Two different backgrounds. One new approach.
Pulcea brings together the complementary experience of Ian Armstrong and Ian Jamieson.
Their careers span the international marine sector, practical experience of hydrogen peroxide, marine physics and engineering. Their unusual combination of expertise has provided the foundations for a different way of thinking about underwater noise. Together, they explored how established physics and chemistry could be applied in a new way.
Ian Jamieson
Ian brings his extensive experience in physics, engineering and the marine environment to Pulcea’s technical development.
A graduate of Heriot-Watt University, he began his career with the Admiralty Research Establishment as a Scientific Officer before spending more than two decades in roles culminating at QinetiQ as a Consultant Engineer.
As a Chartered Physicist, Ian subsequently worked in the oil and gas sector before joining Pulcea in 2017. His career combines scientific research with the practical application of physics and engineering to complex marine and energy challenges.
At Pulcea, his extensive marine physics and engineering expertise has been central to understanding the behaviour of very small gas bubbles and their influence on transmission of sound underwater.
Ian Armstrong
Ian brings decades of international marine-sector experience in aquaculture and a track record of developing practical solutions through collaboration.
A graduate in Ecological Science from the University of Edinburgh and a Nuffield Farming Scholar, Ian had a varied career in the international salmon farming industry, including management roles in Scotland, Norway and Chile.
In 2002, Ian established an independent consultancy working across the international marine sector. His collaborative approach gave him extensive practical knowledge of using hydrogen peroxide in the marine environment.
At Pulcea, Ian brings together marine-sector knowledge, commercial experience and collaborative innovation to help progress the novel technology towards practical offshore application.
The Pulcea journey
2021/22 | THE DISCOVERY
Pulcea investigated improving the welfare of H2O2 treatments in the salmon farming industry by using acoustic power to oscillate oxygen bubbles. A European Protected Species (EPS) licence was required to conduct their open water research and during this period Ian Jamieson assessed the surprisingly effective noise attenuation delivered by these densely packed oxygen bubbles. Research revealed that the physics of this phenomenon was well known in freshwater, but the effect was too unstable to have a commercial application. Seawater provides the required stability to successfully attenuate underwater noise in offshore waters.
2022 | GREENOFFSHORETECH
Pulcea was selected for the GreenOffshoreTech Accelerator Programme, providing access to European funding, specialist expertise and structured support to develop its novel acoustic barrier concept. Pulcea undertook their preliminary trial work at Kishorn Port and progressed through all three phases of the programme, thereby providing an important foundation for its subsequent development.
2023 | OFFSHORE WIND SPIN-IN COMPETITION
Pulcea participated in Advance Northumberland’s inaugural Offshore Wind Spin-in Competition to develop connections within the North East England offshore wind sector. Their commitment to this opportunity delivered many benefits including the £10,000 first prize.
2023 | WIND ENERGY SUPPORT TOOLKIT (WEST)
Pulcea improved their understanding of the wider offshore wind sector by being selected for this excellent UK programme funded by the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP). Opergy consultants provided a structured support package which provided very helpful guidance during the early phase of Pulcea’s pivot to the offshore wind sector.
2023/24 | TIGGOR2
Pulcea was selected as one of five North East companies for the second round of the Technology, Innovation and Green Growth for Offshore Renewables – TIGGOR2. This was managed by Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult and funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) and sponsored by Equinor and EDF Renewables.
TIGGOR2’s programme provided access to funding, specialist expertise and access to ORE Catapult’s dock facilities in Blyth, supporting the development, testing and independent evaluation of Pulcea’s technology. Partners included Harlyn Solutions and S&A Technical, whilst Osbit kindly provided free of charge technical support. A professor of underwater acoustics at Newcastle University provided confirmation of the acoustic potential.
The highlight of TIGGOR2 was the dock demonstration to five leading OWF developers whose acoustic experts and installation engineers provided valuable guidance as to Pulcea’s required next step. Their recommendations formed the basis of the TIGGOR2.5 workplan.
2024 | LAUNCH ACADEMY 2024
Pulcea secured a place on the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult’s Launch Academy, providing access to UK wide technical and commercial support and specialist industry expertise. Experts from Launch Academy sponsors RWE, Scottish Power Renewables and bp provided helpful guidance from an OWF developer perspective.
2024 | ARROW PROGRAMME
Through the Arrow innovation support programme, Pulcea worked with Newcastle University to strengthen its understanding of underwater noise and marine mammal acoustics in an offshore wind context.
The university produced an independent report, Reviewing the impact of pile driving during offshore wind farm construction on marine mammal vocalisations. Their findings provided valuable scientific insight to inform the continued development and application of Pulcea’s high-performance bubble curtain.
2025/26 | TIGGOR2.5
Pulcea was selected alongside two other North East companies for the final TIGGOR programme, with the three companies receiving an equal share of £600,000 from the North East Combined Authority to develop and demonstrate technologies addressing key offshore wind challenges. Industry sponsors for TIGGOR2.5 were Equinor and EDF power solutions UK & Ireland.
For Pulcea, TIGGOR2.5 provided the opportunity to act on the OWF developer guidance obtained during TIGGOR2 and deliver their required improvements by contracting independent noise consultancy Seiche to examine the TIGGOR2 tests, improve the robustness of the TIGGOR2.5 test programme and then analyse the subsequent data to OWF standards. A comprehensive dissemination programme was undertaken focusing on the leading Tier 1 installation contractors.
NOW | THE NEXT STAGE
Pulcea has steadily progressed their novel high-performance bubble curtain from scientific principle through experimental testing, modelling, acoustic analysis and engineering development. Their focus is now on undertaking the extensive preparatory planning, engineering and modelling work required to successfully undertake a Technology Demonstration of appropriate scale in acoustically relevant waters.
Pulcea’s ambition is to build a consortium of interested commercial partners together with fully integrated regulatory guidance so that their technology can play its part in the timely delivery of Net Zero.
Built through collaboration
Alongside its Scottish roots and base in Stirling, the North East of England has become an important part of Pulcea’s development. With world-class offshore engineering capability, research expertise and the testing infrastructure centred around Blyth and the wider North East, the region has provided a natural environment in which to develop Pulcea’s technology for offshore wind.
Pulcea has remained a focused two-person R&D business while drawing on specialist expertise at important stages of development. Through its innovative approach that has brought offshore engineering, academic, underwater acoustic and business development expertise around the technology.
This collaborative approach enables Pulcea to access specialist capability as the technology develops while maintaining a clear focus on progressing the high performance bubble curtain.
From its North East base, Pulcea is developing technology intended to address an underwater noise challenge faced by offshore wind projects internationally.
Blyth Innovation Cluster
Companies we work with
Working together
Pulcea’s development has been built through science, engineering and collaboration.
We welcome conversations with organisations interested in the continued development and future offshore application of Pulcea’s high performance bubble curtain.
Blyth, Northumberland
G10 Blyth WorkSpace, Commissioners Quay, Quay Road, Blyth NE24 3AF
Stirling, Scotland
Unit 2, Alpha Centre, Stirling University Innovation Park, Stirling FK9 4NF