Meet the Finalists: International Trade Award
Over the coming days, Maritime UK will be profiling each of the finalists in this year’s Maritime UK Awards. Winners will be announced on 12 November in an event live streamed from Plymouth. Registration is open here.
Committed to promoting and celebrating success within international trade, Western Union Business Solutions are proud sponsors of the 2020 International Trade Award at this year’s Maritime UK Awards.
The International Trade Award is open to maritime organisations of any size and will be given out to those who are actively involved in international trade and have significantly increased their import and export activity or attracted foreign direct investment into the UK.
The winners of the fourteen different categories part of this year’s awards will be announced at a virtual event broadcast live from The Box in Plymouth, Britain’s Ocean City, on 12 November from 5pm.
Sponsors of the International Trade Award, Western Union is a global leader in foreign exchange and international payments, enabling companies of all sizes to manage their foreign exchange needs and make payments across borders. Through their extensive international networks, Western Union helps manage financial transactions that enable businesses to grow.
Christina Wadlow, Head of Partnerships at Western Union said:
“Western Union Business Solutions are delighted to be sponsoring the International Trade Award as recognising the key success of our clients and partners within the maritime sector is key. International trade is at the heart of maritime: when goods move an economy will thrive.”
Highly respected experts from a variety of businesses and government departments were involved in the judging panel for this year’s Maritime UK Awards, which celebrate the achievements of the UK’s maritime sector, which adds £46.1bn to the UK economy every year, and supports 1.1 million jobs.
Shortlisted for the International Trade Award are companies that have demonstrated business and international growth in past years: MSubs, Hill Dickinson and Virtual Training Centre.
MSubs is an advanced maritime R&D company based in Plymouth that design, manufacture and assemble unmanned and manned submersibles. Building on the company’s existing expertise in research and development and exploiting a gap in the US domestic design and manufacturing market, MSubs won a contract to design and build three dry combat submersible crafts for the US Special Operations Command. The advanced power system gives craft unparalleled endurance compared to a traditional swimmer delivery system while supporting a comprehensive command and control, and sensor fit.
HillDickinson is an international commercial law firm with a substantial maritime practice comprising of more than 180 legal experts offering expertise across maritime and commercial disciplines. Founded in Liverpool over 200 years ago, the company has dramatically expanded its international reach with offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Monaco and Piraeus. Their Hong Kong and Singapore offices are recognised as the strongest practices in the region. Singapore has the largest and busiest admiralty team in South East Asia and both offices have significantly increased their client bases over the past 12 months – therefore driving firm activity and increasing revenues. In Europe, they have an increased turnover by 1/3 year-on-year. Their growing Monaco team continues to serve the needs of its prestigious yacht and superyacht client base.
VirtualTraining Centre are a training centre approved by the Department for Transport and the Maritime & Coastguard Agency delivering internationally recognised maritime security training online. As a world leading provider of fully online eLearning security training, VTC has delivered training in 114 countries, with over 60% of sales orders coming from outside the UK. From initial start-up, VTC’s turnover has increased year on year by 200%, and VTC are proud to have been invited to be Export Champions 2020.
Harry Theochari, Chair of Maritime UK, said:
“We’re delighted to announce the finalists for the Maritime UK Awards 2020. Across all fourteen categories we can see some genuinely world-beating products, services, and operators. The quality of entries this year is testament to the strength and commitment of our maritime sector to be world-class despite the most challenging of circumstances.”
Ben Murray, Director of Maritime UK, said:
“We were determined that these awards would go ahead, and in an ideal world would have been one of the first occasions at which colleagues from across the sector could come back together following COVID-19. With that not being possible due to new restrictions, we think it’s really important to celebrate the remarkable work that has been going on – in responding to COVID-19, and in spite of it – which sends a message of resilience and ambition.”
The 2020 Maritime UK Awards are hosted by Maritime UK South West and delivered by Plymouth City Council. Diamond Sponsors are the MLA College and the University of Plymouth.
Tickets to the live-streamed event are free and open to everyone. To register visit the official website.