Explore our case studies

Reduction of our environmental impact, and our support in developing a more sustainable marine industry, is of central importance to the UKHO, in 2021, we set the commitment to be Carbon Neutral by 2026, we have now increased this commitment with the target of Net Zero by 2050.

The maritime industry as we know it is undergoing an exciting period of innovation. As the needs of the mariner continue to evolve, we are evolving our portfolio of ADMIRALTY Maritime Data Solutions so that we can support their safety at sea, as well as wider decision making across the maritime industry.

The possibility of partially or fully autonomous vessels promises to be nothing short of transformative for the maritime industry, and key to its development is marine geospatial data. To help advances in this sector, we’ve worked with partners including the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Department of Transport to support vital testing and research.

The maritime industry is seeing rapid changes, driven by a more efficient, decarbonised approach to global shipping. We are contributing to the next generation of navigation solutions, meeting the industry’s evolving needs through innovation and working together.

Working closely with the Royal Navy (RN) and ESRI, UKHO has developed WebGIS, a bespoke browser interface enabling greater access to maritime data and the ability for defence vessels to 'plan off the same chart'.

Central to our public task is supporting the UK’s national security – whether under, on or above sea. To do so, we not only provide navigational information to ships and submarines, but also share specialist expertise to inform military operations and humanitarian work, both in the UK and further afield.

The Royal Navy and our defence customers rely on our navigational products and services. We support the UK’s National Security providing hydrographic data and specialist expertise, identifying data needs and requirements to fulfil our national and international security remit.

Central to the success of our emergency services is having access to simple, contextual information to coordinate responses. Find out how we provided crucial maritime data to support emergency responders with coastline missions through the government’s centralised ResilienceDirect network.

In recent years, we have seen how data science can transform the way we handle, process and assimilate data. Now, with the help of machine learning and big data technologies, our teams are finding new ways to automate the creation of data sets that help to further our understanding of the marine environment.

From seabed mapping data to tidal services, we collect, collate and supply a wealth of data about the marine environment around us. This data is made available via a single access point: the ADMIRALTY Marine Data Portal – where users can browse, view and download a range of data sets and services.

As one of the six partner bodies within the Geospatial Commission, we provide a broad range of UK marine geospatial data and expertise to help unlock value for the UK economy. This includes supporting the commission in addressing and gaining a better understanding of the challenges faced by users of coastal data.

Through our international hydrographic programmes, which includes the Commonwealth Marine Economies (CME) Programme and Overseas Territories Seabed Mapping Programme (OTSMP), we’re working with our partners to support the blue economies of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). From enabling economic growth in the British Virgin Islands, to helping Kiribati fight the impacts of climate change.

Nordic Tankers Marine specialises in the technical and commercial management of chemical tankers.  The company's ships have been using ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System) for the last four years. Paperless navigation involved a steep learning curve, but Nordic Tankers believes that it has resulted in safer operations.