RESEARCH & INNOVATION

the ultimate R&D facility

R&D Campus

Custom-built facility to develop DEEP products and people

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From concept through development, to in-water trials and training.

DEEP Campus on the southern edge of the Wye Valley, close to the point where England and Wales meet. The 50-acre site has as its focal point an 80-metre deep, clear and controlled expanse of water known as Loch Lyr.

Combining in-water infrastructure, on-water equipment and shore-side facilities DEEP Campus is the world’s most capable facility from which to design, manufacture, assemble, trial and test subsea equipment, and to train the people who will use it.

“Deep’s unique underwater test and training facility is a game-changer for the industry. It offers an unparalleled environment for testing and perfecting our products, pushing the boundaries of innovation to new depths.”

Tom Blades

FOUNDER, DARK OCEAN

Take the campus tour

On-Water Facilities

Loch Lyr plays host to Subs Island. It’s from here that two state-of-the-art DEEP submersibles are launched, recovered and maintained. Dive Island hosts hyperbaric reception facilities and equipment supporting open- and closed-circuit, bounce- and saturation-diving activities. Water-space coordination and safety overwatch is provided by an elevated Command & Control centre directing safety vessels and rescue personnel.

Shore-side Facilities

On the perimeter banks of the loch are classrooms, theatres and operational spaces that are used to deliver modular, vocational training. On-site short- and long-stay accommodation, recreational facilities, woodland walks, wellbeing provisions and high-end catering options reflect the strongly held DEEP faith in the importance of Human Performance, and the fundamental and far-reaching benefits of optimum physiological and psychological wellness.

sub-surface features

Diver measuring coral underwater

Artificial Reefs

Artificial reefs allow students of the DEEP Institute to practice and master specialist skillsets, such as photogrammetry, photo transects and other oceanographic recording techniques.

Neckton Submersible breaking through the surface of the ocean

Vehicle Ranges

Loch Lyr is partitioned into distinct ranges, segregating Subs, ROVs and AUVs from people diving operations. The ranges can be reconfigured rapidly to create the ideal environment to test equipment.

Fixed rig camera under the surface of the ocean

Recording, Monitoring & Tracking

Fixed-rig and hand-held underwater, broadcast quality cameras, lights, and a live viewing gallery ashore allows feeds to be routed anywhere around Campus or offsite.

On-water Facilities

2 submersibles in a sheltered cover on a pontoon in the water

Subs Island

We can launch, recover and maintain two submersibles from our dedicated Subs Island. Includes workshop facilities, spares provision and everything required for diving operations.

3 free divers on the surface of the water

Dive Island

Dive Island features on-water classrooms, briefing facilities and equipment, and a surrounding area of dedicated water space within which to train divers of open- and closed-circuit diving activities.

Platform in water for emergency rescue

Rescue Island

Rescue Island is a dedicated, movable platform providing Safety-critical coverage and response facilities for all surface and subsurface operations at the DEEP Campus.

Shoreside Facilities

6 WAAM robot arms

WAAM

On-site Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing equipment and expertise. DEEP has one of the world’s largest, multi-arm WAAM capabilities for printing extremely large and complex projects.

Laser Directed Energy Deposition machine at DEEP Campus.

Rapid Prototyping

Laser Direct Energy Deposition equipment and 3D printing enables rapid parts and component manufacture on-site.

large warehouse space

Assembly Hall & Workshop

4441m2 Assembly and Workshop area, with excellent road haulage links, high ceilings and other things that people often don’t realise are essential in a manufacturing facility.

DEEP's wave tank

Wave & Current Tank

The DEEP wave & current tank has working dimensions of 17.0 (L) x 2.4 (W) x 1.2 (D) m. The tank’s programmable wave paddles generate wave of up to 0.3 m in height and can produce both regular and irregular sea states. The DEEP wave & current tank is ideal for small equipment and scale model testing.

Man inside a pressure pot

Pressure Test Facilities

Campus hosts two pressure test pots. The largest can accommodate 4.2m3 and pressures up to 20 Bar. The smaller is ideal for materials testing and accommodates 7.1L at pressures up to 30 Bar.

presentation speakers on stage whilst a crowd watches on

Event Spaces

Host an event in one of our flexible event spaces. From informal gatherings of 50 in our country pub, through to high production-value events at our Campus.

Meeting room in DEEP's office

Office Space

On-site and nearby office accommodation with gigabit internet access and secure connections between sites.

Hospitality & Accommodation

An artist's impression of DEEP's beautifully appointed cabins overlooking Loch Lyr at DEEP Campus

On-site Accommodation

Campus includes sixty single-occupancy cabins suitable for long and short-term stays, allowing entire teams to base themselves at Campus throughout a product development cycle.

Wood-fired Pizza in oven

Onsite Catering

DEEP’s hospitality teams can provide daily changing menus of nutritious and delicious food to teams working at the Campus. From working lunches to event canapés and fine dining.

A path surrounded by trees

Woodland Campus Walks

Enjoy a 45-minute circular walk through the Campus grounds, stopping at one of four sitooteries – covered areas to enjoy lunch or a quiet phone-call among nature.

The Wild Hare pub in Tintern

Hotel Accommodation

DEEP’s village pub, The Wild Hare and, soon, The Abbey Hotel in Tintern are both a short off-road walk or cycle through the beautiful Wye Valley. Each provides gourmet, balanced dining and quiet comfortable accommodation for Campus users.

Man in the gym with weights stacked behind him

Rest & Recuperation

Campus includes an on-site gym, ice-baths, and yoga instruction to help you take care of your body after a day’s work. Outdoor communal fires allow for team cooking and socialising.

You might also be interested in

Laser Directed Energy Deposition machine at DEEP Campus.

Advanced Manufacturing

World-class Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing suite offering scalable solutions starting with single-arm set-ups, up to one of the world’s largest arrays of synchronised mutli-arm systems.

Female engineer working on a compute

Research Projects

Our Research team are inventing, re-inventing and refining the fundamental sciences that underpin today’s understanding of humankind’s ability to live and work subsea.