When the chief executive of Subsea UK starts talking excitedly about the ground-breaking work being done in the sector, it is hard to not to be bowled over by the idea that recession-hit Britain has at least one industry going places.
After just a few minutes of speaking to Alistair Birnie, I was left in no doubt the UK has an enviable position at the forefront of developments in subsea technology.
A fast-growing global population and fuel-hungry economies are going to put a severe strain on resources, so traditional extraction technologies must give way to a new breed of pioneers in the energy field.
Of course, some will focus their efforts on finding alternatives to traditional fossil fuels and Scotland ticks all the boxes for leading the way in renewables but other trailblazers are looking to exploit new frontiers to ensure every last drop of oil is extracted from some of the most hard-to-reach places on the planet.
Subsea technologies and techniques have a crucial role to play in both these areas.
The UK’s subsea industry has developed at a frightening pace in recent years and has all the credentials to play a prominent role in the quest for more energy.
Mr Birnie, 50, said: “The UK leads the way in delivering subsea equipment and services and all forecasts indicate that the current demand for our products and skills is growing significantly.”
Much of that expertise will be on show at Subsea 09, with more than 100 exhibitors and 2,000-plus visitors from around the globe descending on the Granite City for Europe’s largest subsea exhibition and conference.
The two-day event is in the Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre.
Subsea is a competitive industry, however, and the UK faces major challenges ahead if it wants to remain in front of the pack.
One of the biggest areas of concern is the level of new recruits feeding through from universities and colleges, which in recent years have seen a dearth of young people entering science and engineering disciplines.
Mr Birnie, a former chairman of the Society for Underwater Technology in Aberdeen, said: “We will be constrained if we do not bring fresh ideas and talent into the sector.
“If the UK is to remain at the forefront of subsea and capitalise on global opportunities, we must continue to develop our pool of talent.”
He believes that the worst of the skill crisis may be over, however, he is also mindful of the need to make sure the UK industry is not crippled by further skill shortages as it battles to retain pole position in a fast-growing global market, estimated to be worth about £25billion a year.
In the UK, subsea is one of the best-performing sectors.
It employs 40,000 people at 750 companies and contributes £4.3billion a year to Britain’s economy.
UK-based subsea firms have turned in startling levels of growth in recent times, with the industry expanding at a rate of 30% year-on-year.
Subsea UK was launched in September 2003 to champion the sector and increase business opportunities at home and abroad. It now has more than 170 member companies representing the whole subsea supply chain from operators to major contractors and manufacturers to small technology innovators.
Mr Birnie, who has nearly 30 years’ experience in the subsea industry, took over at the helm last autumn following David Pridden’s decision earlier in the year to step down from the post.
Raised at Longside, near Peterhead, and from north-east farming stock, Mr Birnie completed his secondary school education at Peterhead Academy before going off to study engineering at Aberdeen University.
After graduating, he became an apprentice at the UDI division of construction and engineering group John Brown. He was with UDI in Aberdeen for 11 years, starting as an electrical engineer and ending up as a research and development manager.
Mr Birnie then spent three years as a project manager at Thule-Rigtech, now part of US oilfield service group National Oilwell Varco.
His longest spell away from the north-east was during a year-long position as an engineering manager in Dubai, carrying out contract work for low-voltage power distribution and motor control specialist Blackburn Starling. On his return to Aberdeen, he joined Norwegian engineering group Aker Kvaerner’s subsea control division – FSL Controls – but left about 2
His six years with Nautronix involved lengthy spells away from home in America and Australia plus visits to operations in Singapore and Korea. He next spent two years as technology application manager for the Aberdeen-based Industry Technology Facilitator, an internationally recognised champion for innovation within the energy industry.
His last job before becoming CEO at Subsea UK saw him return to Aker Kvaerner (now Aker Solutions) to spearhead pioneering work in subsea control systems.
Mr Birnie, who lives at Bridge of Don with his wife, Susan, believes the subsea sector, particularly in the UK, holds the key to global energy supply – both in oil and gas and marine renewables – in the short and long-term.
The increase in subsea oil and gas activity can be attributed to the fact that many of the world’s remaining energy reserves lie in more marginal fields or in water depths of more than 13,000 feet.
These hydrocarbons can only be recovered through the use of subsea techniques using sophisticated technology operating remotely under the world’s oceans.
An estimated 40% of all North Sea oil and gas production now relies on subsea intervention.
According to energy industry body Oil and Gas UK, two-thirds of all the projects due to come on stream in the UK continental shelf over the next two years are subsea developments.
The subsea industry has also benefited in recent years from an expanding green energy sector.
Many firms which cut their teeth in subsea work have successfully transferred their engineering skills to the fast-growing renewables market.
Nearly all of the current renewable energy formats require some degree of subsea engineering and intervention, such as deepwater cable laying and installation.
Mr Birnie believes that, having developed some of the most successful techniques and technologies in the world, the UK subsea sector now has a vital role to play in extracting the remaining North Sea reserves as well as from challenging fields globally.
He said: “Subsea companies are developing space-age technology for use under the water. It is one of he most exciting industries to be in but we need to get that message out there.
“We want people to think of subsea in the same way they think about Nasa.
“It is an incredibly complex and challenging sector, but the rewards and long-term benefits of leading the way in this industry are without parallel.”
Underpinning all of the lucrative opportunities awaiting UK subsea firms is the need for talented new recruits.
Mr Birnie, who spends much of his time at home pottering about with electronic bits and pieces in his garage to see what use they could be to subsea innovation, said: “Subsea UK must promote the industry in the best light and showcase the breadth of career opportunities available.”
He said the sector had worked hard to attract engineers, technicians and other professionals from diverse backgrounds, adding: “Our experience has shown us that, with the proper training and induction, skilled personnel from other sectors can become subsea workers.”
What car do you drive?
Nissan X-Trail.
What’s your favourite restaurant?
Khali’s Seafood Bar in Fremantle, Western Australia.
Have you ever broken the law?
Not that anyone would, hopefully, have noticed.
What or who makes you laugh?
The antics of the Top Gear crew.
What’s your favourite book?
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking, but also anything with a science slant.
What’s your favourite film?
Doctor Zhivago. It took me nearly 40 years to get an opportunity to visit Russia to see what it was really like but it was fascinating.
What’s your favourite singer/band?
The Cars and ELO still get a regular airing in the Birnie household.
What’s your ideal job, other than this one?
A world-roving technology researcher.
What’s the best piece of business advice you have ever received?
Always listen carefully to customers. They may well know more than you do.
Worst business advice?
It has to be: ‘Hold on to your bank shares; they’re a safe bet’.
What do you drink?
Guinness and a light, red, wine, but not in the same glass.
How much was your first pay packet and what was it for?
Still at school, it was £10 for a whole week’s work in a feed mill. It beat gutting fish, which some of my friends did.
How do you keep fit?
Walking the dog.
What’s your most interesting habit?
Having long and meaningful conversations with the cat and the dog. They don’t understand a word, but love me anyway.
What’s your biggest extravagance?
A double garage full of tools and gadgets, particularly rescued test instruments.
With which historical or fictional character do you most identify?
Captain James Cook on his voyages around the world.
How would you like to be remembered?
With a smile, of course.
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