Full-service seabed imaging, anchor and foundations company Subsea Micropiles is investing £5m over the next three years to expand its manufacturing and offshore operations at Montrose Port, supported by £1.45m Scottish Enterprise funding.
The investment was announced during a visit to the company’s Montrose facility today by First Minister John Swinney and Scottish Enterprise’s Managing Director Investment & International, Reuben Aitken, and will support the next stage of Subsea Micropiles’ growth in Scotland.
The Aberdeenshire-based company plans to expand its infrastructure and manufacturing capability at Montrose Port, supporting the production and maintenance of subsea technology for offshore survey and construction and expected to create around 80 new jobs over the next three to five years.
First Minister John Swinney said, “Scotland is already recognised as being at the forefront of floating offshore wind development. The investment behind today’s announcement is a strong vote of confidence in the sector and in the skilled workforce, innovation and expertise that exists here.
“Subsea Micropiles’ commitment to expand at the Port of Montrose will help ensure more of the economic benefits of the energy transition are retained in Scotland, creating high-quality jobs in Angus and the North East, supporting local businesses and strengthening our industrial capabilities.
Derek Robertson, CEO at Subsea Micropiles said, “Scotland has become an important base for our growth. We rely on the deep pool of talent, skills and offshore experience here to develop our technology, services and expand into a global market.
“Ultimately, we see significant potential to establish high-volume production of our anchor and foundation systems in Montrose as the market develops. These are scalable solutions which can be manufactured locally, with the potential to retain significant economic benefit in Scotland through engineering, vessel services and offshore supply chain.
“This funding support from Scottish Enterprise is an important part of enabling that next phase of growth and helping us establish the capability required to respond to future market demand.”
Reuben Aitken, Managing Director Investment and International at Scottish Enterprise, said, “Scotland has a world-class offshore wind opportunity, and innovative companies like Subsea Micropiles will be central to turning that opportunity into jobs, investment and long-term economic value.
“We’re proud to support the company’s expansion in Scotland through our £1.45 million funding, helping unlock more than £5 million of investment and create 80 jobs. By backing innovative businesses to establish and grow their operations here, we’re strengthening Scotland’s offshore wind supply chain, attracting high-value investment and supporting the technologies that will help drive the energy transition.”
Subsea Micropiles is developing an end-to-end approach to offshore foundations and anchors, bringing together seabed site investigation, foundation engineering and subsea construction technology to help address cost and risk associated with seabed construction.
The company is pioneering the adaptation of micropiling technology for offshore construction through advances in subsea robotics and remote drilling. Its technology portfolio also includes Acoustic Zoom®, a high-resolution seismic imaging technology designed to provide greater insight into seabed conditions and support foundation design and installation decisions.