A celebration of academic and industry collaboration: The Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Maritime Engineering innovation

Search and rescue craft have to endure the toughest conditions to save lives at sea. The design, resourcing, operation and support of a search and rescue fleet requires state-of-the-art technology and an ability to react to and exploit cutting edge research and foment future research agenda. This article reviews the unique relationships that exist between the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and academia to drive engineering innovations to the forefront of Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s search and rescue craft and in particular the legacy of the Advanced Technology Partnership.