UK Consortium Launches Groundbreaking Additive Manufacturing Propeller

16th September 2025

Afloat.ie Team

Conceptual render of the Digitally Enabled Efficient Propeller (D.E.E.P) Credit: Enki Marine

A world-leading consortium of industry and research leaders has announced a landmark project to develop the world’s first digitally enabled, additively manufactured propeller - a step that could transform marine propulsion and offshore operations, and redefine how these sectors design, build, and certify critical components.

Funded by Innovate UK’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, the D.E.E.P project combines additive manufacturing with digital twin technology to create smart propellers capable of monitoring their own performance. The initiative brings together Enki Marine Ltd, Stone Marine Propulsion, TWI, DEEP Manufacturing, Authentise, ASTM International, and Newcastle University.

Consortium members at the project kick-off meeting at DEEP Manufacturing’s HQ in Bristol

The announcement comes during London International Shipping Week, and ahead of World Maritime Day, underlining the UK’s role in driving maritime innovation.

The Digitally Enabled Efficient Propeller (D.E.E.P) project aims to pioneer a new generation of marine propellers manufactured using advanced additive manufacturing (AM) processes, integrated with digital twin technology. This innovation will transform propellers from passive hardware into smart, cyber-physical systems capable of monitoring their performance throughout their operational life.

The D.E.E.P concept has secured funding from Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC6) to launch the Techno-Economic Feasibility Study of Manufacturing Digitally Enabled Efficient Propellers.

Crucially, the project will investigate the technology readiness of multiple AM processes for the highly regulated and complex maritime sector, benchmark their performance against conventional casting methods, and establish a clear pathway towards classification approval and type certification. This approach will ensure that the project not only delivers technical innovation but also creates a credible framework for industrial adoption and regulatory compliance.

Published in Marine Tech, Ports & Shipping

Published in Marine Tech

Tagged under

About The Author

Afloat.ie Team

Email The Author

Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.

Have you got a story for our reporters? Email us here.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven't put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full-time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.

You might also want to read...

About Marine Technology

Marine technology, as defined by the European association WEGEMT, refers to the use of technology for ensuring the safe use, exploitation, protection of, and intervention in, the marine environment. This includes a wide range of technologies that support naval architecture, marine engineering, ship design, ship building, and ship operations.

In addition to these foundational technologies, marine technology also encompasses oil and gas exploration, exploitation, and production, hydrodynamics, navigation, sea surface and sub-surface support, underwater technology and engineering, marine resources (including both renewable and non-renewable marine resources), transport logistics and economics, inland, coastal, short sea and deep sea shipping, protection of the marine environment, and leisure and safety.

The importance of marine technology cannot be overstated. With over 70% of the earth's surface covered by water, the marine environment plays a critical role in our lives. From transportation to energy production, marine technology enables us to harness the immense potential of the oceans while minimizing the impact on the environment.

Moreover, the development of marine technology is crucial for the sustainable use of marine resources. As the demand for seafood and other marine products continues to grow, the sustainable management of these resources becomes increasingly important. Marine technology can help us to achieve this by providing innovative solutions for sustainable fishing, aquaculture, and other forms of marine resource management.

In Ireland, claims are made that the island country "has the potential to be the “Silicon Valley” of the aquatech world". Ireland is at a very exciting stage when it comes to aquatech. There are currently 62 aquatech companies operating here, all using technology to enable sustainable seafood farming at a time when the sector is facing many challenges.”

Ireland’s growing expertise in the developing aquatech sector means it has the potential to become a global leader in the field, with Irish aquatech companies turning over €200m last year.

Over €15m has been invested in aquatic businesses, and over 200 high-tech jobs have been created in the sector over the last six years.

In conclusion, marine technology is a vast and rapidly evolving field encompassing a broad range of technologies and applications. As we continue to explore and exploit the potential of the oceans, marine technology will play an increasingly important role in ensuring the safe and sustainable use of these resources.