In episode nine of our second series of Let’s Talk South Coast, our host Nella Pang is joined by Andy Tourell, Head of Sustainable Logistics at Ocean Infinity

What you’ll hear about in this episode: 

• Who Ocean Infinity are and what they do
• The ESG targets they have set themselves on decarbonisation
• The projects they have been involved in since pioneering the use of autonomous underwater vehicles
• The fleet of unmanned surface vessels they are currently building and what this means for the future of remote survey operations
• The driver behind reducing the number of people needed to work offshore
• How the technology they are developing has to be able to deliver the services the client wants in order to be sustainable
• How they are building a ship for a clean fuel system that does not yet exist
• Why Ocean Infinity decided to base themselves in Southampton

Companies Mentioned:

• Shackleton’s Endurance
• Seabed 2030
• Future of Work Summit
• National Oceanographic Centre
• Sky Band Rescuer
• Department of Transport, Innovate UK Project
• Code 9 Security

Shoutouts:

• Steve Szalay
• Charlotte Elkins

Key Insights From This Episode:

• We specialise in the development and deployment of innovative tech. And ultimately what we're looking to do is to transform the maritime industry to enable the people and planet to thrive. - Andy
• We have signed the climate pledge, to be net zero by 2040, 10 years ahead of the general target of 2050. - Andy
• We are currently building the world's largest fleet of unmanned surface vessels, and that's the largest fleet in terms of size of the vessel and in the number of vessels. - Andy
• We've committed to remote survey operations from day one, the technology exists to go totally unmanned.  But what we need to do, and what we are doing is working very closely with regulators to work towards that transition to complete unmanned operations for that size of vessel. - Andy
• We think that most, if not all activities offshore can be made cleaner, more efficient and/or safer through the deployment of robotics. - Andy

About Our Guest:

Andy is Head of Sustainable Logistics at Ocean Infinity, he is also Sustainability Commission Member at the British Triathlon Federation,

Follow us on

• Twitter @omega_renews
• Instagram @omegare.re
• Facebook @omegare6

Sponsors

Launch Your Own Podcast

A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com

In episode eight of our second series of Let’s Talk South Coast, our host Nella Pang is joined by ChatGPT to talk about the impact AI and new technologies are having on the future of work and what businesses, government and educators can do to ensure no one is left behind.

What you’ll hear about in this episode: 

• The impact AI is having on the world of work
• How companies are leveraging AI
• The importance of upskilling within an ever changing market
• How companies can benefit from the adoption of AI and other technologies
• Different initiatives that can ensure people have the skills they need to succeed in the job market
• How educators and businesses can collaborate on upskilling the current and future workforce

Companies Mentioned:

• Speechify
• Ocean Infinity
• Future of Work Summit
• Southampton City Council
• NetZero Group
• Carswell Gould
• Otta
• International Women’s Day
• FI Real Estate Management

Key Insights From This Episode:

• AI technology is automating many manual and repetitive tasks leading to job displacement in some areas. However, it's also creating new job opportunities such as data analysis and AI development. - ChatGPT
• By adopting AI and other new technologies, companies can stay ahead of the competition and tap into new business opportunities. - ChatGPT
• My take is that AI won't replace humans, but humans that don't embrace technology are likely to be left behind. - Nella
• We've already started to make headways bringing key businesses as well as social enterprise together. So watch this space. - Nella

Shout outs:

• Andy Tourrell
• Alan Wilson
• Ed Gould

About Our Guest:

Chat GPT is an advanced AI Chatbot.

Follow us on:

• Twitter @omega_renews
• Instagram @omegare.re
• Facebook @omegare6 

Sponsors

Launch Your Own Podcast

A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com

In episode seven of our second series of Let’s Talk South Coast, our host Nella Pang is joined by Jonathan Trice, Director at Omega RE to talk about the impact that ESG and EPCs are having on both businesses and consumers.

What you’ll hear about in this episode: 

• What ESG stands for and why it has been hitting the headlines
• How the increase in the level of choice for consumers means they are demanding their ethos is matched by the businesses they interact with
• Why companies are working towards B Corp certification and what it means for consumers
• The growing importance of ESG to investors 
• The changes in the demands from tenants on real estate and how to adapt to this
• How the design of buildings is changing to incorporate more break out and collaborative spaces
• The increase Jonathan is seeing in use of sustainable materials and technologies
• Jonathan’s advice on what landlords can do to improve the EPCs
• How developers need to keep in mind their end client when building/renovating especially as they may be limited on what they can invest in based on EPC and ESG requirements

Companies Mentioned:

• Patagonia
• JLL
• Knight Frank
• Halo ARC

Key Insights From This Episode:

• I think from a general society perspective there is a move towards more corporate accountability, where large businesses are having to prove to their customer base that they are fulfilling staff welfare, they're fulfilling their promises on sustainability. -  Jonathan
  
  
• B Corp is a certification that companies can get that shows that they have changed or adapted the way that they do business to reflect a, a checklist of, of positive things. - Jonathan
  
  
• If you subscribe to the fact that tenants are your customer base, what the customer is demanding from his real estate is changing and you have to adapt to that. - Jonathan
  
  
• That's what I've noticed the most is you're seeing a lot of things that you would typically associate with office buildings coming through into industrial units and focusing on mainly sustainability. - Jonathan
  
  
• You're certainly seeing in offices a lot more sophisticated building monitoring systems and readouts that show quality of air within the building, how much is being circulated, particularly how much energy the building's consuming, and how that's being mitigated through sustainable features of the building. - Jonathan
  
  
• So I think in order to be truly sustainable and really focused on these things, every decision has to be looked at through a sustainability lens. - Jonathan

About Our Guest:

Jonathan is the Director at Omega RE and has previously worked at both JLL and Knight Frank.

Follow us on

• Twitter @omega_renews
• Instagram @omegare.re
• Facebook @omegare6

Sponsors

Launch Your Own Podcast

A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com

In episode six of our second series of Let’s Talk South Coast, our host Nella Pang is joined by Alex Blandford, Assistant Principal at UTC Portsmouth to talk about how community technology colleges partner with local businesses to help develop curriculums that instill key skills to the future workforce.

What you’ll hear about in this episode: 

• The different UTC sites and what they are trying to achieve within the local community
• How these colleges are funded
• Their aim to help students to consider the next steps within their careers/education
• How an ageing population and growing skills gap provides an opportunity for students
• The STEM learning habits they teach their students 
• Their ambition to bring UTC to Southampton and why Alex thinks this is so important
• Their primary outreach program that works to promote STEM within the local area

Companies Mentioned:

• Lockheed Martin
• NHS
• IBM
• DSTL
• PWC
• Baker Dearing Educational Trust
• https://fi-rem.com/
• Southampton City Council
• GO! Southampton
• Southampton Science Park

Shout Outs:

• James Doherty
• Lord Ken Barker

Key Insights From This Episode:

• There's actually 46 other UTCs, so 47 in total all across the country, and we've all got the same remit in that we are looking to fulfil a shortfall in the local workforce. - Alex
• The easiest way to look at it is we're funded, the same as any other state school. The difference is we are backed by industry partners. - Alex
• We've proved the model works and we've made UTC Portsmouth a real beacon of STEM in the local community. - Alex
• We currently engage with 11 local primary schools  and we are really keen to expand that to secondary schools as our outreach program grows. - Alex

About Our Guest:

Alex Blandford is the Assistant Principal at UTC Portsmouth, a specialist STEM College. Prior to this he was Head of Department at Springfield School.

Follow us on:

• Twitter @omega_renews
• Instagram @omegare.re
• Facebook @omegare6

Sponsors

Launch Your Own Podcast

A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com

In episode five of our second series of Let’s Talk South Coast, our host Nella Pang is joined by Ben Ross, Senior Surveyor at ABP to talk about the role that Southampton port plays in bringing investment and economic development to the area and their plans to continue and grow this in the future.

What you’ll hear about in this episode:

• The position Southampton Port is currently in and how they are trying to position themselves for the future
• The 3 core sectors that underpin ABP’s business
• How important the cruise ship business is to Southampton’s economy
• The benefits for businesses exporting goods to be based in Southampton
• The new opportunities for the area with Solent Freeport
• ABP’s commitment to sustainability 
• Their current port centric manufacturing developments
• The impact that Brexit and the pandemic had on ABP
• Where Ben sees future investment going

Companies Mentioned:

• ABP
• Marchwood Industrial Estate
• Eling Wharf
• Horizon Cruise Terminal
• Solent Freeport
• Marine and Maritime Institute
• Fawley Power Station

Shout Outs:

• Prof. John Barker

Key Insights From This Episode:

• Southampton is the UK's number one vehicle handling port. So pre-pandemic, and numbers have fallen a little bit since then due to various issues with supply chains, but pre-pandemic, we were handling about 900,000 vehicles per year. - Ben
• There are great opportunities across the port and for the region. In a way, I think Freeport could be seen as the icing on the cake really. - Ben
• ABP is by far the largest landlord within our region, covering over 900 acres of land for commercial and cruise operation with an additional 875 acres for potential port expansion. - Nella
• ABP has cut carbon emissions across the group by over 35% since 2014. - Ben
• We are an export port and primarily we export outside of the EU, so something like 70% of our trade is actually outside the EU.  So, I think we've been quite well sheltered from the impact of Brexit. - Ben

About Our Guest:

Ben Ross is a Senior Surveyor at Associated British Ports, the UK’s leading ports group, where he has worked for just over 5 years. Prior to this he was Estates Manager at Marina Developments Ltd.

Follow us on

• Twitter @omega_renews
• Instagram @omegare.re
• Facebook @omegare6

Sponsors

Launch Your Own Podcast

A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com

 In episode four of our second series of Let’s Talk South Coast, our host Nella Pang is joined by Becky Lodge, Founder of StartUp Disruptors to talk about the support they are offering to neurodiverse individuals who want to start a businesses on the South Coast and the communities that have been created around this.

What you’ll hear about in this episode:

• How StartUp Disruptors was formed by 9 people in a Portsmouth pub
• How securing their first sponsor, Uber changed the business
• How technology has altered the way we all do business 
• The different types of businesses Startup Disruptors help
• How they grew their online presence 
• How important it is for them to build a sense of community, so that everyone can feel included, no matter their background
• The £20k Startup Prize competition they are currently running and how businesses and individuals can get involved 

Resources:

• Omega RE website
• Gunwharf Quays
• Apex Gallery
• Women in Innovation
• £20k Startup Prize Giveaway Competition
• Portsmouth Innovation Awards

Companies Mentioned:

• University of Portsmouth Business School
• School for Social Entrepreneurs
• Southampton City Council
• Uber

Shout Outs:

• Sue Tilley
• Anne Boden

Key Insights From This Episode: 

• You can literally have a mobile phone and start a business. You can have a Facebook page and easily trade up to £85k - Becky
• We've helped 5,000 people to start a business since 2016.  - Becky
• It doesn't matter whether somebody wants a part-time side hustle, side gig, or to be the next Uber or Airbnb, we should have equity across the board and equality and parity. And that's what's been missing. And I think that's what makes us very disruptive. - Becky

About Our Guest:

Becky Lodge is Founder of Startup Disruptors the #1 digital support brand and award winning business incubator for neuro-diverse early adopters, pre-startup, start-up and small business owners in the U.K. 

Follow us on:

• Twitter @omega_renews
• Instagram @omegare.re
• Facebook @omegare6

Sponsors

Launch Your Own Podcast

A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com

In episode three of our second series of Let’s Talk South Coast, our host Nella Pang is joined by Steve Szalay, Operations Director at Southampton International Airport to talk about the contention that surrounded the runway extension and how they have been trying to balance the benefits to the region against any potential noise and environmental issues.

What you’ll hear about in this episode:

• The challenges they faced in getting the green light for the runway extension
• The sustainability planning the team are doing to mitigate the noise and environmental impact of the airport
• The struggle to balance the opposing views they receive with any development planning
• The proposed framework for the extension

Resources:

• Omega RE website
• Catalyst program at Southampton Science Park
• AB Solar Energy

Companies Mentioned:

• Southampton International Airport
• Southampton University
• Oceanography Centre

Shout Outs:

• Steve Thurston
• Professor John Barker

Key Insights From This Episode: 

•  I think we've managed to navigate a balanced way through, certainly a way which has got the support of the local population. 8,000 people wrote into the Council, into the consultation and 5,000 were supportive. - Steve
• What can we do better from a sustainability perspective? We've got quite a few initiatives going on at the airport, the first one is that we can say we're a carbon neutral airport and we're very proud of that. - Steve
• We’re going to have a live airport. We have the M27 junction, the train station, so we’ve got all these things which are enormous enablers. Then we’re going to have this development site and I would love it if in five to 10 years time, we look and we see the future of flight and the future of aviation. - Steve

About Our Guest:

Steve Szaley  works as Operations Director at Southampton International Airport, where his two roles are running the airport and winning the runway extension. 

Follow us on

• Twitter @omega_renews
• Instagram @omegare.re
• Facebook @omegare6

Sponsors

Launch Your Own Podcast

A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com

In episode two of our second series of Let’s Talk South Coast, our host Nella Pang is joined by George Long, Managing Director of the Land & New Homes Department of Charters Estate Agents to talk about the impact the current economic climate is having on buyer’s and investor’s confidence in the housing market. 

What you’ll hear about in this episode:

• How the current economic situation is impacting the housing market and the way people buy properties
• Public attitude and appetite for new housing developments and regeneration projects
• Where George sees the future of investment in the South Coast going and why
• What the rental market is currently doing
• Repositioning of towns and cities with the  evolution of the office following the impact Covid, and the effect that working from home has had on the office rental market.

Resources:

• Omega RE website
• North Stoneham Park Development
• Maritime Gateway
• Winter Gardens Development

Companies Mentioned:

• Charters Estate Agents

Key Insights From This Episode: 

• We have witnessed commercial investment ease in recent weeks. Given the political turmoil of 2022 we hope CAC stays in place, but it's obviously causing a nightmare for investors' confidence. - George
• Uncertainty stops people making decisions, and it's not just stopping people buying houses. It's stopping people buying televisions and cars, people are genuinely worried. But, the key thing is that we haven't seen a wholesale reduction in prices yet. People are still moving and I've never known a property market where people don't move. But we're going to shift into a different type of property market. - George
• If you look back historically over house price data, in Southampton over 10 years, house prices have gone up circa 40-42%. But, if you look at somewhere like Winchester, the city centre for the same period, prices have gone up 60% - George
• I don’t think there are wrong areas to build new build properties. It’s always been about numbers. As long as the numbers stack up on an appraisal, it's a good development to go and see. - George
• Southampton in its own right is a fantastic area to develop in because you've got low unemployment and you've got fantastic facilities all around the city. - George

About Our Guest:

George Long works as Managing Director at Charters Estate Agents where he uses his expert knowledge in all aspects of new home sales and marketing to sell new homes quickly and efficiently.  

Follow us on:

• Twitter @omega_renews
• Instagram @omegare.re
• Facebook @omegare6

Sponsors

Launch Your Own Podcast

A Podcast Company is the leading podcast production and strategic content company for brands, organisations, institutions, individuals, and entrepreneurs. Our team sets you up with the right strategy, equipment, training, and guidance and content to ensure you sound amazing while speaking to your niche audience and networking with your perfect clients. Get in touch hello@apodcastcompany.com