Category: Blog Post

Celebrating Our Differences – Using Mentorship as a Tool for Growth, Inclusion, Equity

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Blog Post
By: Ogaga Johnson, Technology Leadership Manager, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster & Industry Mentor with Ocean Allies

Diversity, equity, and inclusion – in any sector – are critical to ensuring we have insights and perspectives from a diverse workforce while growing the ocean economy. Growth is limited when inclusion is absent, and to be world-leading, we must consider the opinions of diverse individuals.

The Ocean Allies Role Model Initiative aims to build a roster of diverse superstars in the ocean economy. Doing this helps spotlight diverse individuals thriving in the ocean sector and creates a sense of belonging to others interested in ocean-related careers.

A picture tells a thousand words when talking about having diverse industry role models. Beyond the words, webinars, or opportunities, seeing and learning from others who have succeeded helps paint a picture of what the future can hold for all those who wish to participate in the ocean economy. Seeing people who look like “me” gives powerful reassurance and validity to anyone hoping to enter the ocean space and sends a message that you do not have to look a certain way or have a specific background to have a voice or shine in Canada’s ocean economy.

Leadership in this particular area needs attention in the ocean sector. We need a workforce that enables diverse populations and the ability to advance in positions of leadership and influence. As a young, professional woman from the black community, I can attest to this. We need to see more people like us in leadership and influential positions to know that we are truly welcomed, valued, have the opportunity to grow, and that our voice can be heard. As an Ocean Allies Role Model, I hope I can give this type of affirmation to other young people in the ocean space.

It’s wonderful to see work continuing in this area. To industry, keep shining the spotlight and telling stories of diverse individuals who have excelled in the ocean sector. By providing such visibility, you are helping diverse superstars shine their light even brighter, helping others know it is possible to shine their lights as well. Diverse employees bring a unique perspective and can make a powerful contribution to the workforce. Whether it be race, culture, age, or gender, we all bring special value and insight to the ocean sector.

To my fellow diverse professionals considering participating in ocean – jump on board! Your dreams are valid, and you can achieve them. Your diverse background is not a weakness but instead a strength that you should be proud of. Build your capacity, get the knowledge needed to excel, network, and put yourself forward for opportunities. Do not be intimidated, and always use your difference as an advantage to shine. Remember, you have so much value to contribute to this sector – and it’s needed.

Will there be setbacks? Maybe. But one thing you should never do is quit or stop trying. Find ways to encourage yourself. For me, I always encourage myself through bible affirmations. Always keep moving and making progress!

So far, I have enjoyed my short time in the ocean sector. I have been given several amazing opportunities by my organization, including this guest feature, and being featured as a role model with Ocean Allies. It is a great honor, privilege and very humbling. I see the effort made the Ocean Supercluster and ocean sector as a whole – and I celebrate it. I want to thank all the organizations, individuals and leaders in ocean that are tirelessly working to ensure a more diverse and inclusive sector.

There will always room for improvement, but please don’t get tired, as together we can grow the ocean economy to be a sector that is equitable, diverse and inclusive.

Ogaga Johnson, Technology Leadership Manager, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster & Industry Role Model, Ocean Allies

World Ocean Day 2021: One Ocean, One Climate, One Future – Together

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Blog Post
World Ocean Day 2021: One Ocean, One Climate, One Future – Together

©David Howells 2021 www.davehowellsphoto.com

By: Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

You may have heard me speak more than once about the momentum that’s building, the opportunity ahead, and the role we all play in the future of our ocean – this is a message worth repeating. In just over a week, on World Ocean Day, the world will come together around the theme of “One Ocean, One Climate, One Future – Together.” This is an important conversation for the world and for Canada – not just on June 8th but also as we consider what we need to do to best manage this incredible resource that has provided for us for centuries and will serve as an instrumental driver in achieving our environmental and economic targets now and in the future. I wanted to share reflections on a couple of increasingly important topics on this journey.

Net-zero 
The conversation around moving to net-zero is accelerating around the world.  The United States, with new leadership, rejoined the Paris Agreement and hosted a virtual leader’s summit on climate change on World Earth Day with several countries speaking about their commitment to the environment and climate change goals.  The President shared in his remarks that “Countries who take decisive action now to create the industries of the future will be the ones that reap the economic benefits of the clean energy boom that’s coming.” This conversation is expected to continue to accelerate as we move towards the UN Climate Change Conference, Cop26 in Glasgow in November. Canada continues to build on its commitment to climate action in Budget 2021 proposing to provide $17.6 billion towards a green recovery to create jobs, build a clean economy, and fight and protect against climate change.

Covering 70 per cent of the planet, our ocean is absorbing significant amounts of carbon and exhibiting increasing impacts of climate change. A recent article in The Conversation talks about the key role of the North Atlantic as the most intense carbon sink in the world and its importance in our net-zero future.  Any net-zero conversation needs to consider not only the actions we are taking on land but those that need to be taken in the ocean.  As an example, as discussed at the recent Seaweed Days event in BC, seaweed has an important role to play in absorbing CO2. Net-zero is also an increasing focus of our supercluster projects with themes like electrification, carbon capture and alternative fuels. Two other examples of initiatives over the last few months include the launch of the Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies and the Clean Resource Innovation Network’s launch of their competitions, both working to contribute to the journey towards net-zero.

While we have always spoken about the balance of ocean health and ocean wealth, now is the time to ensure we keep both in mind not only as Canada develops its Blue Economy Strategy but also as a key part of Canada’s climate action investments.

Inclusion 
To achieve our ocean ambition for Canada, we need to bring all perspectives to the conversation. The OSC is a participant in Canada’s 50-30 Challenge actively working to increase diversity in our team. I am excited to follow the Indigenous Career Pivot Pilot webseries videos and get some perspective on the journey of those participating in this pilot. Our Ocean Allies project has issued its Navigating Change report looking at some of the barriers to inclusion in the ocean economy and has been hosting a series of coffee chats to create a space for this important conversation. I also had the opportunity to participate in a recent diversity forum and hear more about the challenges faced by people with disabilities, impressed by how much these individuals have achieved in the face of these challenges.  There is still much to do to create equal opportunities for all.

I am inspired by the momentum we have already achieved across Canada and believe we have opportunities to lead the world through an ocean economy that is digital, sustainable and inclusive. Our many projects demonstrate a commitment to this vision by project participants along with the increasing number of ocean-related activities across the country.  This is not only a big year for the Ocean Supercluster but for the entire Canadian ocean economy as we continue to position ourselves to take advantage of the sustainable growth opportunity our ocean represents on the path to economic recovery.

OSC Current April 2021 – The Potential of Seaweed – Sabrena MacKenzie, Co-Founder of SeaChange Biochemistry

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Blog Post

The global seaweed industry is vast, diverse, and is experiencing consistent and significant growth. Within the last decade, global annual harvests of seaweed increased from 19 million metric tonnes in 2010 to 36 million metric tonnes in 2018.

Although production and consumption are currently driven by countries within Asia, demand across the globe for increased seaweed consumption, production, and use is growing. This market growth creates a lot of economic opportunity.

Seaweed is one of the largest under exploited resources on the planet, certainly in Canada. Seaweed is known to have an abundance of macronutrients, micronutrients, and vitamins which makes it a superfood. Extracts from seaweed are utilized in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries and have been shown to have numerous health benefits.

One of the most powerful aspects of seaweed is that it can be used in so many different industries. This gives us many opportunities to make a difference. For example, 8 million tons of plastic is thrown into the ocean annually. Using a biodegradable seaweed based alternative is a powerful way to reduce the pollution that is choking our oceans. Seaweed also acts as an underwater carbon sink by absorbing carbon dioxide from the water and releasing oxygen, helping to reduce ocean acidification.

In the era of climate change, seaweed is both an environmental solution to protect our marine ecosystem as well as an economic opportunity. However, harnessing the full environmental benefits of seaweed while enjoying increased economic opportunity requires a change in thinking.

In the past, the model of using bio-based resources has been unsustainable. One biomass. One process. One product. This generates a lot of waste, uses resources in a wasteful manner and is a lost economic opportunity. The destructive nature of traditional extraction processes makes it impossible to extract more than one value stream which keeps the cost of production high.

Sustainable use of valuable natural resources needs to be at the core of all bio- based business models, not an afterthought.

With this model, SeaChange Biochemistry has designed a unique biorefinery process to simultaneously produce four high value chemicals from a single seaweed species. One biomass. One process. Multiple products. No waste. The biorefinery model inherently produces pure chemicals without the expense of additional processing steps.

This innovation doubles output and reduces production costs by 50%, generates high margins, produces the highest quality products, eliminates waste, and has a positive environmental impact.

Both our biorefinery process and our products have multiple positive environmental impacts. We use a sustainable feedstock, and we use it all, nothing is wasted. Green chemistry is the foundation of our process, We do not use toxic solvents and we generate no hazardous waste.

It is our intention to demonstrate that you can build a highly profitable, scalable, business based on responsible use of ocean resources right here in Canada. We hope to spark the growth of a sustainable seaweed industry here which has widespread environmental and economic impact. Everybody wins.

Sabrena MacKenzie, Co-Foudner of SeaChange Biochemistry

Le potentiel des algues marines

L’industrie mondiale des algues marines est vaste, diversifiée et elle connaît une forte croissance constante. Au cours de la dernière décennie, les récoltes annuelles mondiales d’algues sont passées de 19 millions de tonnes métriques en 2010 à 36 millions de tonnes métriques en 2018.

Bien que les pays de l’Asie donnent le ton à la production et à la consommation des algues marines, on constate une demande accrue dans le monde entier pour leur consommation, leur production et leur utilisation. Ainsi, de grandes possibilités économiques découlent de cette croissance du marché.

Les algues marines constituent l’une des plus grandes ressources sous-exploitées sur la planète, et certainement au Canada. Les algues marines sont connues pour contenir une abondance de macronutriments, de vitamines et de micronutriments. Cela en fait donc un superaliment. Les industries alimentaire, cosmétique et pharmaceutique utilisent des extraits d’algues marines, car ils apportent de nombreux bienfaits démontrés pour la santé.

L’un des aspects les plus puissants au sujet des algues marines, c’est que de nombreuses industries peuvent s’en servir. Cela nous donne donc de nombreuses occasions de faire une différence. Par exemple, on évalue que 8 millions de tonnes de plastique sont jetées dans l’océan chaque année. Le recours à des solutions de rechange basées sur des algues biodégradables constitue alors une excellente façon de réduire la pollution qui étouffe nos océans. En absorbant le dioxyde de carbone de l’eau et en libérant de l’oxygène tout en contribuant à réduire l’acidification des océans, les algues marines agissent également de puits de carbone sous-marins.

À l’ère des changements climatiques, les algues marines sont à la fois une solution environnementale qui vient protéger notre écosystème marin et apporter des occasions commerciales. L’exploitation de tous les bienfaits environnementaux des algues marines tout en profitant d’une augmentation d’occasions commerciales nécessite toutefois un changement de mentalité.

On a vu par le passé que le modèle d’utilisation de bioressources est non durable. Une biomasse. Un processus. Un produit. Cette façon de faire génère beaucoup de déchets, gaspille les ressources et représente une perte d’occasions commerciales. La nature destructrice des procédés traditionnels ne permet pas l’extraction de plus d’un flux de valeur; ce qui entraîne inévitablement des coûts de production élevés.

L’utilisation durable des précieuses ressources naturelles doit être au cœur de tous les modèles d’entreprise bio, et non une préoccupation secondaire.

En se fondant sur ce modèle, SeaChange Biochemistry a conçu un processus de bioraffinerie unique qui permet de produire simultanément quatre produits chimiques de grande valeur à partir d’une seule espèce d’algue marine. Une biomasse. Un processus. Plusieurs produits. Pas de déchets. Le modèle de bioraffinerie produit intrinsèquement des substances chimiques pures sans engager des frais entraînés par des étapes de traitement supplémentaires.

Cette innovation permet de doubler la production et de réduire les coûts de production de 50 %, elle génère des marges élevées, elle apporte des produits de la plus haute qualité, elle élimine le gaspillage et elle apporte des répercussions positives sur l’environnement.

Nos processus de bioraffinage et nos produits entraînent tous deux de multiples répercussions positives sur l’environnement. Nous utilisons ainsi des matières premières renouvelables et nous les utilisons en entier, rien n’est gaspillé. La chimie verte est la fondation de notre processus. Nous n’utilisons pas de solvants toxiques et nous ne générons aucun déchet dangereux.

Nous avons l’intention de démontrer qu’il est possible de bâtir une entreprise très rentable et évolutive en se fondant sur l’utilisation responsable des ressources des océans ici même au Canada. Nous espérons donc susciter ici la croissance d’une industrie d’algues marines durable, qui engendre des répercussions positives du point de vue économique et environnemental. Tout le monde y gagne.

Sea Beyond OSC Current – March 2021

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Blog Post

Sea Beyond – The Case for Ocean Literacy in Canada

By Tom Paddon, CEO, Vale NL Ltd. & Baffinland Iron Mines Ltd.

In thirty years of being involved in businesses that revolved around shipping and the ocean I haven’t met anyone yet who doesn’t care about the environment.  But having frequently straddled the arenas of science, business, and environmental concern I’ve been struck by how often misconceptions about businesses – and the people behind them – arise and persist.

Mining companies, among the largest customers of the global seaborne trade, are frequent and generous supporters of community causes, a logical reason why we are often asked to contribute to them.  Encountering the awkwardness of a recipient organization later explaining that other funders would prefer our contribution not be publicly acknowledged because of their own environmental branding – and their concern at being associated with a mining company – was an object lesson in how damaging stereotypes can be.

Ocean industry is as broad a term as we can imagine and encompasses everything from fish harvesting to shipbuilding including ocean remediation, research and recreation – and yet the word ‘industry’ is to some a trigger, and not a positive one.  In the absence of current knowledge about the scope and innovation of modern ocean industry too many people see it as too extractive, too pollutive, and too self-serving.  In reality much is being done to address how ocean industry evolves to meet modern realities and future challenges, the work is wide ranging and genuinely impressive.  And most people don’t know about it.  Even more fundamentally most people don’t know much at all about the ocean and just how connected they are to it, (and it is just that: one ocean, regardless of how we divide it up and name it).  That’s at the root of the problem.  When it comes to a comprehension of all things marine – whether local, national or global and whether environmental, cultural or industrial – many Canadians are semi-literate at best.  This needs to change and we all have a part to play.

A good problem to have is one that is well understood, that you can do much to address, and whose resolution will bring significant beneficial effect.  This year marks the start of the United Nation’s Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and around the world efforts are being brought to bear on this topic.  As with much in life the foundation is education and appreciation and therefore Ocean Literacy – understanding how we affect the ocean and how it affects us – is the starting point for many.  The relatively new Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition launched a national strategy to achieve this, complete with an implementation plan, on March 16th, 2021.  I urge everyone to read the strategy and consider the implementation plan and your place in it – as a business or simply as an individual Canadian.

We are all tied to the ocean whether in the most vital sense (marine plankton produces at least two thirds of the world’s oxygen), or in more mundane ways (80% of global trade by volume and 70% by value is carried by sea and handled in the world’s ports).  By 2050, the estimated world population of 9.1 billion people will require 470 million metric tonnes of animal protein annually.  While land-based food production is ripe for significant improvement so that we are better able to produce more protein without using more territory, it is increasingly clear that the capacity of the ocean to responsibly feed billions is only now beginning to be understood.  One estimate suggests that the ocean could sustainably produce all of the animal protein required in 2050, and while that is unlikely to happen it is clear that our reliance on the ocean will continue to be fundamental – for the air we breathe, the food we eat, the trade we require, and much more.

The mandate of the Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition and its membership – which includes the Ocean Supercluster – will necessarily lead more Canadians to valuing and supporting the ocean and ocean industry.  It is critical that the voice of responsible industry be heard in the current effort to educate our fellow citizens.  It is that knowledge which will have currency in the widening discussion of how best to steward the world’s ocean and we must ensure opinions are well informed.  We can all help in this effort, the COLC website is a good place to start.

Au-delà des océans – Le cas de l’alphabétisation océanique au Canada

Par Tom Paddon, PDG, Vale NL Ltd. et Baffinland Iron Mines Ltd

En trente ans de participation à des entreprises qui gravitaient autour de la navigation maritime et de l’océan, je n’ai encore jamais rencontré personne qui ne se soucie pas de l’environnement.  Ayant souvent traversé les milieux de la science, des affaires et des préoccupations environnementales, j’ai cependant été frappé par la fréquence à laquelle les idées fausses surgissent et persistent sur les entreprises ainsi que sur les personnes y étant rattachées.

Parmi les principaux clients du commerce maritime mondial, les sociétés minières sont souvent des partisans généreux de causes communautaires; une raison logique pour laquelle on nous demande souvent de contribuer à ces causes.  La maladresse d’une organisation bénéficiaire qui explique après coup que certains bailleurs de fonds préféreraient que notre contribution ne soit pas reconnue publiquement en raison de leur image de marque environnementale, et de leur inquiétude d’être associés à une société minière, fut une leçon pour moi sur la manière dont les stéréotypes peuvent être préjudiciables.

L’industrie océanique est un terme aussi large que nous pouvons l’imaginer et englobe tout, à partir de la récolte du poisson jusqu’à la construction navale, y compris l’assainissement des océans, la recherche et les loisirs. Pourtant, le mot « industrie » est pour certains un élément déclencheur, qui n’est pas positif.  En l’absence de connaissances actuelles sur la portée et l’innovation de l’industrie océanique moderne, trop de gens la voient comme étant trop extractive, trop polluante et trop intéressée.  En réalité, on fait beaucoup pour aborder la façon dont l’industrie océanique évolue afin de répondre aux réalités modernes et aux défis futurs; le travail est vaste et vraiment impressionnant.  Et la plupart des gens n’en savent rien.  Plus fondamentalement encore, la plupart des gens ne savent pas grand-chose sur l’océan et ignorent à quel point ils y sont connectés (et c’est juste cela : un océan, indépendamment de la façon dont nous le divisons et le nommons).  C’est à l’origine du problème.  Lorsqu’il s’agit de comprendre toutes les choses marines, qu’elles soient locales, nationales ou mondiales et environnementales, culturelles ou industrielles, de nombreux Canadiens sont au mieux semi-alphabétisés.  Cela doit changer et nous avons tous un rôle à jouer.

Un bon problème à avoir est celui qui est bien compris, pour lequel vous pouvez faire beaucoup et dont la résolution apportera un effet bénéfique important.  Cette année marque le début de la Décennie pour les sciences océaniques au service du développement durable des Nations unies. Des efforts sont déployés dans le monde entier pour se pencher sur la question.  Comme pour plusieurs choses dans la vie, l’éducation et la reconnaissance sont les fondements et de là, le point de départ pour beaucoup est l’alphabétisation océanique : comprendre l’impact de l’océan sur nous et notre impact sur l’océan.  La relativement nouvelle Coalition canadienne de la connaissance de l’océan, a lancé le 16 mars 2021, une stratégie nationale pour y parvenir, ainsi qu’un plan de mise en œuvre.  J’exhorte tout le monde à lire la stratégie et à réfléchir au plan de mise en œuvre et à votre place dans celui-ci en tant qu’entreprise ou simplement en tant que Canadien.

Nous sommes tous liés à l’océan, que ce soit dans le sens le plus vital (le plancton marin produit au moins les deux tiers de l’oxygène dans le monde) ou de manière plus terre-à-terre (80 % du commerce mondial en volume et 70 % en valeur sont transportés par la mer et manipulés dans les ports du monde).  La population mondiale estimée à 9,1 milliards d’habitants d’ici 2050 nécessitera chaque année 470 millions de tonnes métriques de protéines animales.  Bien que la production alimentaire terrestre soit mûre pour des améliorations appréciables afin que nous soyons mieux en mesure de produire plus de protéines sans utiliser plus de territoire, il est de plus en plus clair que la capacité des océans à nourrir des milliards de personnes de manière responsable commence à peine à être comprise.  Une estimation suggère que l’océan pourrait produire de façon durable toutes les protéines animales requises en 2050. Bien qu’il soit peu probable que cela se produise, il est clair que notre dépendance à l’océan continuera d’être fondamentale que ce soit pour l’air que nous respirons, la nourriture que nous mangeons, le commerce dont nous avons besoin et bien plus encore.

Le mandat de la Coalition canadienne de la connaissance de l’océan et de ses membres, dont Supergrappe des océans, amènera nécessairement plus de Canadiens à valoriser et à soutenir les océans et l’industrie des océans.  Il est essentiel que la voix de l’industrie responsable soit entendue dans l’effort en cours d’éduquer nos concitoyens.  C’est cette connaissance qui aura une valeur dans le débat de plus en plus vaste sur la meilleure façon de gérer les océans du monde et nous devons nous assurer que les opinions soient bien informées.  Nous pouvons tous contribuer à cet effort. Le site Web de la Coalition canadienne de la connaissance de l’océan est d’ailleurs un bon point de départ.

OSC Current Blog – February 2021 – Paul Lansbergen and Timothy Kennedy

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Blog Post

The federal government has just recently launched public consultations on a Blue Economy Strategy. This has been much anticipated since it was first mentioned in Ministerial mandate letters of December 2019. We are pleased to share some thoughts for readers to consider.

Our vision is for Canada’s seafood sector to be nothing less than the best quality and sustainable producers in the world. Our nation depends on it. Our vision sees the future of the seafood sector – wild and farmed together – resulting in:

  • Coastal and Indigenous communities thriving: new schools, new community centres and hospitals being built, young people returning, with women employed as much as men, with a sense of purpose and excitement in their work, of pride in their jobs, of a sense of a future of great hope and opportunity.
  • Canadian innovation and technology based on our sector being sent around the world, and collaboration with other nations in a dynamic enterprise of sustainable value creation.

Seafood production is at the core of the Blue Economy for Canada. Our sector is the largest of the ocean economy, representing 90,000 jobs and $9 billion in GDP. There are no other sectors that promise as much renewal and stability for coastal communities.

We tick so many boxes: sustainable production, food security, low-carbon food, coastal community development, Indigenous reconciliation, aquaculture with the youngest workforce in all of Canadian agri-food, science and innovation.

The future of seafood is both sustainably wild harvested and farmed. The work of Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) together with the Fisheries Council of Canada (FCC) on our joint vision and action plan for the Blue Economy Strategy is the result of this shared belief.
Science and innovation – for example, the development and application of Artificial Intelligence – is driven by primary industry, like seafood. You must have a strong and stable primary industry such as ours to build everything around it.

The world, led by the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Oceans Economy, has clearly identified seafood as the leading solution to global sustainable food production. The Panel concluded the following:

  • Food from the sea provides essential vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients not found in plant-source foods or other proteins. This is important for global nutrition.
  • The world can produce six times more sustainable seafood by 2050 than today. This is critical to global food security.
  • Increasing the fraction of ocean-based food in the global diet and reducing the share of animal-based foods would contribute significantly to climate change mitigation.
  • Investing in sustainably sourced ocean-based protein yields strong environmental, economic and health benefits – a ratio of 10:1. Canada’s coastal communities would surely welcome such investments.

Unfortunately, Canada continues to fall behind. We have gone from the largest seafood exporter to eighth in the world and falling. Our aquaculture production has flatlined for 20 years.

But there is a clear path forward. We have a vision – to seize the podium of global best sustainable producers. When we achieve that, we will have doubled the value of Canadian fish and seafood, doubled the economic benefits, and doubled domestic consumption.

These are bold aspirations without a doubt. It will take extraordinary effort and collaboration. It will require us to think outside the box. It will mean challenging the status quo in some respects.

One area where industry has to take the lead is innovation. Yes, government can certainly facilitate, and must keep pace in allowing new innovations to take hold and further strengthen our sustainable production practices. But industry must determine what innovations will simultaneously advance performance and meet market demands.

While companies continue to innovate in their usual methods, the Ocean Supercluster (OSC) is the most significant ocean economy collaboration in our lifetime. Members and partners of the OSC are developing new technologies that will transform sectors. We encourage all supply chain participants to climb aboard and contribute to the future successes that the OSC is creating today.

By doing so, we will get away from a mentality in Canada that says “We can’t do this” to one that says “We can do this.” The OSC and now the Blue Economy Strategy can be the sparks that lit the change to revitalize coastal communities across Canada. Working together we can achieve the High-Level Panel’s triple-win vision – for people, nature, and the economy, and most importantly, make Canadian seafood production the very best in the world and the pride of Canada.

Paul Lansbergen is President, Fisheries Council of Canada
Timothy Kennedy is President and CEO, Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance

OSC Current Blog – January 2021

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Blog Post

Happy 2021!  There are many of us who breathed a collective sigh of relief as the first day of 2021 began.  While we continue to face significant challenges, there is much hope that the months ahead will start to bring greater normalcy, health and well-being, and a path to economic recovery. I am finding that this January, even more so than usual, is bringing with it many conversations about what we have learned in 2020 about ourselves, about each other and about the world around us and how to move forward while still navigating many uncertainties.

This January is an exciting one in the global ocean economy.  This year marks the official start of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development which offers a common framework for countries to sustainably manage oceans. This is critically important as countries around the world, Canada included, consider their strategies for the blue economy and prepare for their role in it.

In December 2020, the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, bringing together fourteen countries with a common goal to protect the ocean, issued its ocean action agenda: Transformations for a Sustainable Ocean Economy – A vision for Production, Protection and Prosperity. As a member of this panel, our Prime Minister shared, “Having the world’s longest coastline, Canada recognizes that our economy and our well-being are deeply connected with the health of our oceans, and that we have a responsibility to protect them.”

While there are many opportunities for growth in our ocean economy, the ocean is also facing tremendous pressure.  This week was another reminder of this as Fisheries and Oceans Canada released a report on rising temperatures in the deep waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence that poses a significant risk to a variety of species, and points to the kinds of the challenges we are seeing in ocean, not off in the future, but here and now.

This year will also be an important one for the Canadian ocean economy.  Its priority further reinforced in the recent updated mandate letters to Federal Ministers that maintained the delivery of Canada’s Blue Economy Strategy as a key priority. I look forward to being able to support its development as the Government of Canada begins public consultations in the coming weeks.

So in amongst all this, what does 2021 look like for Canada’s Ocean Supercluster?  We continue to focus on changing the way ocean business is done.  We are excited to be working with organizations rolling out projects from across the country.  As an industry-led organization, we have seen increased investments in key areas in 2020 that we will continue to build upon in 2021:

An increasingly digital ocean economy: developing scalable, innovative solutions to digitize ocean operations, accelerate ocean product development and increase remote and autonomous capabilities.  This includes the use of sensors and autonomous vehicles to increase data collection supporting better decision making and increased safety with projects like: Ocean Vision, the very first OSC project to be announced that is heading into its second year building robotics-as-a-service, Digital Ship In Service Support, our first BC-led OSC project building digital twin capability in shipbuilding, and Digital Offshore Canada, our most recently announced project focused on digital twins in the offshore.

An increasingly sustainable ocean economy: developing solutions that provide alternative sources of energy or fuel, developing supply chains that focus on waste re-utilization and building a circular economy and reducing green house gas emissions, projects like: Ocean Aware Project that focuses on fish tracking and environmental monitoring, or the Ocean Energy Smart Grid Integration Project which provides a solution to get more communities off diesel power, or the GIT Smart Protective Coatings Project bringing to market a non-toxic, graphene-based protective coating for vessels that reduces fuel consumption and underwater radiant noise.

An increasingly inclusive ocean economy: while many of our projects create opportunities for under-represented groups, we have several projects specifically focused on increasing our knowledge of our current workforce including: Ocean Allies Project which is developing strategies to access, engage, and support greater diversity in ocean; the Indigenous Career Pivot Pilot Project which is helping mid-career Indigenous peoples pivot to a career in ocean; and the Inclusive Workforce for Arctic Ocean Technologies Project addressing the barriers faced by Inuit in remote northern communities to promote their participation in the ocean economy.

All of this project activity has attracted international interest where Canada has a key role to play in an increasingly global ocean conversation. Just this morning I had the opportunity for the first time to participate in an event hosted by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry as they explore their challenges and opportunities in the blue economy.  For Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, international engagement is important and certainly allows us to provide leadership not only in the global conversation on the blue economy, but also in the delivery of solutions and creating the economic benefits for Canadians that come as a result.

In 2020, we focused on building our momentum, recognizing the ocean economy would play a key role in our long-term economic recovery despite the impacts of the pandemic.  In 2021, our focus will be on project impacts, and sharing our stories with all Canadians and the world.  We have every reason to emerge as a leader in ocean globally and build back bluer.

Kendra MacDonald
CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster  

Video Blog From OSC Senior Management – November 19th, 2020

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Blog Post
 

 

Earlier this month marked 2 years since Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced its contribution agreement. To mark the occasion,
the senior management team provides some reflections on the journey so far.

Cybersecurity is a source of competitive advantage in our ocean sector

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Blog Post
The pivotal event in our understanding of the urgency of prioritizing Cybersecurity is surely the attack that struck Maersk shipping in 2017.

A.P. Moller-Maersk is the largest shipping company in the world. It is responsible for 20% of the world trade in containers.  Every 15 minutes on average a Maersk ship will come to port somewhere in the world with upwards of 20,000 containers on board.

On June 27, 2017, Maersk was hit by the NotPetya virus.  It was not targeted; it was collateral damage in a cyberwar between Russia and the Ukraine.  Maersk was only one of hundreds of companies globally that were devastated by an attack that was spread through its accounting software.  The result – the company operated for 10 days without IT.  The shipping company that operated over 800 vessels and 76 ports around the world was dead in the water – and so were its customers. Maersk was forced to reinstall an entire infrastructure – 45,000 pc’s, 4000 servers, 2,500 applications.  Only through a heroic effort by its staff was it able to get back on-line.  The estimated cost to Maersk $300MM and globally the cost was estimated to be in excess of $10BB.

Maersk was an organization that had the capacity to recover from this incident. It begs the question, what hope is there for any organization large or small without the financial wherewithal to recover?

First, some unassailable facts:  there remains a fundamental misunderstanding of the magnitude of the stakes in this game. And, it is a moving target. As digitalization has progressed, it has created much better technology for protection but also an exponential increase in the sophistication of the tools of the cybercriminals.   Being “woke” to this issue is critically important if we are to adopt the measures necessary for our defense.

The timelines are getting compressed.  In the first decade of this century we saw the emergence of cybersecurity, privacy and data protection as mainstream topics.  The conflict between the consideration of “data as the new oil” – something to be shared – versus something to be protected at all costs began.  Over that period, cybersecurity became weaponized. Ransomware and cyberweapons became a plague on business and government.

This pace will quicken.  As new technologies ramp-up, including many critical to our Ocean Supercluster projects – edge computing, autonomous vehicles, digital twins, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and more, success will depend on vigilance and protection on every dimension of operations.
Every sector has its own unique set of challenges and oceans industries are no different.  They are unique in their dependency on many platforms that share data remotely and widely. Whether it’s communications, navigation aids, radar, on-board controls and more, the necessity for these systems to talk to one another presents a whole host of opportunities for intrusion. In addition, the proliferation of sensors of every conceivable description (especially in the oceans) and the dependencies and security risks inherent in this growth moves the problem into a whole new realm.

But. the top security risks do not stem from technology but from the lack of awareness and knowledge of the risks and plans to mitigate and respond accordingly.  The good news is that many of these risks are eminently addressable. Even the smallest player can have the same protection as the largest enterprise if properly prepared.

So, what is to be done?  With the firm understanding that Cyber risks are constantly evolving, here are some questions to consider:

  • Have you completed any kind of cyber security maturity assessment to determine weakness? How are you prioritizing budget & resources against these risks?
  • Are you testing for potential exposure by engaging cyber security professionals to test your vulnerabilities?
  • Are you deploying cyber security & fraud training, practices and procedures? Are you making it personal? Do your staff know that BYOD comes with responsibilities?
  • Do you have a clear understanding of your Supply Chain (Vendors/Third Parties) Contracts?
  • Do you have a Cyber Security Incidence Response Plan which enables you to respond to a breach appropriately?
  • Have you engaged with a security solutions provider to deliver ongoing security management and are they on retainer for critical incident response?

Of course, this goes much deeper. At the time of the incident in 2017, Maersk was 90% digital.  It is moving quickly to 100% and fully autonomous shipping Is on the horizon.

Cybersecurity is a priority issue for boards and owners not only from a risk perspective. Building security into the design of products and services and delivering the processes for secure operations will be a source of significant competitive advantage now and in the future.

Geoff Flood
OSC Board Director

The Hill Times – Canada’s an Ocean Nation

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Blog Post

Bring on the narwhals, Canada!

Canada's Ocean Supercluster>>Blog Post

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