Marine data company XOCEAN has undertaken the first-ever environmental survey of the seabed in Irish waters conducted by an uncrewed surface vessel (USV).

XOCEAN provides data collection services for surveyors, companies and agencies, using its USVs to map the ocean floor.

Its latest survey utilised multi-beam echo-sounder sensors to characterise the seabed in an area of the Irish Sea off the coast of Co Louth.

The company said its turnover tripled year-on-year in 2021, and it has plans to make 100 additional hires in the next six months, after expanding headcount 41 to 120 people last year.

XOCEAN claims its USVs - which at 4.5 metres and 750kg are around the same size and half the weight of the average car - can safely operate 24/7. Qualified mariners and surveyors monitor the USV to ensure the safety of navigation and the quality of the data collected.

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"Our USV platform has demonstrated itself to be a safe, reliable and low carbon solution for the collection of ocean data, said chief executive James Ives (pictured).

Xocean Ltd received €300,000 taxpayer investment through Enterprise Ireland in October 2021, in tandem with the company raising €700,000 from a number of private investors.

The Greenore company received €2.6m in EU and state funding in 2020 and booked a loss of €1.8m. With €7.4m equity invested, net worth in December 2020 was €4.8m