P&O Maritime Logistics which is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, will through its Irish office in Galway, provide full-service management of the Marine Institute’s new state-of-the-art research vessel, RV Tom Crean, on behalf of client the Marine Institute with the ship having entered service this week.

The newbuild's recent maiden voyage to Galway, the ship's homeport and base, was named after Tom Crean the Irish Antarctic explorer and seafarer. The new vessel will undertake important multidisciplinary research as well as maintenance of weather buoys and other critical ocean infrastructure on behalf of the Marine Institute – the government agency responsible for marine research, technology development and innovation in Ireland.

The Marine Institute sits under the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and plays a key role in providing scientific and technical advice to the Irish government on issues relating to Ireland’s marine resources. The vessel will play a key role in informing marine policy in island nation, and its state-of-the-art equipment will provide researchers with the high calibre tools that are necessary for such a critical job.

With the P&O Maritime Logistics’ tenured experience with research vessels and experience with leading technology systems, P&O Maritime Logistics personnel have been on site at the shipyard preparing for delivery and operation of the vessel including supporting the integration and testing of scientific equipment.

Tom Crean will replace the Marine Institute’s current research vessel, the 25-year-old Celtic Voyager, and along with the Celtic Explorer will provide a significant and enhanced capability for Irish Marine research. The vessel will be an important tool in gathering data and information to support the development and sustainable management of Ireland’s marine resources.

Director of Ocean Climate and Information Services at the Marine Institute, Michael Gillooly said: “The Celtic Voyager, operated by P&O Maritime Logistics greatly contributed to the expansion of marine Research, Technological Development and Innovation (RTDI) activity and with the arrival of the Celtic Voyagers replacement, the Tom Crean; this increase in activity will continue and make an important national and international contribution to the understanding and sustainable management of our oceans.”

On Tom Crean, P&O Maritime Logistics will provide a wide range of services, including operational, technical, instrumentation and IT support, workshops and crewing.

CEO of P&O Maritime Logistics, Martin Helweg said: “Researching the health of our oceans is incredibly important. As a maritime business we fully support the work of the Marine Institute and are honoured by the responsibility awarded to P&O Maritime Logistics to operate the Tom Crean.

“As a data-led business that leverages next-generation technology across our fleet and operations, and with our wide ranging and deep-rooted experience managing research vessels, P&O Maritime Logistics is well placed to operate the Tom Crean on behalf of the Marine Institute as it becomes operational.”

P&O Maritime Logistics has over a quarter century of experience managing research vessels, having operated ships on behalf of government agencies in France, Australia and the UK.