OUR MISSION

OCEAN INNOVATION,
THROUGH PARTNERSHIP

ABOUT US

Robert Gordon University and Net Zero Technology Centre (formerly known as OGTC) have partnered to create the National Subsea Centre (NSC), a multi-million-pound Centre of Excellence for Subsea Research Technology development, which is part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal.

We are focused on realising the full potential of our oceans through high-impact/high-value solutions for underwater challenges faced by all marine sectors delivering sustainable economic development.

We harness the university’s academic expertise, research capability and facilities to establish a world-class research and development centre; providing industry-led, applied academic research and technology development, with a focus on the fields of subsea engineering, AI and data science, and integrated energy.

Our research has a direct application to the entire eco-system which makes up the Blue Economy; industries including oil and gas, offshore renewable energy, tourism, marine aquaculture, carbon capture, maritime transport, defense, climate change, and waste management.

In addition to our team of multi-sectoral academic, research, design, and industrial experts, we are also supported by trusted industrial partners and collaborative relationships. This means that we can provide a bespoke range of services; from guiding marine-related companies through the start-up process, from ideation, research and design, to product testing and implementation.

OUR RESEARCH TEAM

John McCall

Director

Professor McCall has research expertise in data science and artificial intelligence research, which ...

Professor McCall has research expertise in data science and artificial intelligence research, which has applications in solving the challenges of energy transition and industrial revolution driven by climate change and technological advances. He has over 25 years of research experience in nature-inspired computing and has founded two spinout companies delivering real world optimisation to industry. Professor McCall joined NSC from the Robert Gordon University’s School of Computing, where he was Head of School. As Research Manager at the National Subsea Centre, he will lead a sustained research programme to create new ways of designing, instrumenting, modelling, visualising, operating and optimising subsea industrial systems. Professor McCall is passionate about developing novel and powerful optimisation algorithms, working with industry to realise operational transformation through AI and building the next generation of AI researchers. Outside work, he enjoys reading, music, travelling and culture.

Jinchang Ren

Professor of Computing Science

Professor Ren’s expertise lies in intelligent information processing, image processing, computer vis...

Professor Ren’s expertise lies in intelligent information processing, image processing, computer vision, big data analytics and machine learning. His research focuses on extracting patterns from image, video and sensor data and applying machine learning to derive useful information for smart decision-making. Applications of his research include non-intrusive testing in smart manufacturing and asset management, quality grading and assessment in food and drink and the energy sector, big data driven precision agriculture and smart cities, geoscience and remote sensing, and medical imaging. Professor Ren joined NSC from University of Strathclyde, where he is Deputy Director of the Strathclyde Hyperspectral Imaging Centre. He supports the delivery of NSC objectives in enabling a digital subsea, monitoring subsea energy installations and data validation of digital twins. Professor Ren is passionate about hyperspectral image, computer vision and deep learning, especially in supervising junior researchers for success. Outside work, he enjoys reading, travelling, movies and music.

Lynne Brien

Centre Manager

Lynne joined the National Subsea Centre from Robert Gordon University, where she was the Research De...

Lynne joined the National Subsea Centre from Robert Gordon University, where she was the Research Development Administrator in Research Strategy and Policy (Vice Principal Research Office). As Centre Manager, Lynne leads the administration team and acts as an interface between the Centre’s academic and commercial functions, ensuring the efficient running of the Centre and delivery of key strategic priorities. Lynne’s responsibilities include supporting academic colleagues with the development of research funding applications and building industrial relationships. Lynne has over 30 years of administrative experience in both higher education and local authority settings; the last seven of which have been at Robert Gordon University. Prior to joining the University, Lynne spent over 13 years as an administrator in an additional services school with Aberdeen City Council, overseeing a small and dedicated team. Outside of work Lynne enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family, going for woodland walks and supporting the Scotland international rugby team.

OUR VISION

OUR VISION IS TO DRIVE TRANSFORMATION TO A SUSTAINABLE MARINE-BASED ECONOMY; TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE FOR SOCIETY, BUSINESS AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

OUR VALUES

AI²

We are united by the shared values we demonstrate; through our work, and interactions with our stakeholders.

Adventure

Through our spirit of adventure, we demonstrate how transformation is made possible through bravery, curiosity, risk, and exploration. Today’s scientific problems require a voyage of discovery to yield high impact results; to ultimately change the course of how we do things. We take people on an exciting and inspiring journey of scientific adventure.

Innovation

Whether through cutting-edge technology, invention, or high-impact research, we are a catalyst for continuous innovation. We challenge the norm to pioneer new ways of working and thinking, with a determination to test the boundaries of possibility.

Inclusivity

We leverage multi-discipline, cross-sectoral networks and relationships to maximise the impact of our work. Our approach is welcoming and inclusive and this gives us a multifaceted understanding of challenges and possibilities. As a result, we are a trusted voice for sustainability and environmental advocacy.

OUR PRINCIPLES

Our work is always guided by our strategic principles. They form the pillars of everything we work towards and deliver, and are integral to achieving our vision.

When it comes to sustainability we have a desire to use science for transformative action. We take very seriously our power to enhance understanding, and motivate positive behavioural change for the betterment of all. We give voice to elements of the environment not being heard, and are passionate about our role as environmental advocates.

Our approach to applied academic research and technology development provides a technical output that pushes the boundaries and pioneers new ways of doing things. This is possible though academic excellence; the professionalism, quality, and rigour of our work, which form the basis of everything we do.

From problem definition to methodology and ideation, we make many nuanced decisions along the research journey; enhancing our academically-rigorous work with our creativity and originality. We make discoveries, generate new knowledge and ways of doing things; providing the best novel outcome for an inter-disciplinary problem. We’re proud of our creative achievements, which provides inspiration to tackle the next problem.