Author: Shauna Waterman
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster Launches the Ambition 2035 Awards to Recognize Top Innovators in the Ocean Industry
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2025
[Ottawa, ON] – Today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) announced the launch of the Ambition 2035 Awards, a national competition to recognize innovative companies driving Canada’s ocean economy toward $220 billion.
The Ambition 2035 Awards celebrates ocean companies that have demonstrated market need, scalability, commercial traction, and investment opportunity. Through a comprehensive judging panel, winners receive funding, mentorship, visibility, and access to global investors. Canadian companies developing innovative solutions for the ocean sector – from early-stage innovators to established leaders – are encouraged to apply and showcase their work on this national stage.
The Ambition 2035 Awards includes three award categories, with prizes totaling $55,000.
- Blue Horizon Award – Recognizing established companies with commercial success and market leadership. ($30,000 CAD)
- Ocean Breakthrough Award – Celebrating emerging companies introducing breakthrough ocean solutions. ($20,000 CAD)
- People’s Choice Award – Awarded to the finalist with the most public engagement in a social media campaign. ($5,000 CAD)
Finalists will receive full travel support to attend the Ambition 2035 Summit in Ottawa from May 21-23, where they will pitch their ideas directly to global investors and industry leaders. As well, they will receive expert coaching to strengthen investment pitches in advance of the Summit, and featured promotion across Canada’s Ocean Supercluster social channels as they compete for the People’s Choice Award.
Applications open on February 25, 2025, with the application deadline on March 21, 2025. Finalists will be announced on April 25, 2025.
To apply or learn more, visit: https://oceansupercluster.ca/ambition-2035-awards/
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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
“Canada has an opportunity to lead in the global ocean economy, and the Ambition 2035 Awards is our way of spotlighting the innovators who are making this possible,” says Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster. “This initiative will bring visibility, investment, and growth opportunities to some of the most promising companies in the sector, while enabling overall growth of our ocean economy in line with Ambition 2035.”
The OSC in 2025: Charting the Course to 2035
As the holidays now seem like a distant memory, the New Year is off to a busy start with exciting new project proposals under development, the announcement of new projects underway, and planning in full swing for our bi-annual Ambition 2035 Summit where we look forward to convening Canada’s ocean network behind one of the most important opportunities of our time.
2025 is an important year. It marks just 10 years to our collective 5X growth ambition for Canada’s ocean economy, in the backdrop of a global ocean economy on the rise – expected to outpace the broader economy by 2030. And as Canada charts the course for what is next, the ocean economy is an important driver in the potential for economic growth, new jobs, increased productivity and competitiveness, thriving communities, and accelerating the development of more, made-in-Canada ocean technology to sell to the world. With a membership of 800 from across Canada, as well as associate membership world-wide, the OSC is one of the world’s largest blue clusters. With momentum behind us, now is the time.
To date we have more than $500 million in announced and approved projects with partners and collaborators from different ocean sectors across the country. This month we have announced more than $9 million new in projects at an event at The Pier in Halifax, including the Amphibian UWILD Project and the AI-Powered Vessel Automation Toolkit Project from Marine Thinking, worth a combined $4.7 million, and the Forecast AI Project from MarineLabs worth $4.5 million, with more planned project announcements coming up in Ottawa in February and in Vancouver in March.
You will find us participating at a number of key events in Canada and in global markets that you have identified as priority. In the coming weeks, this includes a session on Arctic ocean innovation at the Aqsarniit Conference in Ottawa, a dedicated ocean track at the Canada-in-Asia conference in Singapore, partnering in the delivery of sessions at Ocean Visions in Vancouver, and participating in Hannover Messe in Germany as a part of Canada’s host country programming.
Our major, bi-annual Ambition 2035 Summit event will focus on action towards our collective goal of growing Canada’s ocean economy to $220 billion by 2035 – with the outcomes of research, reporting, and planning by national steering committees in key areas of growth, insights from global experts, and a look at emerging, new opportunities, as well as a challenge competition soon to be launched for both early and mature companies. Stay tuned!
If you are not yet a member of the OSC – now’s the time to get involved. Reach out to membership@oceansupercluster.ca, or visit Membership – Canada’s Ocean Supercluster. We’re excited to connect with you!
If you have a project idea – we continue to accept project proposals through our continuous intake, core program. Please reach out to get started!
By: Kendra MacDonald, Chief Executive Officer, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Happy Holidays
Happy Holidays from Canada’s Ocean Supercluster! Click above for a holiday message from our CEO, Kendra MacDonald, and check out some of our 2024 highlights below. 🌊
- Regional events in Iqaluit, Victoria, New Brunswick, and Ottawa
- Major conferences across the country focused roundtable discussions, national steering committee work, all member events, and most recently our Indigenous Ocean Business Forum
- Co-delivered an Ocean AI conference with our partner Forum Oceano in Portugal
- Established an MOU with NOAA
- Represented Canada at Hanover Messe as a part of the Global Innovation Cluster program
- More than 30 new, collaborative projects approved focused on AI and AI Exploration, Sustainable Seafood, Marine Transport, Climate, and Innovation Ecosystem Development
- More than $8 million dollars in project announcements from our first-ever International Call for Proposals with Innovate UK
- Conducted the first-ever national research around the perceptions and pathways for youth in ocean careers in partnership with Sherry Scully
- Launched our On the Job campaign with Shawn Kanungo, now on track to reach more than three-million youth this year alone
- Began a pilot training program in Ocean AI and Technology Foundations for ocean industry professionals
- Established two national steering committees for:
- The development of a strategy for the Blue Bioeconomy in Canada
- A strategic approach for Ocean AI in Canada
Ocean Talent: A Student Perspective
By Rhian Wallace, AI Ambassador in Residence, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
When I was sorting through the available co-op positions for my university degree, I was met with a sea of finance and programming opportunities; none of which really appealed to me. So, when I saw the posting from Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC), it felt like finding a needle in a haystack. I didn’t know if there would be an option where I could align my interests in environmental stewardship, data analysis, and communication, but there it was. Despite my area of study being statistics and environmental studies, the possibility of working in the blue economy was not even on my radar. In fact, I didn’t even know the term ‘blue economy’ existed until my first day with the OSC.
I hit the ground running when I was pulled into an in-person event on that first day – the OSC’s Ambition 2035 Conference in Victoria. As I sat and listened to the discussions taking place, they began turning to the topic of talent in the ocean sector. People around the room were saying “hey, there’s jobs here, but students don’t think of us.” Unbeknownst to them, they were talking about me. That is, people like me – students that don’t think of the ocean sector when considering career paths. Knowing what I know now about the ocean economy, combined with my personal experience engaging in professional pursuits as a student, I’d have to agree. Canada is the most coastal country in the world, boasting the fourth largest ocean territory and coastline on three of its four borders, and yet there I was thinking that ocean careers were reserved for those in marine studies.
Since that time, I’ve had an incredibly eye-opening experience working at the OSC. I’ve had the opportunity to learn about the work of Canadian ocean innovators and reflect on the systems that are built to support them. My role as the OSC AI Ambassador has given me a unique perspective into the potential of AI for the ocean sector and igniting those interests across multiple domains.
Professionally, I’ve not only seen the high number of possibilities for ocean careers, but also the diversity of skills needed to grow a sustainable ocean economy. In the last month alone, I’ve recommended looking into work in the ocean sector to three of my job seeking friends, all who are considering vastly different career paths (software development, administration, and project management).
Even though I’ve lived almost all my life in coastal cities, I never imagined I had the right skill set to bring to the ocean industry. Now that I’ve experienced it, I’ve seen many of the skillsets that are needed and the plethora of jobs available. My time as a co-op student with OSC has shown me that working in the ocean industry doesn’t have to mean being a marine biologist or a fisher, but it can mean supporting a positive impact on human-nature interactions, and on fostering systems of stewardship and sustainability, using the skills and interests I do have.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
By Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Since 2021, September 30 has been recognized as National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – a day to honour the children who never returned home, and the survivors, of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. A vital component of truth and reconciliation is acknowledging and commemorating the painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools. It is our responsibility to learn and understand this impact, and what we can do to show support and take action.
National Ambition 2035 Committee Launch Insights Report on Future of Ocean AI in Canada
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