Author: cnesbit@m5.ca

Ocean Supercluster Announces Call to Fill Innovation Ecosystem Gaps in Ocean Economy

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Articles by: cnesbit@m5.ca

Ocean Supercluster Announces Call to Fill Innovation Ecosystem Gaps in

Ocean Economy

(June 30, 2021) – Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) has launched a Canada-wide Call for Proposals under its new Ocean Leaders Impact Program (OLIP). The program focuses on developing new mentorship opportunities and building on the experienced talent pool in Canada’s ocean economy. The Call will help fill the gaps in the innovation ecosystem by investing in projects that forge new partnerships, build on existing talent resources, and foster creative solutions that support small and medium-sized ocean enterprises as they grow.

“When we look at the trajectory of growth in the global ocean economy, we know Canada has the potential to emerge as a leader and play a significant role in the development of solutions that support both greater ocean health and productivity,” said Melody Pardoe, Chief Engagement Officer at Canada’s Ocean Supercluster. “In order to do this, we must build an expanded, more diverse ocean network where SMEs are well-supported with greater access to strategic and critical talent, and the mentorship they need to play a leadership role in the future of our ocean.”

Pardoe says the new Call is designed to address talent and growth challenges for SMEs in Canada’s ocean sectors, unlocking new opportunities to increase Canada’s global competitiveness in ocean.

The Ocean Leaders Impact Program Call for Proposals is designed for projects that can be completed in 12-18 months. The OLIP Call for Proposals is specifically targeting two strategic opportunities, including mentorship and experienced ocean talent, partnering with projects that:

  • Attract, train, and retain new mentors in the Canadian ocean innovation ecosystem;
  • Create more leadership opportunities for diverse and underrepresented groups;
  • Expand the highly skilled ocean talent pool through domestic recruitment efforts targeted outside the ocean economy;
  • Support ocean SMEs’ abilities to secure senior leaders and specialized technical talent from international markets; and
  • Focus on the career advancement of current employees with senior leadership potential within Canadian ocean SMEs.

The application process is now open, beginning with the Expression Interest (EOI) process. For consideration, organizations must submit a completed EOI by July 28, 2021, at 4 p.m. Atlantic time.

For complete details, visit https://oceansupercluster.ca/projects/ocean-leaders-impact-program

Ocean Aware Project Announcement

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Articles by: cnesbit@m5.ca

For Immediate Release

July 28, 2020

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster Announces $29M Ocean Aware Project’

Today, alongside project partners, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced the Ocean Aware project. The Ocean Aware project will develop and commercialize world-class solutions for monitoring fish health, fish movement, and the environment, and supporting both profitable and sustainable practices in the ocean.

With a total project value of $29 million, the Ocean Supercluster will provide $13.74 million in funding for the project, with $15.7M in funding coming from industry partners. Ocean Aware is led by Innovasea together with Emera, Nova Scotia Power, Ocean Choice International, Irving Shipbuilding, Dartmouth Ocean Technologies, Xeos Technologies, and with the support of the Ocean Tracking Network, Dalhousie University, Fisheries Marine Institute of Memorial University, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and others.

Ocean Aware represents the first-of-its-kind collaboration across ocean sectors in fisheries, aquaculture, energy, shipping, and ocean technology where the project team will develop world leading aquaculture technology to monitor fish health; new approaches to stock assessment modeling and predictive fishing in the wild fishery, and; innovative and increased capability to monitor marine life around fixed subsea structures. This will not only enable ocean growth that is sustainable, but also disrupt competition on a global scale, position Canada as a leader, and help grow the economy and create new jobs.

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is changing the way ocean business is done. With an innovative model for growth that reduces risk for Canadian companies, we are increasing collaboration and data exchange across ocean sectors, creating a platform for the development for commercial, sustainable ocean solutions, building an inclusive and highly-capable workforce, and continuing to drive resiliency in our oceans.

Quotes

“As the country with the longest coastline, the Ocean Supercluster is helping Canada capitalize on our natural advantages, establishing itself as a hotbed for innovation and collaboration. The Ocean Aware project is a great example of the supercluster’s ability to bring together a variety of industry partners to develop new aquaculture technology and further support sustainable fishing practices.”
The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“The Ocean Aware project is a game-changing project that demonstrates the transformational opportunities we have in ocean innovation when we bring partners from across ocean sectors together. This will create significant benefits for Canadians now and for generations to come. To bring this to fruition while we continue to see the impacts of a global pandemic only adds to its significance.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

“This is a big day for Canada, and Innovasea is proud to be leading this consortium in tackling this important challenge. When this project is complete, we will have given three key maritime industries the technology, tools, understanding and insight they need to operate in a more ecologically sustainable manner. Ultimately, the impact of the Ocean Aware project is going to be felt far beyond Canada and the Atlantic provinces; it will serve as a blueprint for the rest of the world.” – Mark Jollymore, President, Innovasea

“Providing safe, reliable and affordable power to our customers while keeping our environmental commitments at the forefront is paramount in everything we do. The opportunity to work with like-minded partners to develop and test this leading-edge technology will assist us in better tracking and understanding the fish health and movement in our operating environment.” – Mark Sidebottom, Chief Operating Officer, Nova Scotia Power

 “We are pleased to be a partner in the Ocean Aware Project; and to be working with global industry leaders in innovation and technology from Atlantic Canada and with the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University to build new spatial stock assessment models to support sustainable fisheries. It is extremely important to Ocean Choice that we invest in finding new innovative solutions for smarter fishing. Projects such as this, will allow us to better understand species distribution and movement between stock boundaries that will ultimately lead to more predictive fishing models where we can optimize performance within a sustainability framework.” – Martin Sullivan, CEO, Ocean Choice

 “Halifax Shipyard is home to 2000 proud shipbuilders and has invested $3.1 Billion in more than 275 businesses and organizations across Canada as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy. We are 100% focused on Canada’s Ocean Future – from coast to coast to coast. This means the building the best next generation of ships for those who serve to safeguard our shores. It also means investing in Canada’s marine and ocean potential through innovation, research and conservation. Ocean Aware – the project we are announcing today – is a collaboration that will deliver on these 3 priorities and we are proud to be a part of it with 7 great partners. The National Shipbuilding Strategy is about a lasting legacy of ocean and marine progress that continues to drive jobs, boost communities, preserve the environment, and foster innovation and discovery. Our hope that through this investment, scientists can identify where and why so many Atlantic salmon are not returning home from the ocean.  We are proud to contribute to Canada’s ocean future from coast to coast to coast in partnership with Canada’s Ocean Supercluster and other leaders in the ocean and marine industries.” – Kevin McCoy, President, Halifax Shipyard

 “As one of the smaller partners in the Ocean Aware Project, we are excited about the opportunity to leverage the market reach of this formidable partnership as we embark on a potentially transformative technology development initiative. This is an incredible opportunity that will help launch Xeos on a new path.” – Geoff MacIntyre, Vice President, Xeos Technologies

 “The team at Dartmouth Ocean Technologies are very excited to be part of such a significant project, and are pleased to be funded to develop, produce and deliver our microfluidic Lab-On-Chip (LOC) technologies in concert with the Ocean Aware partners. This project will lead to a need to increase our technical staffing levels.” – Arnold Furlong, President, Dartmouth Ocean Technologies

-30-

Media contact:

Nancy Andrews

709.725.7070

nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca

Ocean Aware Project Overview

Media gallery – project partner materials

Innovasea

Innovasea

Darmouth Ocean Technologies

Emera

Irving Shipbuilding

Nova Scotia Power

Ocean Choice International

Xeos Technologies Inc.

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster Launches New Website and Member Portal

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Articles by: cnesbit@m5.ca

Connecting Virtually Has Never Been More Important
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster Launches New Website and Member Portal

Today Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) launched its new website and member portal, serving as a robust new platform for sharing information, collaborating, and advancing ocean opportunities. Ocean Supercluster members, partners, and all those who share an interest in growing Canada’s ocean economy will be able to leverage the website for regular updates and access to: the latest in news, virtual events, and announcements; information on membership and projects; Canada’s Ocean Asset Map (an evergreen ocean capabilities tool); Canada’s ocean opportunity; OSC leadership blog, and other features.

An interactive member portal has also been launched for the more than 140 OSC members across the country who will be onboarded over the course of the next couple of weeks. As we are encouraged to continue to stay safe and stay home, this provides another set of tools for OSC members to connect from coast to coast to coast. The member portal is a virtual space designed for members to connect, communicate, and work together with other members to pursue, explore, and advance new projects and opportunities. They will be able to, among other things, contribute to discussion groups, review member information including ideas, proposals, and any projects their organization is a part of, as well as post new ideas or a call for ideas to solve a particular ocean challenge or market need.

“Being able to connect virtually has never been more important,” said Kendra MacDonald, CEO Canada’s Ocean Supercluster. “We continue to work with our members and partners to support them in new ways through these unprecedented times while continuing to look to the future to achieve the kind of transformational innovation, project deployment, and economic growth we know is possible in ocean. This new platform provides the virtual tools and resources to help accelerate these opportunities.”

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster website and member portal can be found at www.oceansupercluster.ca

COVID-19 Measures – Weekly Update From OSC

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Articles by: cnesbit@m5.ca
As we continue to take necessary measures to protect ourselves and each other amid the pandemic, we look to the coming weeks and months knowing there is uncertainty around when regular activity can resume. Our team is working closely with members and partners as we finalize new projects, advance others from proposal to contracting, and guide new proposals through the review process. Innovation Ecosystem activities continue to expand in a number of areas including the Ocean Startup Project webinar series for ocean innovators (starting April 2), work in indigenous engagement and other ecosystem building initiatives, and creating opportunities for members and partners to connect. Projects, initiatives, and activities are taking place virtually and this will continue until it is permitted and safe to engage otherwise.

Canada and the world are looking to innovators to help beat COVID-19 with new and accelerated production of health solutions. Last week the Government of Canada announced additional funding directed towards the accelerated development of new products as well as the scale-up and retooling of facilities to deliver on these products and services. To help achieve this, there has been a call for solutions from the Digital Technology Supercluster for the development, deployment and scaling of digital technology and from Next Generation Manufacturing (NGEN) for the provision of equipment, products, and therapeutics in response to virus. These opportunities are open to Canadian companies with a solution in any of these areas.

Further relief came for businesses late last week, when the Government of Canada made an announcement on wage subsidies and interest free loans to help companies avoid layoffs during this time. Today, the federal government provided greater detail on the program:

· 75 per cent of the cost of wages up to $847 per week will be provided

· Businesses of all sizes as well as not-for-profits and charities who have experienced at least 30 per cent revenue loss are eligible

· Payments are to go toward staff salaries, and businesses who are able are encouraged to top up salaries to full pay

· Payments will be backdated to March 15

In addition to the wage subsidy, guaranteed loans of up to $40,000 will be provided interest-free for one year to help those companies who are facing cash flow pressures during the health crisis. The full details of measures announced under Canada’s Economic Response Plan, can be found here. For tools and information on COVID-19 business resilience, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce is providing regular insights and updates that may also be of assistance.

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is here to support its members and partners however possible, as we work our way through this time and continue the work happening in ocean innovation that will be more important than ever to help drive our economy forward. Stay tuned later this week for the launch of our new Ocean Supercluster website and member portal, a dynamic platform to engage, and stay up to date on the latest news and opportunities.

Stay healthy and safe.

Kendra MacDonald

CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

Weathering the storm – Staying healthy & safe amid COVID-19, and a look ahead to continued opportunities in ocean

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Articles by: cnesbit@m5.ca
Three weeks ago, I returned home after spending some time in British Columbia, energized with exciting ideas that would bring together our capabilities in ocean from coast to coast to coast, bringing us a step further in growing Canada’s leadership in sustainable ocean economic development. This was to be the focal point of this article – the incredible insights, activities, and people on our west coast and how the supercluster could help support, accelerate, and amplify the impacts they deliver. However, since my return home to St. John’s, the world around us has changed, and while my excitement off the heels of my time in BC remains – I want to first address COVID-19 and how we weather the storm.

The way we do business and the way we live our lives looks nothing like it did as we embarked upon the New Year just a few months back. As we all carry on the best way we can during these challenging times, keeping each other healthy and safe is, above all, the most important thing we need to do. We do not know what the long-term impacts of the virus will be, but we know there are actions we can take now to help mitigate them. In tandem with the tremendous work happening by governments, health care providers, employers, communities, and others on the front line taking the necessary measures to protect us all, there is also work happening to keep the economy moving as much as possible.

I see the role of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) as an integral one in not only continuing to advance the kinds of transformational growth opportunities we know are possible in ocean, but also finding ways to accelerate additional opportunities to grow the ocean economy as we eventually return to a more regular business environment and find our new normal.

From an operational standpoint, OSC has put measures into place to allow our day-to-day activities to continue virtually, leveraging the technology available to us to remain connected and to promote collaboration. Despite changing the way we do things, our focus has not wavered. There are incredible capabilities, ideas, and opportunity in ocean for Canadians, and this will be more important than ever when we emerge from the pandemic.

My time in BC certainly illustrated the significant role our west coast has to play in delivering on Canada’s ocean growth potential. In an effort to maximize my time in any region, I always try to connect with as many members as possible and this time had the opportunity to spend some time with OFG and Cellula. In addition to those meetings I was also invited to participate in a number of different events and presentations including the UBC Future Ship Industry workshop, where Paul Blomerus, an internationally-experienced expert in clean energy and power systems technology, was a part of their Centre of Excellence (and someone we had speak at our OSC member event last November). Paul is now the Executive Director at the Clear Seas Centre for Responsible Marine Shipping.

I attended the Western Innovation Forum led by Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) promoting western capabilities in aerospace, marine, and defense. Through various presentations, I heard about the key areas of focus for the Royal Canadian Navy, and learned about some interesting companies to watch including Current Scientific Corporation and Barnacle Systems.

I got the latest update on the great things planned for Victoria’s ocean economy in Victoria 3.0, and was excited to see that the Association of British Columbia Marine Industries (ABCMI) had doubled their membership since I attended their conference in November 2018. There is a clear momentum happening in the sector and ABCMI is consistently hosting sold-out events. Congratulations to the ABCMI team!

If you haven’t yet checked out Canada’s Ocean Asset Map, I encourage you to do so – it’s an evergreen tool to showcase and connect Canada’s ocean capabilities.  So far we have more than 3,000 companies captured with more than 900 from BC listed on the map. And, if you’re a Canadian ocean company that’s not listed, but would like to be, the OSC team can help you with that.

My three key takeaways:

❶  This is an uncertain time that will lead to a period of economic recovery and the ocean economy has a role to play. In Canada, there is an opportunity to increase the connectivity between eastern, northern, central and western parts of the country to be able to effectively drive Canada’s leadership position in ocean growth.

❷  There is a lot happening on the west coast – there are opportunities to leverage the strengths of different regions and learn from each other. We are working to increase awareness, foster collaboration, and build partnerships across the country.

❸  As we head towards a digitized ocean, issues around security need to stay top of mind. To manage the new risks of remote operations and increasingly autonomous vehicles, we have to be ready to put the measures in place to protect us and our information.

Take care! Stay healthy & safe.

Update from OSC – COVID-19 Measures

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Articles by: cnesbit@m5.ca
As COVID-19 cases grow in Canada, it’s more important than ever that we all take the necessary steps to slow the spread of the virus in our communities. The most consistent advice we have been given tells us unless you are an essential worker, stay home. With this comes a different way of doing our work, sharing information, and providing opportunities for collaboration.

Our team is working virtually, has ceased travel for business, and taking the steps necessary to stay healthy and safe. We are actively working with projects to support their continued advancement in addition to readying new projects and supporting them through the approval process. We are adjusting as best we can to keep things moving forward and will continue to explore every opportunity.

Sharing information, facilitating collaboration, and building solutions to shared ocean challenges is at the heart of what Canada’s Ocean Supercluster does every day. As always, our team members are available by video, phone, and email to provide the information, guidance, and support needed by members and partners. We will bolster our digital communications tools with a dynamic new website, a monthly ocean news publication, and virtual events to share ocean opportunities. Watch for more details on these digital communications, in addition to the opportunity to participate in other virtual programs and events in the coming weeks and months.

Over the past week, the federal government has announced an economic response plan to help address some of the immediate impacts being experienced by individuals and businesses as a result of COVID-19. In addition, ISED is mobilizing resources quickly for manufacturers and businesses that can provide goods and services to help combat the virus. We will use our social media channels to share information on other new relief and funding programs as we become aware of them.

Our work to develop and deliver transformational ocean projects in Canada continues. The way we do that today looks different than it did even just a few weeks ago. We are relying more heavily on digital solutions to actively engage with members and partners and forge ahead with Ocean Supercluster projects, while also sharing information around other opportunities including those related to Canada’s COVID-19 response. Our team is here to support members and partners in whatever way we can. Please do not hesitate to reach out.

Stay healthy and safe.

Kendra MacDonald

CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

Statement from OSC COVID-19 Precautions and Measures

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Articles by: cnesbit@m5.ca
In the last week, we have seen the global concern about COVID-19 and its presence in Canada grow. We want to acknowledge that, above all, the health and safety of each other and our communities is most important. We have all been advised to practice social distancing to help flatten the curve, where public gatherings are discouraged and travel is to be avoided. In response, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster has postponed our participation in upcoming conferences and in the delivery of in-person events for at least the next month, and, in some cases, beyond. This timeframe may be extended as we continue to monitor the situation and follow the guidelines set by governments should they change over time.

For the protection of our team, members, and partners, we would like to share the following:

  • While our team is accustomed to working virtually, effective today our employees have been encouraged to work from home until further notice.
  • Work related travel, both domestically and internationally, has been suspended for OSC employees until further notice.
  • We will work together with project teams to understand any impacts and develop solutions to support continued project advancement.
  • Participation in and delivery of in-person events has been cancelled until at least April 17, 2020 (subject to extension as required for precautionary measures)
  • In the days and weeks to come, we will communicate any further decisions on future in-person events.

Our team will fully leverage the technology we have available to us to facilitate planned information sessions, workshops, and meetings to continue to engage and collaborate with you. This is a challenging time for all of us, where we must adjust the way we do our work and take care of each other. For the foreseeable future, we will update our website news section every Monday morning highlighting any further changes to operations and events, and any other precautions we are taking in response to the pandemic.

During this time, we acknowledge different organizations will face different challenges. Despite those differences, we all are in this together. If there is something we can do to assist your organization, please let us know.

#EachforEqual – Celebrating and Empowering Women and Girls in Ocean

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Articles by: cnesbit@m5.ca
It’s International Women’s Day – an opportunity to reflect on the progress we’ve made to advance women’s rights around the world and time to look ahead at the incredible amount of work required to truly achieve a gender equal world.

As a mom, I look at my young daughter and hope she will never feel her gender has anything to do with her inability to do something – but instead having everything to do with her ability to do whatever she wants. Today her ideas and dreams run free, uninhibited by gender bias, and if anything, I feel they may even be heightened because she is a girl who knows she has something to contribute. It’s my hope that never changes.

As a leader of an organization focused on innovation and ocean growth, I see first-hand the clear imbalance of women represented in ocean industries globally. This is widely-recognized as a challenge and an opportunity. Under the UN Sustainable Development goals gender equality is one of 17 priorities, where the increased participation of women is identified as a key aspect of sustainable ocean management.

To achieve the kind of innovation and ocean growth we have set out to do, particularly in Canada, I see an incredible opportunity to continue to grow the number of women participating in ocean, and the number of girls who dream about their role in transforming it in the future.

Working together to achieve #EachforEqual benefits us all. It means healthier homes and workplaces, it means growth in ocean industries and a stronger economy overall, it means new growth and opportunity – and it means taking those strides that are so important to achieving our full potential collectively, as a society.

At Canada’s Ocean Supercluster our focus is on growing the ocean economy in a way that has never been done before. We serve as a facilitator for the development of ideas, partnerships, and game-changing projects in ocean in Canada. A part of that is our responsibility to ensure women and other under-represented groups are engaged and have the opportunity to get involved in the capacity they choose.

Every day I get to work with a team across Atlantic Canada who are helping deliver on what I would argue is one of the most important economic opportunities for the region and for Canada. Two weeks ago when we announced an almost $7M investment in the Ocean Startup Project, four out of five of those leaders speaking on behalf of the project partners were women. I’m not sure that would have been the case if this was 20 years ago. So, while there is a lot more to do to continue to increase women leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and workers in ocean, I feel there is change afoot. We are making progress.

At Canada’s Ocean Supercluster our senior management team is comprised of 80 per cent women whose backgrounds and experiences make them the best people for their jobs. The same is true for our entire team where, as we’ve grown, we maintain a balance of qualified women and men who are incredibly talented and dedicated to their work. This is an approach we will continue to employ.

Our work is focused on collaboration to develop and commercialize solutions to shared ocean challenges. These are industries that may not have traditionally seen the participation of women, but through their evolution and embracement of innovation, coupled with growth of new ocean industries, the stories of women leading the charge, driving new opportunity, and taking on roles that would have previously been almost exclusively held by men gives me hope that not only we are on the path to gender balance, but there are champions, of all genders, committed to #EachforEqual every day.

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is proud to have a Board of Directors that is diverse in background and gender. Of those Board members include five women – Moya Cahill, Unni Fjaer, Jennifer O’Donnell, Anya Waite, and Angie Gillis – whom I would like to recognize today for demonstrating the kind of value women bring, and for empowering other women to do the same.

The Canadian economy stands to benefit greatly from developing opportunities in the ocean economy. I am proud to be a part of this movement, especially with an organization such as the OSC, which prioritizes gender equity on its board, team and committees. As we work to transform ocean industries and establish Canada as an ocean leader, I hope we inspire many more women to participate in transforming the ways we do business on the ocean. – Jennifer O’Donnell, Executive Director, BioNB

As we all celebrate International Women’s Day, 2020, I am happy to celebrate the success of PanGeo Subsea in forging a more gender-based ocean industries economy. Atlantic Canada is home to many women led ocean technology companies and I consider myself in ‘great company’. We all have a part to play in supporting the equality of women; gender parity is not only a social issue but an economic issue as well and continued advancement of women in technology will directly support growth in our Canadian ocean economy. As CEO in what has conventionally been identified as a male dominated industry, I am increasingly seeing more and more young women interested in careers in the ocean industries. I encourage those young women to pursue their passion and to break down and forge through any barriers to fulfil their career goals. We are fortunate at PanGeo Subsea to have a good balance of gender in our team, both onshore and offshore and many of our young women are on the path to becoming leaders in their field and are contributing to the creation of gender equal world.  I am proud of the women leaders in our company and the example that they portray to the next generation of young women professionals – let’s keep building that gender equal world and more specifically, the gender equal ocean industries sector. – Moya Cahill, P. Eng CEO, PanGeo Subsea

Canada’s Focus on Ocean featured at Spain’s Transfiere Conference

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Articles by: cnesbit@m5.ca

Transfiere is a meeting of science, technology and innovation in Malaga, Spain. Canada was the guest country this year which means a special focus on the relationship between Spain and Canada. It also means I had the opportunity to participate in the Canadian delegation which highlighted our innovation capability and ocean technology.

It is worth noting that Canada also highlighted the strength of its female leadership. My travel partners included Alice Aitken, the Vice-President of Research at Dalhousie University, and Maria Aubrey, Vice-President, Business and Professional Services at the National Research Council. Hosted by the Canadian Embassy, the Canadian presence also included internationally-known companies such as Bombardier and CGI, and Canadian emerging companies leveraging technologies like AI and blockchain including Mindbridge and OARO, an organization with offices in Halifax and Madrid.

Malaga is in the south of Spain. While St. John’s was -20C, Malaga was +20C all week. Our hotel was only five minutes away from the boardwalk along the water. The city is beautiful and so are the people. We were very well taken care of while there and explored many restaurants and local sights in the evenings – although I did have trouble adjusting to going out for dinner at 9pm! Luckily the time difference worked in my favour.

Our first night, the opening reception was at Malaga City Hall, a spectacular building, where the Canadian delegation had the opportunity to meet the Mayor. Our third night, we had the opportunity to enjoy local cuisine and drinks at El Pimpi, while also hoping for a glimpse of Antonio Banderas who lives nearby, but no such luck.

I was kept very busy throughout my two days at the conference with many meetings including companies, research institutions, funders and clusters. I participated in two panels – the first on innovation in Canada and the second on the Blue Economy. I learned of the many, many projects where research institutions in Canada and Spain have collaborated together. There was a pre-announcement for a new call for proposals for the Eureka program  between Canada and Spain. This will be formally announced in early March – something to watch for those who may be interested! I also had a chance to meet CDTI, an organization with whom the OSC has signed a letter of intention given our shared interest in collaborative ocean opportunities. Canada’s Ocean Supercluster was of high interest both in these meetings and at the conference, where there was much interest in further building relationships, exchanging ideas, learning from each other, and identifying potential opportunities for follow-up and collaboration.

My three takeaways:

(1)   We cannot underestimate the effort it will take to achieve our goals for the ocean economy in Canada. The marine cluster in Spain, the Cluster Maritimo-Marino de Andalucia started over five years ago. Although I have said this before, this reinforced for me that we are behind and need to be innovative in our approach to catching up as other maritime clusters continue to grow and broaden their reach. The time is now to take full advantage of Canada’s ocean opportunity.

(2)   The theme of collaboration is everywhere. There is lots of interest in Spain in working with Canada but also in working with each other. Both SeaEU, the European University of the Seas and Ceimar, international campus of excellence on the seas, have been established to promote cross-institutional collaboration. Horizon 2020 is also a significant program to encourage European collaboration and secure Europe’s global competitiveness, but also has an opportunity to create collaboration links between Spain and Canada. Many of the themes we are encouraging at the OSC have global applicability.

(3)   We need to understand the world beyond our borders, the similarities and the differences. I was part of a great panel with representatives from organizations in Spain and Portugal. It was the first Spanish/English panel I have ever participated in with simultaneous translation, so all my facial expressions were delayed by at least 15-30 seconds as I waited for the translation. Despite feeling slightly out of sync, I wished the conversation could have continued as we have so much to learn from each other. There was consistent recognition that we are facing a decade full of opportunity for our ocean but also full of challenge as we try to bring our ocean back into balance.

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announces $6.8M Ocean Startup Project

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Articles by: cnesbit@m5.ca
St. John’s, NL – Today Canada’s Ocean Supercluster team, with the support of the Government of Canada and other project partners, announced its first Innovation Ecosystem Project, representing an unprecedented investment and collaboration to make Atlantic Canada one of the best places to start and grow ocean companies.

The Ocean Startup Project will increase the number of quality, market-driven, ocean-focused start-ups in the region to support the kind of transformative ocean activity that will be realized through Canada’s Ocean Supercluster. The Ocean Startup Project activities will focus on engaging with entrepreneurs in their communities and encouraging quality startups; identifying academic prospects with high potential for commercialization; showcasing industry issues and developing solutions with global market potential; attracting female-led, Indigenous-led and international startups; and awarding grants for those companies demonstrating the greatest potential.

The project brings together, for the first time, six of Atlantic Canada’s leading incubators, accelerators, and support organizations including Genesis, Creative Destruction Lab, Innovacorp, New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, PEI BioAlliance, and Springboard Atlantic as partners to deliver on the $6.8 million Ocean Startup Project. Canada’s Ocean Supercluster provided the bulk of funding at $3.9 million, with an additional $535,000 from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, as well as up to $2.4 million in contributions from the Atlantic Provinces and the six project partners.

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is changing the way ocean business is done. By growing the panAtlantic ecosystem, embracing collaboration, and bringing ocean industries together to develop game-changing ocean solutions, the supercluster is growing the ocean economy in a way that has never been done before.

Quotes

“This new project is a clear sign that the Ocean Supercluster is growing momentum, and establishing itself as a hotbed for innovation and collaboration. With the longest coastline and the fourth largest ocean territory in the world, this project has the potential to increase the number of ocean-focused startups in Canada, helping companies grow and creating new, middle class jobs.”

The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“One of our strongest economic drivers here in St. John’s and in Atlantic Canada is our ocean and marine sector. By supporting accelerator and incubation programs, I see this project helping to bridge the technology gap that has long hampered the ocean economy in areas like offshore oil and gas, shipping and seafood.”

The Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Natural Resources

“The Ocean Startup Project represents an unprecedented collaboration and investment to grow more ocean companies in Atlantic Canada. This is an incredibly important part of building capacity, expanding our capabilities, and setting ourselves up for success as we embark on what we know will become a $3 trillion global ocean opportunity by 2030.”

Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

“This pan-Atlantic collaboration with our neighbors in PEI, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, aligns efforts to build the best ecosystem for ocean tech startups in the world. For centuries, Newfoundland and Labrador has been a leader of innovation and development in the ocean economy, which involves our world class research facilities, companies and institutions developing innovative ocean technologies and ecosystem development leaders such as Genesis. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is pleased to be a contributing partner to support Genesis and the other strong leaders involved in the Ocean Innovation Ecosystem Project.”

Minister Bernard Davis, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

“We recognize the potential for Nova Scotia in ocean technology and our $100,000 in support of the Ocean Startup Project demonstrates that. With focus and collaboration between private and public sector, start-ups and researchers, we are seeing continued growth in this sector. This project furthers our commitment to building a world-class ocean technology ecosystem, leveraging regional strengths and creating new opportunities.”

Minister Geoff Maclellan, Government of Nova Scotia

“Prince Edward Island already provides a strong support system for technology startups. The Ocean Startup Project will provide additional opportunities to move those technologies to commercial success.”

Minister Matthew MacKay, Government of Prince Edward Island

“This unprecedented partnership with partners from across the region lets Genesis double down on our commitment to ocean technology. We have already helped local ocean startups succeed with their innovations, and now Genesis is partnering to invest in more companies and accelerate their growth.”

Michelle Simms, CEO, Genesis Group

“Atlantic Canadian universities and colleges are renowned for oceans-related research, and through the Springboard Network, we have the unparalleled ability to bring great research to market. The Ocean Startup Project provides a unique opportunity to connect the region’s startup supports and fast track the development of new ocean tech ventures built upon that world-class expertise.”

Daryl Genge, President and CEO, Springboard Atlantic

“This project will boost the number of ocean technology startups launching and growing in this region.The Innovacorp team looks forward to helping build more venture capital ready companies in this vital sector.”

Malcolm Fraser, President and CEO, Innovacorp

“With a decade of experience in creating ideal conditions for technology commercialization, the Prince Edward Island BioAlliance looks forward to working with regional partners to accelerate the quantity and quality of ocean startups in Atlantic Canada. Through our regional and national bioscience business incubator Emergence, we will focus on startups in aquaculture, fish health and nutrition, marine biotechnology, and fish waste bioconversion—working with innovators to bring their technologies to market.”

Rory Francis, Executive Director, PEI BioAlliance

“Together with our regional partners, we are investing to create lasting and positive changes for Atlantic Canada’s economy through ocean technology. Through this project, we will nurture homegrown ocean startups that have potential for high growth and encourage companies from away to set roots here within our valued innovation ecosystem.”

Jeff White, CEO, New Brunswick Innovation Foundation

“This co-funded Ocean Startup Project will identify and support ocean tech startups that can clearly scale up to contribute to Atlantic Canada’s economy. This project will funnel selected startups into our next CDL cohort, where our mentors can accelerate the ability and preparedness of entrepreneurs and technical founders to get ocean tech innovations to market.”

Jeff Larsen, CDL-Atlantic Executive Director, Creative Destruction Lab.

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Media contact:

Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
www.oceansupercluster.ca
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca
709.725.7070