A government minister has praised Southampton for its "maritime innovation" yesterday at a conference which is bring together leaders from the industry.

While Ocean Cruise Terminal will welcome Fred. Olsen’s Balmoral cruise ship next Tuesday, for yesterday and today the space is being used for the Maritime UK Solent’s Coastal Powerhouse Summit.

The event is being held at a time when the government has announced its largest increase in defence spending since the Cold War.

Commodore Marcel Rosenberg, commander of His Majesty’s Naval Base, Portsmouth, was one of the high-profile speakers to deliver a keynote address on the summit’s first day.

Commodore Rosenberg spoke on the role of defence in a modern economy.

But the summit also focused on maritime innovation, showcasing collaboration opportunities and highlighting Southampton as a pivotal hub for the energy’s decarbonisation energy transitions.

READ MORE: Maritime defence to be focus at Southampton summit

Mike Kane MP, minister for aviation, maritime and security, also delivered a speech on the first day, praising Southampton and other areas on the Solent for its innovation.

“Your iconic floating bridge improved local lives and livelihoods for over 140 years,” Mr Kane said.

“Today, as maritime turns its attention to its climate commitments, we are seeing more of those bold ideas emerge.”

The Ocean Cruise Terminal was turned into a conference room for the Maritime UK Solent's Coastal Powerhouse Summit.The Ocean Cruise Terminal was turned into a conference room for the Maritime UK Solent's Coastal Powerhouse Summit. (Image: Newsquest) Mr Kane spoke of the government’s new goals for all vessels that operate in UK waters and dock at UK ports to be carbon free.

The new Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, announced yesterday in Portsmouth, sets out goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030, 80% by 2040 and to zero by 2050.

Another highlight of the summit was a showcase of ABP’s Energy Ventures Accelerator Innovation Exchange, which aims to enable the energy transition by creating clusters of innovative ventures in the UK’s most important industrial hubs.

The second day of the summit will feature on-the-water demonstrations and presentations from maritime innovators.

READ MORE: Maritime innovation focus at summit in Southampton

Other speakers at the event include the president of Carnival UK and P&O cruises Paul Ludlow, the director of Port of Southampton Alastair Welch and the CEO of Maritime UK Chris Shirling-Rooke.

Mike Kane MP sat ahead of his speech at the Maritime UK Solent's Coastal Powerhouse Summit.Mike Kane MP sat ahead of his speech at the Maritime UK Solent's Coastal Powerhouse Summit. (Image: Newsquest) However, in his speech Mr Kane also said that while speaking to a journalist in Portsmouth yesterday, he accidentally had a slip of the tongue.

He said: “On the fourth question, one of the journalists said ‘Mike, what’s the weather doing?’

“I said, oh the weather, the sun is cracking the stones here in Southampton today.

“I was in Portsmouth. It was a whole pride of Hampshire thing going on, I had to do a retake.”