The British Are Coming! - to make autonomous boats in Mississippi
The Portsmouth, England-based company plans a nearly $6.1 million operation in Hancock County, with work expected to begin in the second quarter of 2027.
SubSea Craft, a British maker of autonomous maritime vessels, will locate operations at Port Bienville in Hancock County, the Mississippi Development Authority announced Thursday. The project represents a corporate investment of nearly $6.1 million and is expected to create 56 jobs.
Headquartered in Portsmouth, England, SubSea Craft develops maritime platforms and autonomous technologies for defense, security and commercial customers. The company will occupy an existing facility at Port Bienville, which MDA said will become its primary U.S. commercial production center.
From the Bay St. Louis location, the company plans to manufacture advanced composite components for autonomous surface vessels, conduct testing and software validation, and provide maintenance and technical support for customers across the country, according to MDA.
The state is assisting through the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive, or MFLEX, program. Hancock County and AccelerateMS, the state’s workforce development agency, are also assisting with the project. The value of the incentives was not disclosed in the announcement.
SubSea Craft expects to begin operations in the second quarter of 2027 and plans to fill the 56 jobs by 2028.
Gov. Tate Reeves said the investment would “add to the momentum we’re seeing in our Gulf Coast’s blue economy.” “These are the kinds of jobs that give our people the opportunity to build careers in advanced industries right here at home,” he said.
MDA Executive Director Bill Cork said the company considered multiple locations before choosing Hancock County. He said Port Bienville offered “existing space and strong infrastructure that can turn a site decision into an operating facility without wasting time,” as well as Gulf access that is “crucial for advanced maritime and defense technology.”
SubSea Craft Chief Executive Officer Camilla Martin said the United States is a key market for the company. “This facility will enable us to manufacture, integrate, test and support advanced autonomous maritime systems at pace, strengthening our ability to support both U.S. and international customers while creating highly skilled jobs in the region,” she said.
AccelerateMS Executive Director Courtney Taylor said the operation will require a workforce that connects the state’s maritime expertise with advanced manufacturing, autonomous systems, software validation and technical support, and that the agency would work with education and workforce partners to build that talent pipeline.
Hancock County Board of Supervisors President Scotty Adam called the decision “a significant investment in Hancock County’s economic future” that would strengthen the county’s advanced manufacturing and maritime sectors.
Brooke Glass, manufacturing development specialist for the Hancock County Port & Harbor Commission, described the project as “another example of the momentum we are building at Port Bienville.”
SubSea Craft’s products include the VICTA diver delivery craft and the MARS uncrewed surface vessel, which the company unveiled in Portsmouth in May 2025.