Last week in Ottawa, during Ocean Week on the Hill, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster’s Board and Senior Leaders met with more than 50 officials from across eight different departments with the message that Canada’s ocean economy is building tremendous momentum with the opportunity to achieve a bold, 5X growth Ambition by 2035. With a membership of almost 1,000 from across the country, we spoke of the cluster and the broader Canadian ocean network as a national asset and framework from which we can work together to help deliver on Government’s key priorities.
Turning Investment into Impact
Since its inception, the OSC has been advancing a vision of a digital, sustainable, and globally competitive ocean economy. With just over $200 million in OSC ocean innovation project investments to March 2025, the cluster has co-invested alongside industry in close to 150 collaborative projects and has ultimately accelerated the development of more than 300 new ocean products and processes to sell to the world.
A recent economic report by Mansfield Consulting highlights the impact of OSC’s activities and investment with industry to March 2025. The study found that every dollar invested through the Ocean Supercluster generates more than five times its value in GDP contribution, underscoring the long-term economic and societal benefits of building a world-class ocean innovation ecosystem.
Delivering Economic Growth Across Canada
The economic impacts of OSC’s work to March 2025 includes:
- $1.7 billion in total economic output
- $1 billion in GDP contribution
- Nearly $748 million in total labour income
- Close to 10,000 jobs created
- $286 million in total tax revenues generated
- $295 million in follow-on investment raised
These numbers reflect more than financial returns; they represent new companies formed, new technologies brought to market, and a growing community of innovators creating sustainable prosperity through ocean opportunities. Through work of the OSC, 200 new ocean companies have been created, and 85 million people have learned more about the significance of the ocean economy through marketing campaigns.
Canada’s Ocean Moment
As Canada focuses on diversification of global partnerships, expanded market opportunities for made in Canada products and services, increased focus on defence and dual use opportunities, climate adaptation and resiliency, and meeting the moment in the transition of energy, food security, arctic activity and building a stronger economy and thriving communities for the future, we know this moment is also Canada’s ocean moment.
As the Government of Canada prepares to deliver strategies focused on AI, industrial defence, trade diversification, and climate competitiveness in the months to come, it is our ocean and Canada’s Ocean Supercluster that is at the ready to help mobilize, accelerate, and realize some of the most important opportunities of our time.
By: Nancy Andrews, Chief Engagement and Communications Officer, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster