Viper Innovations provides electrical monitoring, recovery and fault finding for the global subsea oil and gas, and rail industries. The newly awarded KTP between the University of Bath and Viper Innovations will develop an innovative subsea cable integrity monitoring product, extending the lifetime and performance of critical underwater cables.

This exciting project will bring together expertise from the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering and the Department of Chemistry to build on Viper’s unique innovative monitoring technology. The technology will reduce both the damaging environmental impact of repairing and relaying subsea cables and associated costs, as well as open up access to new market opportunities such as the renewables sector.

Professor Frank Marken, Department of Chemistry, is the academic lead on the KTP, and Dr Benjamin Metcalfe, Head of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the University of Bath, the academic supervisor. They will be providing expertise and research capabilities in the electrochemistry of corrosion for further understanding of processes involved in subsea environments.

Professor Marken says:

We look forward to starting this newly awarded KTP with Viper Innovations which will support an exchange of technical capabilities, upskill staff and most importantly strengthen a culture of applied collaborative partnering.

Guangqiao Xu, Head of Research at Viper Innovations and industrial supervisor, says:

This initiative will strengthen our positions in the current markets, contributing directly into our product research and development, driving technical advancements and gaining insights that are crucial for future market diversifications.

Dr Steven Boakes, Head of Knowledge Exchange at the University of Bath which is the team behind the full life-cycle programme support for KTP partners, says:

I’m delighted by this new partnership and combination of expertise working together to develop innovative solutions. The rich knowledge exchange between the specialists within this partnership has the potential to deliver market leading technology, reduce environmental impacts and embed skills that will have a lasting legacy.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) are funded by Innovate UK to help businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills within the UK knowledge base.