Workboats on show: Seawork preview
Next month, the port of Southampton on England’s south coast will see a gathering of the key players in the commercial marine and workboat sector.
Seawork 2025, Europe’s biggest trade event for the sector, takes place over 10-12 June at Mayflower Park, Southampton, marking its 26th edition.
Over 20 years on since its inception, Seawork is still the key meeting place for the commercial marine industry and marine civils sector, where businesses connect with their customers to discuss the latest innovations and solutions within their respective industries.
This exhibition offers a comprehensive experience, featuring cutting-edge product launches, an insightful conference programme and captivating demonstrations. Attendees can engage in hands-on showcases, interactive exhibits and in-depth discussions with experts, gaining valuable insights into emerging technologies and best practices
Seawork also serves as a vital networking hub, fostering collaboration and partnerships among professionals from diverse sectors, including vessel design, marine engineering, offshore renewables and port operations.
Seawork is dedicated to the commercial marine and workboat sector, providing a platform for over 7,600 industry professionals and featuring more than 400 exhibitors, 10,500 items of equipment and services, and over 70 vessels both afloat and onshore.
The event is recognised as a proven platform for building business networks, attracting an international audience of decision-makers and industry leaders.
Seawork features a trade show that allows customers to get hands-on with cutting-edge vessels and technology, including boats in the marina. More than 70 vessels will be displayed both afloat and ashore, alongside more than 10,500 pieces of equipment and services, providing visitors with direct access to the latest in marine tech and solutions.
Dedicated pavilions and trails make visiting Seawork much easier, as they quickly help to identify exhibitors, conferences and seminars of particular interest. Trails are highlighted with logos printed on exhibitors’ fascia boards.
The conference programme, meanwhile, includes free-to-attend “Business Briefings”. The conference includes sessions focused on industry trends, regulatory updates and future challenges, offering valuable knowledge and networking opportunities for professionals.
Topics and presentations this year include “Get Set for Workboat 2050”, UK government policy and procurement, and onshore power supply and the drive to decarbonise.
Speed@Seawork and other Seawork events
Ahead of Seawork itself, a special event – Speed@Seawork, a sector-specific fast vessel event - takes place in Cowes, Isle of Wight, on 9 June. This premier demonstration event highlights fast vessels used in security, intervention, and search and rescue missions, showcasing their capabilities in real-world scenarios.
The Cardboard Boat Regatta is a social event, taking place, on 12 June 2025 with live music and entertainment, that sees competitors attempting to build a boat that floats using only cardboard, tape and ingenuity.
The Training & Careers Pavilion at Seawork focuses on skills, learning and employment opportunities within the maritime industry, featuring recruitment and training organisations.
A co-located event, Marine Civils, which focuses on civil engineering and infrastructure for marine environments, runs alongside Seawork.
The Seawork Awards
Seawork also hosts the The Seawork Awards, previously known as the European Commercial Marine Awards, to recognise outstanding innovations, and an Innovations Showcase highlighting the latest products and technologies.
The awards attract entries from across Europe, recognising the depth of excellence in the commercial marine industry. The Seawork Awards celebrate outstanding innovations from the companies and individuals that comprise this vibrant and productive industry sector.
The Innovation Awards categories, sponsored by SMI, include the following categories:
- Vessel design & construction
- Marine equipment & electronics
- Marine power & propulsion (electrification & future fuels)
- Security & Safety
- Environmental / renewable energy
- Spirit of Innovation (overall innovations winner)
The People & Projects awards categories are:
- Maritime sustainability award
- Marine Civils best project
- Subsea and underwater intervention (new)
- Young person’s development award, sponsored by Svitzer
- Maritime professional of the year award, sponsored by Haven-Knox Johnston
- Lifetime achievement award, sponsored by Mercator Media & Maritime Journal
Judged by a panel of industry experts and chaired by the editor of Maritime Journal, the Seawork Awards are presented at the awards evening on the opening day of Seawork, Tuesday 10 June, from 5.30pm.
The ceremony is held in Seawork’s spectacular Waterfront restaurant overlooking the Seawork Marina. Following welcome drinks and canapés, the evening will see the presentation of the coveted Seawork Awards. Each category winner receives a Seawork Innovation Award and Certificate of Commendation, with the overall winner presented with the coveted “Spirit of Innovation” trophy.
Why attend Seawork?
Tom Murdoch, Managing Director at marine engineering business Brimmond, said: “Seawork is a hugely important event for us to attend, and a highlight of our events calendar!
“The exhibition attracts such a wide variety of professionals from the commercial marine, workboat and aquaculture sectors, and it’s never been more valuable for us to meet prospective customers face-to-face, getting to know their businesses and their challenges. Of course we relish the opportunity to catch up with our existing customers too, particularly over one of the cold beers we will have on tap!”
Brimmond maintains one of the UK’s largest stocks of new marine cranes, along with a wide range of rental packages for global deployment.
Its workshop team refurbish cranes from all manufacturers to the highest standard, enhancing performance and extending lifespan.
As the exclusive Heila distributor in the UK and Ireland, Brimmond supplies spares and provides skilled onshore/offshore technicians.
At this year’s Seawork, the company will also be promoting NetJet, its pioneering aquaculture net cleaning pump which recently concluded its second live industry campaign with AKVA Groupl.
Murdoch adds: “Aquaculture is an important and growing market for Brimmond. We’ve built strong relationships within the sector by supplying specialist equipment like our NetJet net cleaning systems and marine cranes, both of which are designed to meet the demanding conditions of aquaculture operations, available for both rental or purchase from our Aberdeenshire facility.
“Our commitment to this industry is reflected not only in the quality and reliability of our equipment, but also in the support and innovation we bring to our customers - whether that’s improving operational efficiency or ensuring safety and environmental compliance. But also in our KPI-driven rapid response times for all customers.”
Ian Ellis, Managing Director of Macduff Ship Design, comments: “Seawork is the largest exhibition in the UK for commercial vessel operators and as such it is important for us to be able to exhibit our services and also to be able to meet up with new and past customers and partners. It is particularly important this year as it lies in a year when there is no Aquaculture UK event.
“We are keen to show the work we have been completing over the past year on new build projects throughout the workboat, offshore wind, fishing and aquaculture sectors. We are also keen to highlight that we have a workboat code surveyor working with SCMS which allows us to cover all aspects of vessel design refit and survey. Our team in Macduff has extensive experience working in all of these sectors and, with recent development work on alternative propulsion and fuel technology, feel we are uniquely positioned to work with owners and operators.
“We are pleased to have seen a number of new vessels delivered over the year with a number of new aquaculture vessels delivered over recent months.”
He adds: “The aquaculture market is a key market for Macduff Ship Design. We have been working in the industry since the company’s inception in 1993 and have seen a recent increase in demand for our services with the increase in size and complexity of the vessels servicing the industry, and increase in legislation. Having an SCMS workboat code surveyor in house helps with our ability to assist with both new build and existing vessel work including workboat code surveys.”
AlphaGeo supplies a range of technology solutions for the maritime sector – including aquaculture – such as drones, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and robotics, and hydrographic survey equipment.
Adrian Fowler, Technical Sales Manager with AlphaGeo, says: “Seawork 2025 is a key event for anyone involved in the commercial marine industry, and for us, it’s a no-brainer to be there. It’s a great chance to catch up with industry contacts, see what’s new in the sector, and put ourselves right in the mix of the latest innovation and conversations that matter.”
He adds: “We’re excited to highlight our latest ROV capabilities, especially the tools and sensors we’re now integrating for high-precision inspections and water quality monitoring. These upgrades are all about giving users more data, more clarity and more control, while keeping operations safe and efficient.
“Some of the standout features we’ll be showcasing include:
- Enhanced camera systems for better underwater visibility and inspection detail,
- Real-time water quality sensors to support environmental compliance and monitoring,
- Modular ROV designs that can be adapted for different tasks, from hull inspections to sediment sampling,
- And streamlined reporting tools that help turn data into action fast.
“It’s all part of our mission to make underwater operations smarter, safer and more sustainable, and Seawork’s the perfect place to share what’s new.”
Registration for visitors is online at seawork.com. Registration grants fast-track access to Seawork and the benefits of Seawork’s online commercial marine business content, all year long.
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