Category: Blog Post
Bring on the narwhals, Canada!
Technology innovators and investors are no strangers to the label unicorn, which is what Silicon Valley calls small, high-growth tech companies when they reach $1-billion valuations. In Canada, those same high-growth firms are dubbed narwhals—after our ocean-dwelling unicorns.
I see much enthusiasm and tremendous potential for narwhals in Canada’s ocean economy. Even with economic uncertainties from the global pandemic, the ocean economy remains a sector with massive opportunities for startups to influence the transformation of traditional ocean-related industries like fisheries and transportation, while finding more sustainable and healthier ways to provide energy, food, therapeutics, and other in-demand products.
When I say that Canada has the potential to be the best place in the world for startups in ocean technology, that is not misplaced enthusiasm. We already have startups leading the way and we have countless generations of experience in ocean industries. Plus, every year our universities and colleges turn out new talent to bring fresh approaches to long-standing challenges, to create startups that develop and apply new technologies, and to disrupt traditional ways of doing business. We have a renewed focus on the ocean.
But not at any cost. As a Maritimer, I know that having three oceans bordering our nation presents us with both great opportunities and equally important responsibilities. For the sake of our planet and a healthy future for today’s youth, I am pleased to see a surge of ocean startups on the horizon, many of them with an appetite to help businesses be better stewards through sustainable practices.
And increasingly investors want to invest in businesses with a sustainability focus. In the shipping industry, global banks and lending institutions are using their money to show they are on board. In what they call the Poseidon Principles, the banks are tying investments and loans directly to their clients’ decarbonization activities and environmental stewardship. And in a summer 2020 peer-reviewed report, economists and analysts presented the benefits and costs of ocean sustainability for 2020 to 2050, calculating that investors will see 5-to-1 returns for dollars spent on the sustainable ocean economy.* Philanthropic organizations are also creating impact funds to grow commercial ventures that improve ocean heath and sustainability. The triple bottom line is an appreciated concept by investors and customers alike in the ocean industry.
Through our recent Ocean Startup Challenge, we received three times more applications than we had anticipated receiving from innovators located across Canada and around the world. It was inspiring to see how many of those applicants proposed solutions to issues threatening healthy oceans and to our fisheries and aquaculture industries. Not surprisingly, another popular category involved leveraging enabling technologies like artificial intelligence, sensors, and data analytics for outcomes like achieving efficiencies, safer work environments and more-informed decision-making.
Here at the Ocean Startup Project, I am truly fortunate to interact with diverse innovators who are focused on ocean technologies, including those who are looking to pivot proven land-based technologies over to ocean applications. This includes highly qualified, mid-career professionals from large companies re-evaluating their options in light of the pandemic and choosing to start new companies. I am already seeing partnerships start to form between talented Millennials and open-minded Gen Xers and Boomers, groups with decades of knowledge and extensive networks.
Canada’s ocean ecosystem has much to offer and now is the time to take risks, collaborate and explore opportunities. Ocean tech startups are well served by Canada’s abundance of incubators and accelerators, engaged mentors who have founded and scaled companies, research teams at post-secondary institutions, and economic and technology development support organizations from municipal through to federal levels.
Consider Canada a nursery for narwhals that can be nurtured by Canada’s Ocean Supercluster and collaborative regional ecosystems like we have here in Atlantic Canada and in pockets across the country. I want to see pods of narwhals.
Donald Grant
Executive Director
Ocean Startup Project
*A Sustainable Ocean Economy for 2050. Secretariat of the High Level Panel on Ocean Sustainability. World Resources Institute. July 2020
Diversity and Inclusion is our Corporate Culture
I am fortunate to call Canada home. As a Canadian, I think we often forget how inherently diverse we are as a population. I’m often telling international clients that in some of our larger cities, we can eat from a variety of cultures and for many of us – this is the new normal. But I’m very cognizant that it hasn’t always been this way.
I myself grew up in a small town of 19,000 people in Southern Ontario that was predominantly white. Born to immigrant parents that moved to Canada a few years before I was born, in my high school of 1800 students, the total number of “non-white” kids could be counted amongst two hands. Our family vacations consisted of road trips to various technical conferences around North America (hello family business) and a trip to India every 2 years to visit grandparents and cousins. As a businessman in small-town Ontario, my father insisted that we integrate as much as possible, while my mother maintained certain Indian traditions as well as the link to family in India. I started travelling at 16 – first on exchange to Switzerland and then to various internships all over the world. As travelling does, my eyes and mind opened drastically in those formative years and I believe it has made me the leader I am today.
I’m often asked if we have a diversity strategy at SensorTech, as we have an incredibly diverse workforce (and we always have). Bashfully, I always respond no – because frankly we don’t need it.
Diversity occurs naturally when you hire the best candidate for the job.
SensorTech has become a world leader in custom piezoceramics and underwater acoustics as a result of our world class products, cutting edge technology and experienced personnel – however we have no doubt benefited from our diversity. From the very beginning, SensorTech has been a diverse company, hiring the best candidate for each position, regardless of background. Today we still believe that diversity occurs naturally within any organization when you hire the best candidate for the job. Having a diverse workforce has allowed us to make connections and establish ourselves in global markets which may have otherwise been difficult to penetrate. We have been able to develop products we may not have otherwise envisioned due to not only of cultural background but also of diversity in experience and ideas. As a visible minority female CEO of a company that operates primarily in the defence market, diversity is something I am faced with on a daily basis.
I also feel it is critically important to support underrepresented groups so we can get to the point where they are among the best candidates applying for jobs; to ensure that women and visible minorities are afforded the opportunity to see themselves as industry leaders in this and all sectors.
Over the years, we have always supported local students who want to pursue Science and Engineering. We have recently sponsored an entrance bursary at the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) which will be awarded annually to a female or person who identifies as a visible minority who enrols in the Ocean Technology program.
My challenge to other Ocean Tech companies is to see what they can do – whether it’s a co-op position, or a bursary, or even a mentorship. Small efforts can make big impacts, not only for the student but for an organization as well.
Ultimately diversity and inclusion shouldn’t be a strategy. They should be part of the fabric of your organization. When we stop worrying about race and language barriers, we can start focusing on the technology that will help us better understand the Oceans.
Niru Somayajula
President & CEO at Sensor Technology Ltd
Two-Eyed Seeing in the Ocean Economy – Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science Working Together – National Indigenous Peoples Day
Oceans are not only an important part of our lives, but our livelihood. As we look to build the ocean economy for the benefit of all Canadians, there is a balance we must achieve, a respect we must demonstrate, and a commitment to sustainability we must employ.
The ocean has helped sustain us for generations. As we build our ocean economy, it’s up to us to do it in a way that helps mitigate risks and allows us to contribute to ocean health, so it continues to sustain those generations to come.
From time immemorial, Indigenous communities have had a strong presence and bond to the Oceans. This relationship is all encompassing and cannot be described with traditional boundaries. For instance, the Mi’kmaq are stewards of the marine environment for their ancestral home of Mi’kma’ki (the entire Atlantic region in Canada).
By referring to the ways of Msit-No’kmaw (“All my Relations”), it is understood that every living and non-living being must be treated with respect. All beings whether they are on land, freshwater or oceans are interconnected. This can be explained by observing the life cycle of diadromous fish, such as the Atlantic Salmon and the American Eel, which are an important species for the Mi’kmaq.
Indigenous involvement in fisheries, whether it be for commercial or ceremonial purposes are important for sustaining communities and livelihoods.
However, it is also understood that a balanced approach is needed to ensure this relationship between people and the marine environment can continue in the future. By practicing Netukulimk, the Mi’kmaq take only what is needed from the environment. Integral to this worldview is the responsibility of not harming or damaging the environment for the sake of the next seven generations. Netukulimk is not only a way of being, it serves as guiding principle for practicing sustainability.
The oceans also have a great cultural significance to Indigenous peoples. Legends and stories passed down orally from generation to generation offer knowledge about the marine environment. From the Mi’kmaq creation story to travel routes providing access to the Bay of Fundy, there are lessons and cultural practices that revolve around the oceans. Indigenous Knowledge offers a wholistic perspective, one that supports sustainability.
By practicing Etuaptmumk (“Two-Eyed Seeing”), two worldviews, western science and Indigenous Knowledge, can be brought together to develop best practices. The “Two-Eyed Seeing” approach gives the opportunity to build relationships, as well as integrate wholistic perspectives with science-based techniques.
We know when we come together and collaborate we may bring together different ideas, insights, and experience, but this only increases the opportunity for innovation. I look forward to continued, and even more, “Two Eyed Seeing” as we begin to realize this kind of collaborative innovation and work together toward sustainable ocean growth.
Angeline Gillis, B.A., LL.B
Associate Executive Director – OSC Board Director
Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq
Looking Ahead With Optimism By John Risley
To say the Atlantic Canadian economy needs a real shot in the arm now is an obvious understatement. The fishery is being hurt by low prices, the offshore oil industry by the same (and the resulting delays being announced for many capital projects) and the service industry generally all but shut down. I understand the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is even saying tourists won’t be welcome this year. Who could have imagined this just 3 months ago?
But we are a proud and resourceful lot and I am convinced that spirit will rise up and drive economic growth in ways not imagined just those same 3 months ago. Nowhere should this be more obvious than within the ocean sector and nowhere are there better opportunities for our companies. The fishing industry, never known for its technological prowess needs to look to technology to reduce costs, improve operating efficiencies and otherwise better understand the ecosystem on which it is so dependent. Newfoundland’s offshore oil industry is under huge cost pressures and new discovery opportunities are in deeper water and more distant from shore making them amongst the expensive plays to engage and exploit. It will be a pre-condition for jobs and all important tax revenue to flow from these exciting prospects that more work be done remotely, that ways be found to operate many functions autonomously (and safely of course) and that new methods and practices be brought to bear to lower the risk and the cost of operating in such a hostile environment.
Your Ocean Supercluster has an important role to play in encouraging, prompting, stimulating, and supporting innovation across the ocean economy. We want bright minds with new ideas and lots of enthusiasm. We are investing in building up the innovation ecosystem at the level of all the incubators across the region, where through projects like the Ocean Startup Project, networks like the Creative Destruction Lab, and world-class facilities like the Cove facility in Dartmouth, anywhere an entrepreneur has the ambition to launch a business touching the ocean economy, they can.
And why I am so optimistic as to the prospects for what is possible is because I see and live the scale of the opportunity. I believe we have just reached a critical mass here in Atlantic Canada wherein, or whereupon, emerging businesses in everything from environmental monitoring, to undersea robotics, to remote sensing, to information technologies, to the general application of new sciences to real business imperatives can all now find local support, a customer base, and the intellectual and financial capital necessary to turn these ideas into jobs and profit. And then, to sell those products and services to the rest of the world.
I can not imagine a better time to start a new enterprise. Never in my almost 50 years in business have I seen better availability of capital for early stage companies, never a market so focused on ways to improve, to cut costs, to be innovative, to be differentiated. And never a community so willing to help spud and grow these businesses and celebrate their early successes.
I am tremendously proud of the team at the Ocean Supercluster. We are here to help. Come talk to us.
Chair of OSC Board of Directors
CFFI Ventures Inc.
John Risley
Weathering the storm – Staying healthy & safe amid COVID-19, and a look ahead to continued opportunities in ocean
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.
#EachforEqual – Celebrating and Empowering Women and Girls in Ocean
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
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.
Collaboration, Balance & Knowledge: Maximizing Canada’s Ocean Opportunity
Embarking on a Decade for Ocean Health and Sustainable Development
We know the ocean economy is projected to grow to $3T by 2030, and as someone who spends a lot of time focused on the ocean opportunity and Canada’s leadership in it, it is clear that achieving balance is critically important when developing our country’s greatest asset. With several recent studies highlighting the current risks facing oceans worldwide and the tipping points that are approaching, our collective success in developing our ocean economy means focusing on both the wealth and health of oceans, not as separate objectives, but as one.
The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development will kick off in 2021 and run until year-end in 2030. It is meant to “support efforts to reverse the cycle of decline in ocean health and gather ocean stakeholders worldwide behind a common framework that will ensure ocean science can fully support countries in creating improved conditions for sustainable development of the Ocean.” This is dedicated effort to help address one of the single most important issues in the decade ahead, and our ability to do so successfully will impact us all. CBC’s Brett Ruskin covered this story recently as preparations for the ocean decade activities came to Atlantic Canada.
The United Nations has an ambitious decade-long plan to save the world’s oceans. It’s holding regional conferences to shape that plan in cities like: Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Venice, Copenhagen, Nairobi and… Halifax. pic.twitter.com/2CxDmfwlzo
— Brett Ruskin (@Brett_CBC) January 7, 2020
As the UN is busily preparing for the decade-long focus on ocean health and wealth, the International Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO is not only building the portfolio of decade programs but will also play an on-going role in implementing them. Canada has stepped up and committed an additional $9.5M to support the activities of the decade.
To build this portfolio, the IOC is gathering input from the scientific community through various workshops. I was asked to participate in the North Atlantic workshop led by the Ocean Frontier Institute and supported by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in Halifax at the beginning of January – other workshops include Norway, Brazil and Tokyo, exciting for Atlantic Canada to be on this list.
The input was focused on six key societal objectives: clean ocean; healthy and resilient ocean; predicted ocean; safe ocean; sustainably harvested and productive ocean; and a transparent and accessible ocean.
The discussions also included “cross-cutting themes,” topics that touch on all of the objectives and these included: capacity building and tech transfer; partnerships and financing; access to info; data and knowledge; awareness raising; and inclusivity and transdisciplinary.
There were over 150 participants from all over the North Atlantic – including the UK, Norway, Canada, US, Cape Verde, Germany and France. Not only was I asked to attend the session, I was asked to be a co-convener (essentially a facilitator) for the discussion around the societal objective of a transparent and accessible ocean. One way to ensure I pay attention is to put me at the front of the room! Having never attended this type of scientific gathering before, I was assured that my other co-convener would have lots of experience and he certainly did. Martin Visbeck, a professor in physical oceanography at GEOMAR in Germany had a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience and is a member of the Expert Planning Group responsible for advising on the implementation plan for the UN Decade of Ocean. Despite many differences in culture, background and approach, we made it work – a true transatlantic collaboration. We facilitated two rounds of six-hour discussions on our topic with groups of approximately 15 and 25 and then reported out on the top three areas of recommendations from the combined results of the group. It was a lot of work and there were lots of interesting results and actions that can start now for the North Atlantic community, although there will be a more formal report that pulls together the input from the multiple sessions held.
My three takeaways:
❶ It is hard to navigate the ocean community and understand everything that is being done. I was introduced to more organizational acronyms than I could possibly retain and there is no easy place to go to be able to understand how their mandates fit together and where the gaps might be. These types of meetings are hugely beneficial in sharing information on current activities and hopefully there will continue to be an increasing focus on tools that allow knowledge sharing and an on-going commitment to do so.
❷ While there is a general agreement that the actions of any one nation on the Atlantic Ocean impact the entire Atlantic Ocean community, it is not easy to work together internationally. There are customs challenges in moving equipment from country to country, and there are still lots of pockets of resistance and/or barriers to sharing data to be able to maximize its potential in supporting current and future decision making. It is critical to think about how we reward the right behaviors when it comes to collaboration on an international scale.
❸ We need to be as inclusive as possible as we build the approach for the decade. While there was some representation from the Indigenous community, other disciplines, the NGO community, and industry at the meeting, there is more to be done to ensure we do link the science to supporting sustainable development. Educating the general public on their relationship to the ocean whether or not they live in a coastal community is another critical component to the conversation. It is not just about producing the science but also how we make that information accessible to the various audiences. Hopefully, this is one of a series of conversations to come as we continue to think about the activities that Canada can play a key role in driving forward.
It is rare to have a week to spend with international colleagues talking about the challenges and opportunities that we have in the next decade to influence the future of our ocean and with that the future of our ocean industries and our communities. I look forward to seeing what comes next.
2020 – Activation and Momentum at Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
As 2019 started, the OSC felt very much like a start-up – which was exciting, incredibly busy, and meant wearing a lot of different hats for a while. We had no full-time staff and the organization was in the process of opening its first bank account. We had signed our contribution agreement with the federal government seven weeks prior to the end of 2018 but we had several other documents to complete for Ministerial approval that were all at various stages of review. We had no systems, processes or policies, and at the beginning of the calendar year any temporary staff we had, including myself, were working on their personal computers. We had an interim steering group and only six board members. There was no formal membership and no projects. What we did have was a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for the journey ahead and anticipation throughout the region for what we were trying to do.
Fast forward to the end of 2019 and there is a great deal to celebrate. We have established most of our infrastructure – our team, which we continue to grow, our processes; including our project selection guidance, IP and data strategy, our first Annual General Meeting and an almost full Board, our membership agreement and by-laws with over 130 members by the end of the year, an active project pipeline for both technology leadership and innovation ecosystem projects and a new member portal, claims management system, and website to come early in the new year. We held our first marquis cluster building event with over 400 people at the Halifax Convention Centre in March followed by our first members-only event at the Cunard Centre in November with 135 people. We have significantly increased the awareness throughout Canada and the world on what is happening in Atlantic Canada and the hard work that is being done to establish this region as one of the key places to build an ocean technology company.
But most of all, we started to see a shift in mindset in Atlantic Canada and across Canada, with the help of the other four superclusters, towards Canadian and regional collaboration and its importance in increasing our global competitiveness. I hear story after story of organizations that had never spoken before or thought to do business together, that after having the opportunity to share ideas at one of our events, are now developing project ideas for the OSC and also seeking out other non-supercluster opportunities together – which is an even more powerful story. The OSC’s objective is to strengthen our ocean innovation ecosystem well beyond the programs of the Ocean Supercluster itself and we have certainly seen an increase in the ocean conversation and ocean activities in 2019 that will position us very well as we head into 2020.
So why am I so excited about 2020? This is a critical year for the OSC, and I believe much of what we have seeded in 2019 will position us to take full advantage of the opportunity in 2020:
- We will see significant technology leadership and innovation ecosystem projects start to kick-off in the first half of 2020. This will help build the momentum for further project pipeline activity and strengthen the ocean ecosystem.
- We will deepen the ocean conversation with more frequent, smaller events throughout the region that will take a deeper dive into specific topics of common interest and continue to create opportunities to further build and strengthen relationships.
- We will identify opportunities to work with organizations throughout the region that are thinking about capacity building with a focus on inclusiveness to develop new approaches to building the skill sets and identifying the resources that we need to deliver on OSC projects now and in the future and grow the overall ocean economy in Canada.
- We will continue to identify strategic opportunities to profile the OSC internationally including the Oceanology International conference in London and Transfiere in Spain.
- We will continue to build awareness and momentum around the ocean opportunity for Canadians. You will see lots of information-sharing and communication around our projects and activities to help Canadians understand our role and potential as an ocean nation.
The Ocean Supercluster faced many challenges in 2019 as we got up and running, and we will continue to tackle challenges in 2020. Changing culture is hard work but incredibly important for the future of the region and the country. I firmly believe this change in mindset will be important not only to the growth of the ocean economy but will also have spillover effects in the broader Atlantic Canadian and Canadian economy. I am tremendously lucky and proud to have such a hard-working, dedicated and passionate OSC team as we head into 2020 supported by a strong, committed Board of Directors – together with all of our partners and members, I know we will do great things. I wish you all the very best in 2020!
Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean. -Ryunosuke Satoro