International marine autonomy and defence contractor, M Subs, has signed a lease agreement to expand business operations into the Plymouth and South Devon freeport on the UK’s south coast. 

Operating in both Texas, USA and Plymouth, M Subs designs and builds crewed and un-crewed underwater vehicles and autonomous ships, including the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS).

Sister company Submergence Group, based in Texas, is committing over a million pounds in foreign direct investment for M Subs to enable its expansion into the freeport. It is expected that this move will enable M Subs to import up to £5m in supporting technology over the next three years, with an export value in excess of £50m over the next decade.

M Subs says that this investment in a new-build facility within the Freeport’s South Yard site at Devonport in Plymouth will enable it to better fulfil its obligations to current international defence market contracts, including Project CETUS — a multi-million-pound contract with the Royal Navy to construct the service’s first crewless submarine.

“It is a pleasure to welcome M Subs to the freeport, and we look forward to working with Brett Phaneuf and his team to support them with their ambitious plans for the future,” says Richard May, CEO at Plymouth and South Devon freeport. “The investment and innovation that M Subs brings to the freeport, and local area, is a prime example of the opportunities that the freeport can afford new and expanding businesses.” 

One of the key objectives of the freeport is job creation and upskilling for the local workforce. M Sub’s expansion into the freeport is expected to create a minimum of twenty new full-time jobs at the facility within the next three years, in addition to maintaining the company’s 80 current employees.

“M Subs Ltd continues to expand our global reach operating from our expanding base in Plymouth,” says Brett Phaneuf, managing director of M Subs. “Our new facilities in the freeport will allow us to accelerate growth in the market by creating a new operations and maintenance centre for our state-of-the-art uncrewed marine vehicles, coupled with our AI and Autonomy R&D Centre in Turnchapel Wharf.  

“M Subs is deeply committed to educating, training and maintaining the future talent in the city, and the freeport facilities will provide the necessary job growth to make that happen, and to keep Plymouth the centre of marine autonomy and engineering in the UK.”

The freeport is a dynamic public/private partnership with Plymouth City Council, South Hams District Council and Devon County Council working alongside Princess Yachts, Carlton Power, the Sherford Consortium and a wider range of stakeholders.

“This announcement is really exciting for the Plymouth and South Devon area and will unlock new opportunities for growth and expansion,” says the UK’s levelling up minister, Dehenna Davison.

“It’s a great example of freeports enabling private investment to drive innovation and job creation for local people, and demonstrates why they play such a key role in our levelling up agenda.”

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