Meet the Team

Matthew Thomas - Director

With over a decade of experience in the offshore marine engineering and over two years at the helm of my own company, I’ve built a business that reflects both my values as a father of two and my commitment to innovation in the marine sector. SME is dedicated to providing bespoke sustainable marine solutions from a family centred small business with flexible working practices which fit into our modern world.

My latest adventure has taken me into the world of offshore renewable energy—specifically wave, tidal, and floating energy device development. This work, which spans design, fabrication, and offshore installation, aligns closely with my long-standing passion for sustainable technologies and the drive to leave behind a better world for future generations.

Before launching my own venture, I worked as a Project Engineer at Global Marine Group, a global leader in subsea telecoms and power networks. My responsibilities were group wide working from small Crew Transfer Vessels (CTV)  to the larger cable lay and maintenance vessel operations by CWind and Global Marine respectively.

Earlier in my career, I worked for Longitude Engineering as a Consultant Naval Architect with my primary responsibilities being the design and analysis of vessel general and structural arrangements, Engineering Technology Applications, who supported and provided valuable insight on my final year project on “Symmetrical corrosion of armour wires on submarine cables”, and Ocean Cable Technology Ltd.

I am passionate about my work and always eager to connect with other Naval Architects and Engineers. While I enjoy all aspects of my career, my favourite aspect of a project is working and supporting the client throughout the project from determining the scope of work to the initial conceptual design to detailed design and fabrication support if the project requires.

I hold a BEng in Marine Technology from Plymouth University and am actively working toward my chartership. While I thrive in technical design and problem-solving, what I enjoy most is collaborating closely with clients—from initial scope and concept development through to detailed design and delivery.

I’m always open to connecting with fellow Naval Architects, Engineers, or anyone with a shared interest in marine renewables. Let's build something better together.