Motive Offshore Group, the Boyndie-based specialist in marine equipment and services, has announced the acquisition of C-Kore, a UK provider of subsea cable monitoring and integrity technology. This strategic move is set to significantly enhance Motive’s global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) capabilities and introduce a stronger technology-driven focus to its operations.

Left to Right: Declan Slattery (Motive chief operating and financial officer), Greg Smith (C-Kore operations director) and Dave Acton (Motive CEO). (Photo: Motive Offshore Group)

The acquisition is projected to elevate the contribution of Motive’s Certification & Inspection division to approximately 35 per cent of its total company turnover. The deal signals a deliberate shift in Motive’s strategic direction, integrating proprietary intellectual property and dedicated research and development into its portfolio.

C-Kore, headquartered in Yorkshire, specialises in developing a suite of automated subsea testing and measurement tools. These tools offer considerable advantages over traditional methods for fault-finding, installation, and decommissioning of subsea electrical assets. Their advanced technology facilitates rapid automated testing, which leads to more efficient fault detection and streamlined installation operations, ultimately reducing both vessel and personnel costs in offshore environments.

The importance of robust subsea cable monitoring is increasingly critical, particularly with the growth of offshore wind farms, where cable issues account for a high percentage of insurance claims and necessitate predictive maintenance strategies. C-Kore’s solutions are already deployed across the global cable market and hold substantial potential for expansion into the evolving domestic and international offshore wind and decommissioning sectors.

C-Kore will maintain its Yorkshire headquarters, a location chosen for its access to a strong regional pool of electronics and software engineering talent. Existing operations director, Greg Smith, and sales and marketing director, Cynthia Pikaar, will continue to lead the company within the Motive Offshore Group.

Dave Acton, CEO of Motive Offshore Group, commented on the acquisition:
“C Kore’s ability to win and execute global projects through a single UK entity has been impressive. We see a real opportunity to scale the success already achieved by Greg, Cynthia and the wider team, whilst providing enhanced customer support, via Motive’s regional entities across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Asia-Pacific.

C-Kore’s proven, technology-led capabilities not only complement our subsea testing and inspection services by aligning with the developing requirements of our existing client base, but also underline our objective to provide integrated and highly transferable equipment, services and technology across the energy sector.”

Greg Smith, C-Kore’s operations director, added: 
“We’re thrilled to be joining the Motive team. Their global reach and strong market presence will bring our award-winning technology to a wider customer base and accelerate our move into new markets worldwide. We’re incredibly proud of the innovative and sophisticated cost-saving technology the C-Kore team has delivered so far. Uniting with Motive allows us to build on our achievements while continuing to support our existing customers without interruption.”

Motive Offshore Group, established in 2010, provides comprehensive equipment, engineering, and inspection services globally across the renewables, oil and gas, and decommissioning sectors, with operations in over 58 countries. C-Kore’s expertise in automated subsea testing tools, which are designed to simplify and speed up offshore operations, supports operators and contractors in managing the integrity and performance of their subsea assets throughout their lifecycle.

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