An artist’s impression of Global Underwater Hub’s office in Newcastle following redevelopment

Global Underwater Hub (GUH), the leading trade and development body representing the UK’s £8billion underwater industry has unveiled the location of two new offices in the north and south of England to ensure that specialist, sector specific support is available across the country. 

GUH, which transitioned from Subsea UK eighteen months ago, already has a well-established Scottish base at Westhill, on the outskirts of Aberdeen, and will open a Newcastle office in late summer followed by a base in Bristol later in the year.  

Refurbishment work is now well underway at the new premises in Newcastle’s Walker area where the organisation is establishing its GUH North office. With funding support from the UK Government, the unit at 1 Wincomblee Road has been leased from Shepherd Offshore, one of the UK’s leading service providers based on the North Bank of the River Tyne. It’s expected that the redevelopment project will be completed by mid-July. 

As part of the strategic growth plans Ricci Boston, joined the organisation last month as GUH’s Regional Manager (North of England). Ricci is focussed on working with members and developing strategic relationships across the north of England whilst driving GUH’s growth and initiatives for the underwater industry sectors. 

Prior to his appointment at GUH, Ricci was Director of Strategy and Client Engagement for a major provider of engineering and management services to the energy industry. Over the last decade, Ricci has successfully managed bids, mobilised and project managed large revenue projects in oil & gas, power stations, renewable energy, construction and onshore/offshore engineering sectors. 

Situated in the Offshore Technology Park on the River Tyne where there is a cluster of world-class underwater companies, the new GUH office in Newcastle includes a multi-purpose event facility and TV studio, which has been designed to cultivate collaboration and knowledge-sharing between GUH member companies, stakeholders and wider industry. The base will also play host to a full calendar of industry events organised by GUH to promote and showcase the opportunities presented by the blue economy. 

Meanwhile, GUH has acquired a property in Bristol which will become the GUH South base. Similar to the office in Newcastle, the premises in Bristol’s Emersons Green area will house a multi-purpose event space, meeting and conference facilities and office space. It’s anticipated that a GUH Regional Manager (South of England) will be appointed over the summer to lead growth and develop partnerships across the southwest of England, Wales, the Midlands, London and southeast, and East Anglia. 

Through specialist support, GUH helps companies scale-up and accelerate their growth and work across the supply chain to develop the skills and capability that will drive the UK’s competitive advantage. Commercially focused market intelligence gathered by the GUH gives companies clear routes to market that inform strategic decision-making within the supply chain. 

Commenting on the new offices, GUH Chief Executive Neil Gordon said;
“These two new office facilities complete the GUH footprint and expansion plan first outlined in 2021. By establishing a physical presence in both the north and south of England, the GUH can truly harness, promote, and support all sectors and regions of the underwater industry in the UK. 

“In the north of England, businesses operating in the subsea and underwater sector are growing the area’s position as a centre of excellence in technology, engineering and manufacturing in the growing Blue Economy. 

“Meanwhile, in the south region, there is an excellent opportunity in the underwater space with the Celtic Sea developments in offshore wind and the specialist requirements from the underwater community. There is also a strong defence industry capability from a technology and operational side, as well as a growing tidal energy and marine science capability along the south coast.”

By harnessing, promoting, and supporting all sectors of the industry in the three geographical regions across the UK, the GUH will be able to accelerate the delivery of a step-change in the development and internationalisation of underwater technologies and services. With multi-billion-pound opportunities in sectors such as floating offshore wind, wave and tidal energy and hydrogen, the GUH plays a pivotal role in delivering transformational change and exponential growth in this important industry.

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Global Underwater Hub