Future Marine Research Infrastructure (FMRI) is a NERC-led programme focused on securing a resilient marine research infrastructure that can support science to tackle some of our planet’s most urgent environmental challenges.

In collaboration with the research community, FMRI is exploring how to meet the evolving demands of tomorrow, while aligning with UK government priorities for financial and environmental sustainability.

There is a clear imperative to maintain a research capability that supports curiosity-driven science and long-term observations, while also seizing opportunities offered by emerging technologies. As FMRI approaches critical milestones in its business case development, the programme is focused on building a resilient, responsive, and future-proofed platform for marine science that meets the challenges of the 21st century.

There is an imperative to measure the ocean in greater detail if we are to understand, predict and mitigate the environmental, social and economic impact of climate change. We must also be part of the solution while we do it.

Leigh Storey, Senior Resonsible Owner
 

NERC Priorities

FMRI is an infrastructure and change programme that will underpin the UK’s global leadership in ocean science by providing sustainable, future-ready infrastructure that supports high-impact research to inform policy and benefit society.

Aligned with UKRI and NERC’s strategic priorities, FMRI will drive innovation across environmental science and key green growth sectors by enabling cutting-edge capabilities that unlock both scientific discovery and commercial potential. Through a major digital transformation in marine observation, the programme also aims to enable the delivery of user-ready data at scale - advancing research, accelerating innovation, and creating new opportunities to upskill the UK workforce. 

 

Future Marine Research Infrastructure programme

 

The strategic case for the FMRI programme centres on delivering a national, integrated marine research infrastructure delivering against three NERC priorities: 

Environmental Security

FMRI supports a flexible, interoperable capability that allows scientists to predict the impacts of climate change on the ocean and translate modelled scenarios into helping governments protect coastal communities and exposed national infrastructure. 

Green Growth

As climate change, biodiversity loss and marine pollution combine to threaten ocean ecosystems, FMRI aims to deliver critical national capability that provides real time information about the marine environment ensuring future investments are both sustainable and resilient to future changes.

Responsible Innovation 

By harnessing cutting-edge capabilities and integrating them into the wider marine research ecosystem, FMRI aims to design a marine infrastructure portfolio that uses cutting-edge capabilities to push the frontiers of marine science and translates innovations into commercially successful ventures.