Ten Years of Blackfish: Reflections on Building Something Real
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Ten years ago, Blackfish started with a small group of engineers, a shared ambition to solve difficult problems, and very little experience of what running a business would actually involve.
Looking back now, I think we’ve built something meaningful. The reality is that many businesses never reach this point, particularly in specialist engineering sectors, so hitting our tenth anniversary is something I’m genuinely proud of.
What has always made Blackfish interesting to me is that it has never stood still. There are always new challenges to tackle - not only technical engineering problems, but everything that comes with building a company around them: operations, business development, client relationships, leadership, and decision-making.
Like many technical founders, I underestimated quite how much running a business would demand outside of engineering itself. As directors, we’ve had to adapt quickly, learn continuously, and develop skills nobody really teaches you at the beginning. At times it has been exciting, and at times daunting - often both at once.
Learning to Trust the Process
One of the biggest lessons for me over the years has been the importance of trust. If you give a strong engineering team a difficult challenge, they will find a way through it.
Watching that process happen - seeing complex problems broken down, explored collaboratively, and solved practically - remains one of the most rewarding parts of what we do.
That mindset has shaped the way we work with clients across the offshore and marine energy sectors. Many of the projects we’ve supported over the last decade have involved working alongside ambitious developers tackling first-of-a-kind engineering challenges, often under significant technical and commercial pressure.
Being trusted to contribute to those programmes, particularly at critical stages of development, is something we never take for granted.
Making a Meaningful Impact
I’m incredibly proud of the impact we’ve been able to make through that work.
Over the years, we’ve collaborated with organisations including Mocean Energy, SenseWind, Offshore Charging, Nova Innovation, and Bombora Wave Power, contributing to projects that have advanced systems, products, and capabilities across the industry.
In a specialist field like ours, creating work that has a tangible and lasting impact matters enormously.
Keeping the Engineering Spirit Alive
In the early days, it took time for Blackfish to fully define what it wanted to be. One thing that has remained consistent, though, is our desire to keep developing our own ideas and pursuing technically interesting work.
That approach does not always create the simplest commercial path, but it keeps the work engaging and allows us to stay close to innovation, creativity, and engineering depth - which is ultimately why we started the business in the first place.
The nature of bespoke engineering means no two projects are ever truly the same. Every client, every technology, and every challenge brings a different set of requirements and constraints. That unpredictability is part of what makes the work rewarding, but it also demands flexibility, resilience, and a willingness to keep learning.
Built on Relationships
Ultimately, everything we’ve built over the last ten years comes down to trust, relationships, and reputation - with clients, collaborators, suppliers, and our own team.
The sector we work in is relatively small, and those things matter enormously. Technical capability is essential, but long-term partnerships are built on reliability, honesty, and consistently delivering good work.
Looking Ahead
Reaching ten years feels like an important milestone, but more than anything it feels like a foundation for what comes next.
As the offshore renewable and marine technology sectors continue to evolve, we’re excited to keep applying the same engineering curiosity, practical problem-
solving, and collaborative approach to the
next generation of challenges.
"I’m proud of what we’ve achieved so far, and even more excited about where Blackfish can go next."
Tim Warren is Operations Director and Co-Founder at Blackfish Engineering, where he has spent the last decade helping develop bespoke engineering solutions for the offshore renewable and marine technology sectors.
Comments