The steering group co-opts attendees according to the nature of the projects and subjects that are being discussed, but the core group consists of the following (showing their maritime specialisms):
| Institution | Lead Museum For |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen Maritime Museum | Offshore marine and gas industries |
| Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust | Naval dockyard history |
| Imperial War Museum | War in 20th-century society |
| Mary Rose Trust | Maritime archaeology and archaeological conservation |
| National Museums Liverpool | Shipping industry Atlantic trades Port services |
| National Maritime Museum | Maritime exploration Maritime sport and recreation Naval history and technology pre 1900 20th-century naval policy Navigation Wooden shipbuilding Trade and empire |
| National Maritime Museum Cornwall | Leisure, yachting and boats Cornish maritime history |
| National Museum of the Royal Navy | Modern naval history Social history of the Navy |
| Scottish Maritime Museum | Scottish (and UK) shipbuilding |
| Science Museum | 19th-century marine engineering |
| Tyne and Wear Museums | Northeast shipbuilding industry |
| National Museums and Galleries Wales | Welsh maritime history and collections |
| National Museums Northern Ireland | Northern Irish maritime collections |