A rare, high-performance road car was on display today (Tuesday, June 07) at the new Wirral-based Maritime Knowledge Hub (MKH) as it opened the doors for its first major networking event.
The MKH is jointly operated by Mersey Maritime, the representative body for the Maritime Sector in the Liverpool City Region, and Liverpool John Moores University.
More than 100 delegates from across the region’s maritime sector were welcomed to ‘Face-2-Face’ by the sensational Merseyside-built BAC Mono high performance road car – described by the Sunday Times as “the lovechild of an F-22 Raptor fighter jet and a Formula One racing car.”
The Mono’s rare display is an appropriate linking of interests, as Wirral is the home of many crew members and agents of international luxury superyachts, whose owners are a prime market for this highly-acclaimed single-seater.
Mersey Maritime Chief Executive Officer Chris Shirling-Rooke said the mission of the Maritime Knowledge Hub is to make the new facility a global ‘centre of excellence’ within the UK, generating knowledge-led growth and innovation.
“This is the first opportunity we have had to host the monthly Mersey Maritime networking event at the hub,” said Mr Shirling-Rooke. “The hub has been set up to bring together the Liverpool City Region’s key maritime assets, creating a focal point for innovation, research & development, education & training and business support.
“We are also very keen to develop strong, market-responsive supply chains. It is fundamental to our role to promote aspects such as engineering apprenticeships which will cross-fertilise the wider industrial skill-base, with companies such as BAC.
“The presence of the BAC Mono at today’s event signalled the MKH’s driving ambition to match the world-class industry expertise across our region. It further demonstrates our desire to work in collaboration to promote Merseyside’s rich and diverse maritime sector.”
The Mono’s bespoke nature has been highly praised by Britain’s best known motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson. The car also has strong appeal in the Far East, where drivers appreciate its custom-made fitment program with individually-made seat and steering wheel. The options for personalised trim and paint are almost infinite.
Mark Rayner, BAC (Briggs Automotive Company) Chief Operating Officer, explained why membership of Mersey Maritime has been such a good move for his company:
“We are impressed by how connected Mersey Maritime is to the community,” said Mr Rayner. “The Maritime Knowledge Hub is a vision we signed up to and it will help us to work out how we shall increase our apprenticeship offering, as Mersey Maritime can provide answers for us going forward.
“The trade body has been a great advocate for us and one of our best investments in time and resources.”
Notes to Editor:
About Mersey Maritime
Mersey Maritime is the private-public sector partnership that represents the interests of one of the largest UK clusters of marine and maritime businesses outside London within the following main sub-sectors: Shipping, Ports and Logistics; Maritime Services; Advanced Engineering; Offshore Energy; Professional Services. Maritime generates around £3.5bn of sales and contributes to 12% of Merseyside’s GDP. Over £947m (27%) of these sales are exported, making the sector a key element in re-balancing the economy. The region has one of the largest clusters of maritime businesses and supply chains in Europe spanning more than 1000 businesses. Mersey Maritime operates as a not-for-profit entity and funds its work on behalf of the cluster with income raised through membership, industry events and consultancy services.