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Global provider of subsea excavation, fabrication and engineering, blast containment and screw conveyor services.
Business profile
Established in the defence and oil and gas sectors.
50-year company history and global track record.
Well-known for its seabed excavation product, the patented Sea Axe ™.
Support recieved
Business Transformation
Solutions for the offshore wind industry
Patented product, Sea Axe ™, has direct applications in Offshore Wind.
Sea Axe ™ is the most environmentally friendly subsea excavation tool available; even the oil used by the hydraulic system is eco-friendly.
Fabrication business unit is well-positioned to exploit opportunities in the Floating Offshore Wind market.
A closer look at JBS Fabrication
JBS Fabrication’s patented Sea Axe ™ product for controlled-flow subsea excavation incorporates a state-of-the-art vortex chamber which applies a large controlled water column to the seabed.
Through a process that uses natural erosion rather than the traditional method of high pressure jetting, the tool can be used for burying or de-burying assets, seabed levelling, rock dump removal and free-span corrections. The advantages over traditional high pressure jetting methods are numerous and include reduced environmental impact, vessel time and required deck space, and increased flexibility, efficiency and precision.
Impact of the support
Increased market knowledge and commercial confidence.
Developed a strategy to target the offshore renewables market.
Enhanced exposure to the sector and informed marketing advice.
Before
Prior to engaging with OWGP, the offshore renewables sector was a new market for JBS Fabrication, accounting for only 2% of revenue in 2020. The company had secured two offshore wind contracts but had not proactively targeted the sector, and had minimal understanding of the market and where its services and products would fit. Following its collaboration with OWGP, the company is now growing in the offshore renewables sector with various project opportunities and bids in the pipeline.
During
Following its successful application, JBS Fabrication joined the WEST Programme in November 2021 and was paired with OWGP’s delivery partner, Everoze, which provided a comprehensive and detailed breakdown of the sector, holding discovery sessions to allow a better understanding of JBS Fabrication’s capabilities. Everoze identified the company’s Sea Axe ™ as a ‘hero product’, highlighting it as being able to meet market demand and offering significant commercial potential.
After
A major outcome of OWGP’s support was the provision of strategic direction and identifying the right customer sets.
As one employee describes it, “Without the WEST programme we could have spent two years targeting the wrong people.”
The programme also bolstered the company’s understanding of the offshore renewables market more broadly, allowing it to identify where its products and services were relevant, particularly in relation to the Sea Axe ™, and the appropriate tiers in the supply chain it should be targeting.
JBS Fabrication also gained increased exposure and visibility in the offshore renewables sector and has since developed new marketing materials with which to approach the supply chain, highlighting both Sea Axe ™ and a range of other relevant applications within its fabrication business unit.
“With Offshore Wind being an important target growth market for our business, OWGP’s WEST programme provided us with invaluable knowledge and advice, and helped us facilitate relationships with key contacts in the industry.
Without question, it accelerated our inroads to the market whilst empowering us to identify the best opportunities within our portfolio to add real value to this new arena.”
