Companies and individuals leading the UK’s £9.4billion underwater industry were honoured at the Subsea Expo Awards in Aberdeen recently.
Around 350 guests gathered for the annual awards dinner, organised by Global Underwater Hub, the leading trade and industry development body for the UK’s underwater sectors. The prestigious event, on Wednesday, February 4, celebrated the achievements of companies and individuals that are at the forefront of the subsea sector and wider underwater industry.
A highlight of the two-day Subsea Expo conference and exhibition, the Subsea Expo Awards saw accolades presented in nine categories. Reflecting the underwater industry’s reach right across the UK, companies from Aberdeen, Bristol, Hampshire, Hertfordshire and Newcastle collected awards at the event, which was hosted by television personality and comedian Cally Beaton.
The Technology Development Award, sponsored by Viper Innovations, was won by Aberdeen-based Sentinel Subsea, acknowledging the development of its well integrity monitoring technology WellSentinel. Electrical monitoring and asset integrity provider Viper Innovations, headquartered in Portishead, near Bristol, and with an office in Aberdeen, secured the Cross Sector Innovation Award for its spread-spectrum time-domain reflectometry diagnostic technology.
Recognising achievement in international growth, Hertfordshire cable manufacturer Fibron BX collected the Global Development Award, this was sponsored by C-Kore Systems which won the award last year. The inaugural Workforce Development Initiative Award was picked up by South Hampshire College Group, in recognition of its Tech+Tour project. The collaborative initiative, launched in 2023, set out to address skills gaps and workforce shortages in a range of sectors, including maritime and logistics, in the Solent area.
Three Company of the Year categories recognised the successes of businesses of differing scales, demonstrating the breadth and diversity of the UK underwater industry’s supply chain, which supports around 52,000 jobs.
The Small Company of the Year Award – for a business with fewer than 50 employees – was won by Aberdeen firm HPR ROV. The award, sponsored by Deepsea Technologies, recognised the performance of the specialist subsea inspection and light intervention provider.
Aberdeen-based MacArtney UK, which offers design, engineering and project management services to a range of marine markets and is the UK arm of global underwater technology provider MacArtney, was named Medium-sized Company of the Year, which was for businesses with between 50 and 250 staff.
The company accolade for firms employing over 250 employees – the Large Company of the Year Award – went to Newcastle business SMD. Employing over 300 personnel, SMD has been a pioneer in developing underwater technology for over 50 years and recently invested £3 million to open SMD Tech Works, a new home for its innovation division.
Two individuals at either end of their careers were also honoured on the night. Neha Bahukhandi, a lead software engineer with Aberdeen-based Elementz, which provides subsea integrity software, won the Rising Star Award, sponsored by Genesis.
The Outstanding Contribution Award, which acknowledges an individual who has made a significant contribution to the subsea sector or wider underwater industry, was presented to Zander Bruce, global subsea discipline engineering manager with BP in Aberdeen. Mr Bruce, a well-known figure in the energy industry in north-east Scotland, has spent the last 25 years with BP, where he has managed the extensive subsea infrastructure operated by the firm in the North Sea.
Neil Gordon, chief executive of Global Underwater Hub, said: “Each year, the talent, innovation, drive, achievements and ambition of the UK’s £9.4billion underwater industry is proudly on display at the Subsea Expo Awards.
“This is an industry that has ties to communities right across the UK and benefits local economies, clearly demonstrated once again this year by the firms collecting accolades. It is an industry in demand globally and has a critical role to play in the energy transition and the drive to net-zero.”
The awards are a highlight of the two-day Subsea Expo exhibition and conference, which took place at P&J Live in Aberdeen on Wednesday, 4 and Thursday, 5 February 2026.