Science, Innovation and Technology Committee
Oral evidence: Innovation showcase, HC 523
Tuesday 9 December 2025
Ordered by the House of Commons to be published on 9 December 2025.
Members present: Dame Chi Onwurah (Chair); Emily Darlington; Samantha Niblett; Adam Thompson; Freddie van Mierlo; Daniel Zeichner.
Question 45
Witness
I: Paul Hollingshead, Lead, UK & Europe, Saronic.
Witness: Paul Hollingshead.
Q45 Chair: Welcome to the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee’s innovation showcase. The Committee wants to understand how the UK supports innovators and what more can be done. To inform our work, each week we select an innovator to share their story before our main evidence session.
Today we have Paul Hollingshead, who is representing Saronic. Saronic is a company that provide naval and maritime forces with intelligent autonomous surface vessels—he was unable to bring one with him today. Through their innovation, Saronic aim to help address emerging challenges in naval defence, which is a very important and topical subject. Paul, welcome. Tell us about your innovation.
Paul Hollingshead: Thank you. Chair, members of the Committee, I am Paul Hollingshead, manager for the UK and Europe at Saronic Technologies. It is my pleasure to be before the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee today.
For this innovation showcase, I will focus on autonomous technologies and specifically the opportunities for the United Kingdom in embracing maritime autonomy, something that Saronic is a global leader in. I will therefore describe opportunities for new market creation in the UK, autonomy as a catalyst for maritime renewal and the strategic importance of supportive regulation for emerging technologies.
Autonomy is a generational opportunity for the UK, but it is also a generational risk, if we fall behind. The countries that master autonomous technologies will shape the standards, markets, security and economic advantages of the future; the countries that do not will depend upon them instead. As an island nation with a proud maritime heritage, the UK must and can take leadership in this area. This is no longer a long-term aspiration or choice; it is a necessity. The UK must act with urgency.
I have two asks of the Committee today. I would be grateful if the Committee could, first, consider an inquiry specifically focused on the regulatory barriers that are currently stalling the development of autonomous systems in the UK and, secondly, consider taking on a convening role, bringing together relevant Government Departments and stakeholders to accelerate progress.
I will take a moment to introduce Saronic. Saronic is building the next generation of fully autonomous ships and boats. Headquartered in Texas, Saronic was founded to solve the challenge of developing and deploying scalable, flexible and cost-effective autonomous maritime systems. Our team brings together expertise from software engineering, advanced manufacturing and maritime operations. Our approach is to design ships for mass production with software at the core rather than retrofit old models. Our technology enables safer, more efficient and more secure maritime operations, reducing risk to life and opening up new economic opportunities.
We have already delivered operational platforms in the United States and are now expanding our presence in the UK, in London, Portsmouth and potentially elsewhere around the nation. Saronic’s ambitions align closely with the UK’s industrial strategy and the science and technology framework, both of which set out a vision for economic growth, productivity and global leadership in science and innovation. Our work directly supports these national priorities by advancing critical technologies and building industrial capability in the UK.
The global race for leadership in autonomy and AI is accelerating. In the United States, for example, autonomy is becoming mainstream. Tesla alone has more than 2 million vehicles on the road equipped with full self-driving. At Saronic, we have amassed more than 16,000 operational hours with our autonomous vessels in the US, while the UK has yet to log its first meaningful hours at sea.
This early momentum and high volume matters. It enables the collection of vast amounts of real-world data, driving continuous improvement and innovation, and it has a compounding effect. Early adopters move further and faster ahead as their systems learn and evolve. Our approach is to place autonomy and AI at the core of industrial products. Everything is modular by design and built to improve throughout its lifecycle, powered by the data generated in real-world operations. By focusing on fully unmanned ships, we eliminate unnecessary complexity. It allows for simpler design and mechanical requirements, unlocks mass production and rapid scaling. Our Marauder vessel, 50 metres long, will be the fastest built ship in the United States since World War II.
The UK also has an opportunity to leapfrog traditional shipbuilding and manufacturing models, which are long burdened by delays, cost overruns and ongoing maintenance issues. Our allies are moving fast, but it is also important to highlight that 50% of global shipbuilding is now concentrated in China alone.
Autonomy can be a catalyst for UK innovation. By embracing autonomy, we will attract global investment, boost exports and strengthen the UK’s industrial base. The Regulatory Innovation Office has already identified drones and autonomous technologies as core priorities. It is a critical technology that underpins the UK’s future competitiveness.
At Saronic, we are demonstrating that autonomy is an engine for innovation and growth, unlocking efficiencies and creating new industries and ecosystems. As an example, over the next couple of years we will build hundreds of autonomous ships from our US production facilities. At 50 metres long, these ships have a large and usable deck space. That presents significant opportunities for other UK companies, radar and sensor manufacturers and others, to innovate, build and commercialise their products at scale.
Embracing autonomy to revitalise the maritime industry will also enable people and communities in the UK to benefit from these technologies, although they may have felt excluded. We are building a very broad, skilled workforce, all of whom are meaningfully contributing to and benefiting from transformational technology and this industrial approach.
I was recently in Louisiana, where we have announced a $300 million investment in our shipyard and significant local job creation. I spent time with former fishing boat captains who are now testing and evaluating our vessels. In the UK, we will need fishermen, boat builders, welders, technicians and electricians as well as the coders and data scientists that are necessary. That could be, for example, in Portsmouth, Barrow or Tyneside.
However, there are major barriers to achieving the widespread adoption of autonomy and AI in the UK. They are no longer technical, but about creating a business-driven regulatory environment that enables commercialisation at scale. Autonomy is still not widely understood in the UK and there is a need for greater awareness of its benefits, potential and the environment that we need to succeed. This has to happen at speed or the UK will be too far behind to catch up.
We want to bring investment, jobs and advanced manufacturing to the UK, as highlighted in the US-UK technology partnership agreement, and our ships are ready for deployment and scale, offering real-world solutions to the challenges facing the UK maritime sector. What we need from Government is a clear and joined-up regulatory framework that supports fast adoption and commercial roll-out. If Government can deliver the right regulatory environment, Saronic and other innovators will deliver the investment and industrial capability needed to secure the UK’s leadership in autonomous technologies.
The UK has just laid out a strong strategic foundation and demand signal. From the defence industrial strategy to the Royal Navy’s hybrid navy vision, the Ministry of Defence is a committed partner and alignment is strong, but to unlock fully the potential of autonomous maritime the UK needs timely implementation of enabling regulation to allow testing, certification and commercial roll-out; structured collaboration between Government and industry to shape practical, innovation-friendly standards; to attract investment in UK-based manufacturing and software capabilities for building sovereign capacity and strengthening local supply chains; and international alignment, ensuring that UK standards are interoperable with our allies and export markets.
Saronic is committed to helping shape the future of the UK maritime industry. Our aim is to support and contribute to a practical, forward-looking regulatory framework that enables innovation and commercial success, all aligned with the ambitions of the UK’s industrial strategy and science and technology framework. Together with members of this Committee, we can ensure the safe and confident adoption of autonomy and AI, strengthening the UK’s national capability and global competitiveness.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak today, Chair.
Chair: Thank you very much, Mr Hollingshead. It is certainly very interesting to hear what you have to say about autonomous ships. There has been a lot of discussion about autonomous vehicles and their roll-out in their regulatory environment in this country. I am certainly not aware of a similar level of discussion and attention on autonomous ships and the opportunity that you outline for us. As you say, as an island nation, it is certainly something that we should be thinking about and looking at.
Thank you very much for presenting your innovation showcase.