For Immediate Release   
December 12, 2024   

(Ottawa, ON) – Today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) together with the National Ambition 2035 Ocean AI Steering Committee launched of The Future of Ocean AI: A Strategic Approach for Canada insights report. The OSC is excited to share the Strategic Approach insights report in advance of the full report in January. 

Through Ambition 2035, the potential of AI to address the ocean sector’s unique challenges was recognized and led to the creation of an Ocean AI Steering Committee. Comprised of professionals in industry, academia, and government, the Committee developed a strategic approach in partnership with the OSC to assess barriers to AI adoption in the ocean industry, provide recommendations for growth, increase global competitiveness, and support the ocean industry’s five times growth ambition overall.  

Informed by market research and interviews with key stakeholders across Canada, The Future of Ocean AI: A Strategic Approach for Canada aims to stimulate the ocean economy by promoting the responsible adoption of AI in the ocean sector. Canada’s leadership in AI positions us to lead the world in ocean AI innovation. By collaborating with ocean leaders and tackling key barriers, we can unlock transformative opportunities that will shape the future of both AI and the blue economy. 

Key strategies outlined in the insights report to overcome adoption barriers include skills development, enhancing data management, strengthening technology infrastructure, increasing investment, and fostering collaboration.  These strategies involve comprehensive execution, including:  

Helping companies understand practical AI use cases by showcasing real-world applications and success stories to demonstrate the value and impact of these investments.  

Forming collaboration networks and partnerships to facilitate data sharing and collective problem-solving. Organizations like the OSC can play a pivotal role in connecting various actors within the ocean sector, promoting a collaborative environment. 

Enabling sustained investment from government grants, private investors, and public-private partnerships. This means streamlining approval processes for SMEs to access funding, reducing administrative obstacles, and making it easier for smaller firms to secure resources. 

Providing tangible guidance around data structures and technology adaptation for the ocean sector, including working towards digital readiness by supporting data literacy, infrastructure, integration, accessibility, governance, and security. 

The full report, The Future of Ocean AI: A Strategic Approach for Canada, will launch in January 2025. 

The global ocean economy is set to outpace the growth of the broader economy by 20 per cent by 2030. Through Ambition 2035, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, together with the country’s ocean community, have set a five-times growth ambition for the ocean sector by 2035. Investment in ocean AI is essential to achieving this growth. 

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Media Contacts   
Nancy Andrews   
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster   
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca   

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster    

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster accelerates the development and commercialization of made-in-Canada ocean solutions in energy transition, food security, future of transport, and climate change while also growing more companies, creating more jobs, and attracting ocean talent. As Canada’s national ocean cluster, the OSC is a convenor of members, partners, and networks and a catalyst for transformative growth that helps build the robust ecosystem needed to help realize Ambition 2035 – a 5X growth potential in ocean in Canada by 2035. To date, the OSC has approved more than 100 projects which will deliver more than 220 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca  

Quotes  

“As Canada seeks to secure its AI advantage, we need to focus on overcoming barriers to adopting AI in the ocean industry. The growth of the global ocean economy is set to outpace that of the broader economy by 20% by 2030. Investment in ocean AI is essential to achieving this growth. This report outlines critical strategies for identifying potential barriers to stimulating the ocean economy and leading the world in ocean AI innovation.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry 

“Canada’s ocean sector has a 5X growth potential that can help transform our economy, creating more jobs and positioning Canada as a leader in ocean innovation. Overcoming key challenges like access to funding, tailored AI education, and access to data are imperative to achieving this ambition through greater AI adoption. We are thrilled to put forth this strategic approach as a step toward fulfilling Canada’s full potential as an ocean nation.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster