PML Applications Strategy

PML Applications began trading in April 2002 as the commercial branch of the charity, Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML). It is an Environmental Consultancy, providing a variety of services to help businesses understand, monitor and reduce their environmental impact as well as an innovation centre for novel marine technologies.

PML Applications carries out commercial work to provide financial support to its sole shareholder, Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML).

Since 2020, PML Applications has provided PML with £4.46M through gift-aid and inter-company trading. This is projected to increase as PML Applications grow, providing essential funding for PML’s scientific research.

One of the uses for PML’s gift-aid money is to work with PhD candidates and employ apprentices so the PML group can support future growth in the marine science industry.

Both PML Applications and PML have a mission to create a positive environmental impact and minimise harm to the environment. This is achieved by creating frameworks, influencing policy, and working with clients so they can better understand their environmental impact.

Our work with clients focuses on:

• Reducing our clients’ marine environmental impact
• Helping our clients understand the marine environment in which they operate

For PML, PML Applications’ vision is to provide predictable and sustainable funding to enable PML to independently deliver its charitable marine environmental aims.

For our work as a commercial stakeholder to PML, our three year mission, underpinned by our strategy, is to invest in, develop, and sustainably grow our business, so that by F.Y.  2028/29 we will return a £1M contribution to PML, with a trajectory of sustainable growth thereafter.

When writing our values, we considered both what we will and will not do so we continue to uphold our identity as an impartial, approachable, quality Environmental Consultancy team.

We will always:

• Seek to reduce our clients’ negative environmental impact
• Deliver a professional and enjoyable experience for our clients
• Work with independence, integrity and honesty in terms of data generation and customer confidentiality
• Provide the highest level of customer care possible
• Trust, support and celebrate our colleagues
• Seek to continuously improve how we operate, internally and externally

We will not:

• Undertake work that knowingly results in environmental degradation
• Influence outcomes that are not supported by impartial and robust data
• Undertake work with entities that do not treat our employees, other parties or the marine environment with respect

Within PML Applications, our culture, identity and values are unique and provide a valuable insight to our clients of the working ethos of our colleagues.

Our values are founded on:

• The Ocean – and its protection through understanding
• Our Clients – focusing on providing exceptional customer care
• Our Employees – achieving success in business by supporting our people

We continue to develop our capabilities and resources in our current areas of service to achieve steady growth and increase our expertise. This is accompanied by a commitment to maintaining quality, ensuring technical accuracy in our projects, paired with high-level customer care.

At PML Applications, we operate under four Centres of Excellence:

• The Centre for Coastal Technologies
• The Centre for Environmental Solutions
• The Centre for Geospatial Applications
• The Centre for Marine Biofouling and Corrosion

Our strategy focuses on communication between the Centres in order to offer expanded services and cross-centre collaboration. This allows us to provide comprehensive project support to our clients that draws on the expertise of colleagues from a range of disciplines.

Our employees are a team of driven, positive people who pay close attention to detail and care about their work. We nurture team members and provide opportunities for learning, promotion and growth within the company.