineering and complex mission systems.
By Jake Frith
