(London,UK) – At Oceanology International today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) announced the OceanAI Navigator Project. This project is designed to help marine shipping companies optimize their fuel-emissions, maintenance and operations by creating a co-pilot for marine fleet operations. The advanced AI models will be interactive and adaptive, allowing marine engineers to feed in their insights, and operational context, ensuring more accurate and efficient results.
The OceanAI Navigator Project represents a pivotal opportunity for Canada to provide leadership in the AI landscape. By focusing on AI development within a key growth sector and also one where emissions reductions are critical to achieving net zero, this project contributes significantly to the broader AI ecosystem where marine fleet operators will gain greater agility, insight, and adaptability, bolstering their competitive edge on the global stage.

The project will be led by CORSphere Software Inc. Along with Dartmouth, NS based project partner Leeway Marine and collaborator Energy Research & Innovation Newfoundland and Labrador (ERINL). With a total project value of $2.4M, OSC will contribute $950K from its funding under the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS) with the balance of funding coming from project partners.

The project entails developing an AI-powered SaaS platform by CORSphere for optimizing marine fleet operations, a co-pilot to proactively assist fleet operators. This platform will seamlessly integrate with existing systems, utilizing AI to minimize fuel consumption, lower emissions, and predict maintenance needs accurately. Its interactive and adaptive AI models allow marine engineers to contribute insights and add operational context, ensuring efficiency in a continuously evolving industry.

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 90 projects which will deliver more than 200 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca

Media Contacts:

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

About CORSphere

CORSphere aims to democratize AI across defence, marine, and industrial sectors to enhance operational efficiency. Our next-generation AI suite, featuring a unique Human-Machine-Teaming interface, transforms machinery and IoT data analysis, focusing on predictive maintenance, logistics, and operations. CORSphere aims to pave the way for organizations to use their data to leverage secure and reliable AI solutions.

Quotes:

“Canadian innovation is stepping up to solve some of the world’s most pressing issues. The OceanAI Navigator Project has the potential to significantly impact our ocean economy. By optimizing routes and reducing fuel consumption, this initiative by Canada’s Ocean Cluster will contribute to cleaner oceans and a cleaner environment for Canadians.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“Today Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced three new projects with a total value of almost $18 million, including the OceanAI Navigator Project. This project will deliver a solution that leverages the power of AI to act as a co-pilot to proactively assist fleet operators. Leveraging existing systems, operator insights, and AI, the solution will help minimize fuel consumption, lower emissions, and predict maintenance needs accurately in marine transportation.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

“Today marks an important milestone as we embark on this journey to work on the OceanAI Navigator, an AI co-pilot to propel the marine industry and Canada’s blue economy towards a greener future, promising enhanced efficiency and reduced environmental impact. We’re thrilled to steer this initiative towards a cleaner, more sustainable global ocean economy with our partners.” – Co-founder & CEO, CORSphere, M Sazied Hassan.

(London, UK) – At Oceanology International, today Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) announced the $3.2 million Aids to Navigation (AtoN) Project. The focus of this project is to ensure safer and more efficient maritime transportation by enabling important upgrades to navigation buoys and mooring systems, through advanced technology, design, and management software integration. Beyond preventing damage and drifting occurrences of bouys, this project will make a significant contribution to maritime safety, fostering innovation, benefiting businesses, and providing cost-effective solutions for the lighthouse authorities and coast guards in Canada and around the world.

The project will create a Software as a Service (SaaS) product for AtoN systems with advanced dynamic analysis capabilities. Project lead DSA Ocean will leverage ProteusDS software platform and marine dynamics expertise. The project will help ensure safe navigation, protecting those working on the water, the environment, and marine industry operations. This project is a significant advancement for Canadian maritime safety where the Canadian Coast Guard and its supply chain can benefit from this innovative SaaS tool, aligning with the national AtoN modernization goals.

The project will be led by Victoria, BC based DSA Ocean, with partner Go Deep International (NB) Inc. based in Saint John, NB. With the total project value of $3.2 million, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is investing $1.2 million, with the balance invested by the project partners.
Potential end-users, including the Canadian Coast Guard the US Coast Guard, and Bouy designers will receive tailored products, ensuring enhanced operational capabilities and substantial cost savings.

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 90 projects which will deliver more than 200 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca

Media Contacts:

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

Quotes:

“Canadian innovation is stepping up to solve some of the world’s most pressing issues,” said the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “The Aids to Navigation Project, an initiative by Canada’s Ocean Cluster, exemplifies how Canadian innovation can reduce operating costs while promoting a safer and healthier environment for Canadians.”

“Today Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced three new projects with a total value of almost $18 million, including the Aids to Navigation Project. This project will be delivered by project partners from Canada’s west and east coasts who will work collaboratively to deliver a solution that will make a significant contribution to both increased maritime safety and providing cost-effective solutions for the lighthouse authorities and coast guards in Canada and worldwide. ” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

(London, UK) – At Oceanology International, today Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) announced the launch of a project for Empowering Maritime Collaboration with AI powered intelligence. This project will develop and implement a Collaborative Berth Scheduler, a solution which connects ships, pilotages, and ports to provide optimal berth schedule management, the equivalent of an Air Traffic Control System for Ships. This advancement in digitization will empower increased maritime collaboration, enablement of digital corridors, facilitation of just in time operations, and optimized management of resources to minimize emissions, reduce fuel consumption and decrease wait-times.

Berth on-time arrival rates is an industry-wide challenge and can be as low as 30-50% at ports around the world. At the same time, vessels often arrive in port to find no berth available. This results in inefficient port resource utilization, excess shipping costs, excess fuel use and excess GHG emissions along trade routes and/or at anchor. The project lead, Global Spatial Technology Solutions Inc. (GSTS), based in Halifax, NS, will work in partnership with Canada Steamship Lines (CSL) as well as its customers and collaborators, Montreal Port Authority (MPA), Laurentian Pilotage Authority (LPA) and Clear Seas, to leverage its proprietary platform, OCIANA™ and implement novel AI algorithms to improve the overall efficiency of the maritime supply chain as well as support Green Digital Shipping Corridors.

The total value of this project is $12 million with Canada’s Ocean Supercluster investing $5 million through its funding through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS) and with the balance of investment coming from project partners.

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 90 projects which will deliver more than 200 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca

About Global Spatial Technology Solutions (GSTS)

Global Spatial Technology Solutions (GSTS) is a global maritime intelligence company delivering solutions to enhance decision making across the maritime and logistics industry. Our predictive solutions are enabled by a range of operational, environmental, vessel and cargo data to provide real-time decision making intelligence for ports, terminal operators, shipping lines, logistics companies, importers, exporters, national and international agencies as well as security organisations.

About Canada Steamship Lines (CSL)

The CSL Group is a world-leading provider of marine dry bulk cargo handling and delivery services. CSL owns and operates a highly diversified fleet of specialized self-unloading vessels, offshore transhippers and handy-size bulk carriers, and delivers more than 78 million tonnes of cargo to industrial customers annually.

About Montreal Port Authority (MPA)

Montreal Port Authority is a hub for international trade that contributes to the economic development of Canada. It does everything in its power to put innovation, sustainable development, and collaboration at the heart of its business processes. Their mission is to build together a more resilient, smarter and sustainable marine corridor.

About Laurentian Pilotage Authority (LPA)

The Laurentian Pilotage Authority, a federal Crown corporation created in 1972, is responsible for establishing, managing and providing marine pilotage services as well as related services in the Laurentian region waters, notably in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the St. Lawrence River and the Saguenay River. The LPA monitors navigation manages regulations and provides services for three pilotage districts that cover a distance of 265 nautical miles between Montreal and Les Escoumins and another 70 nautical miles on the Saguenay River.

About Clear Seas

Clear Seas Centre for Responsible Marine Shipping was established in 2014 after extensive discussions among government, industry, environmental organizations, Indigenous Peoples and coastal communities revealed a need for impartial information about the Canadian marine shipping industry. It provides impartial information on marine shipping in Canada to policy makers and the public.

Media Contacts:

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

Quotes:

“Canadian innovation is stepping up to solve some of the world’s most pressing issues,” said the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “The Empowering Maritime Collaboration through AI Project has the potential to significantly impact our ocean economy. By optimizing routes and improving port efficiencies, this initiative by Canada’s Ocean Cluster will strengthen supply chains and support cleaner oceans for Canadians.”

“Today Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announced three new projects with a total value of almost $18 million, including the Empowering Maritime Collaboration through AI Project. This project will help advance maritime operations through enhanced digitization, fostering collaboration, and streamlining processes. By creating digital corridors and enabling just-in-time operations, the project will help optimize resource management, minimize emissions, and reduce fuel consumption in marine shipping.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

“We are extremely pleased to continue to work with our valued customers and innovation partners”, said Richard Kolacz, Chief Executive Officer, GSTS. “On a daily basis we see events that have an impact on vessel routing and schedules. These include the Red Sea Crisis, Panama Canal issues, weather events, like hurricanes and labour events such as strikes. OCIANA’s novel capability will allow vessels to respond to events and identify optimal routes and arrival times by coordinating with ports and pilotage authorities thereby reducing emissions, fuel use and transport costs”.

“As the first shipowner to participate in the Ocean Supercluster project, we are excited to support GSTS’ development of the OCIANA™ platform”, said Jean Fahmy, Vice President – Digital, Canada Steamship Lines. “By contributing real-time data from our Canadian fleet, we aim to help advance efforts to leverage artificial intelligence to support decarbonization in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway by optimizing Just-in-Time routing and voyage ETAs.”

“We are particularly proud of the work accomplished by our multidisciplinary team, in close collaboration with GSTS. This collaborative effort has resulted in a significant advance in port management. I congratulate the multidisciplinary team of experts in information technology, the environment, research and port operations management, who worked together at every stage of the project to create a collaborative platform dedicated to dock occupancy management”, said Julie Gascon, Chief Executive Officer, Montreal Port Authority. “Our approach began with the aim of improving the predictability of ship arrivals at the port, and then expanded to integrate the operational needs of stakeholders on the ground. This approach enabled us to develop an innovative tool that facilitates collaboration among all stakeholders, with the goal of optimizing the entire supply chain and the efficiency of maritime trade corridors”, she added.

“The Laurentian Pilotage Authority is pleased to join GSTS and the Ocean Supercluster project and thus contribute to the protection of the environment on the waters under its jurisdiction”, said Marc-Yves Bertin, Chief Executive Officer, Laurentian Pilotage Authority. “This initiative is directly in line with the Authority’s mission to provide a safe, effective, and efficient pilotage service with strong willingness to protecting human health, property and the environment, by innovating and using state-of-the-art technology that will improve the fluidity of the supply chain.”

“Clear Seas is excited to collaborate on this new initiative to develop a more efficient and intelligent maritime system in Canada”, said Paul Blomerus, Executive Director, Clear Seas. “Better information leads to better decisions, enabling marine shipping to continue its critical role in the supply chain while reducing its impact on the ocean.”

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) has launched its 2024 AI Ocean Call for Proposals. This new call program is focused on the accelerated advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in ocean, recognizing its substantial potential to profoundly influence the future, health, and prosperity of the world’s oceans.  

Through Ambition 2035, Canada has a five times growth, $220 billion potential in the ocean economy. The pervasive use of AI in operational decision-making is poised to significantly shape global opportunities and contribute to transformational growth in Canada’s sustainable ocean economy.  

Through its AI Ocean Program, the OSC will collaboratively invest with industry partners in successful project proposals. This financial support aims to provide the necessary means for companies to secure the capabilities required for Canadian firms to establish and maintain a competitive global position.  

This Call for Proposals is a deadline-driven and competitive framework, providing companies seeking to co-invest with the OSC an avenue to enhance their AI knowledge, capabilities, and overall competitiveness. 

The deadline for submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the AI Ocean Call for Proposals is February 27th, 2024, at 8:00PM Atlantic | 7:00PM Eastern | 4:00pmPM Pacific. Full program guidelines can be found here [LINK]. Complete EOI submissions must be submitted via email to: AI@oceansupercluster.ca. To learn more about AI Ocean Call for Proposals here – https://oceansupercluster.ca/aioceancall2024/. 

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC)  

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 grown its membership to almost 600 members from across the country and approved more than 90 projects with a total value of approximately $400 million which will deliver more than 200 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca  

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

Atlantic Canada’s Blue Economy Ecosystem Named 8^th Strongest Worldwide

(Dubai, UAE) With the backdrop of the world’s most important convention on climate, a new global report demonstrating the interconnectivity of the blue economy with clean and climate technologies was released. The Global Startup Ecosystem Report – Climatetech Edition was officially launched by Startup Genome and the Global Entrepreneurship Network today together with their partners Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, Cleantech Group, La Zone Bleue, and Mississippi Development Authority at COP 28. The report focuses on current startup activity, investments, and rankings identifying the global ecosystems propelling innovation. The full report is now live and free to access.

The world is increasingly focused on the blue economy given its interconnectedness to some of the biggest challenges that face humanity and the planet:

• The OECD projects the blue economy will outpace the broader global economy by 20 per cent by 2030.
• A recent report by the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy indicates that up to 35 per cent of emissions reduction can come from the ocean.
• Offshore renewables are critical in the world’s energy transition to cleaner, more sustainable sources of power
• As the world’s population grows, the demand for sustainable protein is increasing and seafood consumption is expected to double by 2050.
• Ocean technologies to help decarbonize marine shipping are contributing to significant emissions reductions where businesses, such as Apple, may increasingly consider this form of shipping over others.
• Regional ocean innovation hubs, ocean clusters and superclusters are growing in Canada and world-wide to harness the opportunity the new blue economy presents.
• Canada’s Ocean Supercluster has released a five times growth ambition for Canada called Ambition 2035 which would see the blue economy increase from 1.6 per cent of Canada’s GDP to more than 5 per cent.

The new global report provides key findings, including Canadian rankings in the Blue Economy and Climatetech:

• In world rankings, Singapore remains the world-leading startup ecosystem for the blue economy. There were four countries which have two ecosystems in the top 25 blue economy rankings including Canada, Denmark, Germany, and the U.K. The inclusion of Canada and Denmark on this list is notable given their smaller populations and market size relative to Germany and the U.K.
• For the Strongest Blue Economy Ecosystem Atlantic Canada ranks 8^th globally (and top 5 in North America), with Vancouver ranked 14^th and Toronto-Waterloo coming in under the top 30 best blue economy ecosystems. As a top accelerator in North America, the Ocean Startup Project receives special mention in the report – a pan-Canadian project under Canada’s Ocean Supercluster which has supported almost 100 new ocean companies get a start in Canada in the last 3 years, and with the aim to make Canada the best place to start an ocean company.
• For top 5 Cleantech Ecosystems in North America, Vancouver takes the fifth ranking.
• Calgary and Edmonton were the top 2 Ecosystems to Watch in North America.
• Europe has surpassed North America in its share of blue economy Series A funding.

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC)

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 90 projects with a total value of more than $400 million which will deliver more than 200 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca

Quotes:

Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster:

“We are a proud partner in this new global report on the interconnectedness of climate tech and the blue economy. As a catalyst for accelerated growth in ocean and a convenor of Canada’s ocean network, we are even more proud of the demonstrated momentum and gains in global rankings we are seeing. From our pan-Canadian Ocean Startup Project to our portfolio of more than 90 ocean innovation solutions involving 300 partners from across the country, more than 200 new ocean products, processes, and services are being delivered to the world and helping increase Canada’s competitiveness.”

“If you look at what’s happening in clean tech, climate tech, and blue tech today, it’s the ocean which is at the heart of not only solving some of the biggest challenges the world is facing, but also in creating some of the most significant, sustainable economic opportunities now and for the future.”

“Here at COP28 our message is one around the sense of urgency that is required around the blue economy. It is critical for us as a country and a planet that we prioritize our ocean because without it, we will not achieve our net-zero ambitions or achieve the kind of economic growth that is very much needed.”

Media Contact:

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

Call for Proposals Process Now Open

Today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) launched its new Ocean Climate Solutions Program Call for Proposals. This Call for Proposals is a dedicated initiative aimed at identifying, supporting, and amplifying ocean projects that present tangible and scalable commercial solutions to address the multifaceted challenges of climate change.

The undeniable impacts of climate change have underscored the urgency of finding innovative and impactful solutions that will have an impact on the planet, people, and economy. To help navigate this, the OSC has launched its Ocean Climate Solutions Program to utilize the power of collective action and the potential for groundbreaking ideas to shape the trajectory of our planet.

The Ocean Climate Solutions Call is a deadline driven, competitive opportunity for collaborative project consortiums that wish to co-invest with the OSC. These ocean solutions will not only help protect our planet and create sustainable economy, but they will also help industry access and acquire the capability Canadian companies need now to become and stay globally competitive.

Applications that fall under one of the following program themes are welcomed:

• Solutions for ocean-based carbon capture and sequestration
• Ocean bioresource development
• Global ocean observation capabilities
• Innovative finance, insurance, marketplaces, or computational modelling products and services
• Additional commercial concepts welcomed including human adaptation, coastal resiliency, and marine decarbonization

The deadline for submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) to the Ocean Climate Solutions Program Call for Proposals is December 6, 2023, at 8:00PM Atlantic | 7:00PM Eastern | 4:00pmPM Pacific. Full program guidelines can be found here.

The OSC will offer a public virtual information session for this program on Monday October 23rd at 1pm Atlantic/ 12 pm Eastern/ 9am Pacific to review the details of the program and respond to questions. If you would like to attend, please register here. The session will be recorded and posted on the Ocean Climate Solutions Call program webpage for those who cannot attend.

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC)

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 90 projects with a total value of more than $400 million which will deliver more than 200 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca

Media Contact:

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

Quotes:

“Today we are launching Canada’s Ocean Supercluster’s new program called the Ocean Climate Solutions Program. Through this call for proposals program, we will continue to take action and accelerate the development and commercialization of solutions that help grow more companies, expand market potential, and contribute to the health of our planet. Together with industry, we will co-invest in ocean projects that offer tangible and scalable commercial approaches to address the multifaceted aspects of climate change and support Canada’s climate targets.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

(Montreal, Quebec) Today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) announced the HydroAware Project to expand hydropower and safeguard habitats using AI-powered fish monitoring. This project will help the advancement of fish monitoring technology by enhancing reliable fish tracking in harsh marine environments and increasing the availability of fish tracking insights from remote locations.

Led by Innovasea in Bedford, NS, the HydroAware Project shows promising advantages for the renewable energy community as the proposed AI advancements in fish tracking technology aim to address prevailing challenges by increasing approval rates for tidal stream and hydropower projects, reducing regulatory delays, and unlocking increased revenue potential. This solution has the potential to play a pivotal role in harnessing Canada’s untapped tidal stream and hydroelectric resource potential, aligning with the nation’s clean energy objectives and fostering substantial market opportunities within the ocean sector.

Together with partners Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE), BigMoon Power, Nova Scotia Power Inc., New Brunswick Power Corporation, and DeepSense, this project has a total value of almost $10.5 million where Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is contributing $5 million under its allocation through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS) Program and the balance of funding coming from project partners.

Hydropower companies, aiming to maximize energy production while complying with legislation like the Fisheries Act and Species at Risk Act face the challenge of safeguarding fish populations from harm by their infrastructure. They use fish tracking solutions to monitor fish behaviour in and around their infrastructure to minimize impacts and ensure safe fish passage. The HydroAware Project will enhance fish tracking technology with AI, providing hydropower companies with the ability to collect evidence of safe fish passage, expediting regulatory approvals, and promoting renewable hydropower generation in Canada.

Quotes:

“Through the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the government is pleased to support Canada’s Ocean Cluster as it drive AI solutions for Canadian ocean companies. This fish-tracking technology project, one of nine projects announced today by OSC, could play a key role in contributing to Canada’s clean energy goals while also creating substantial market opportunities in the ocean sector.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“AI in ocean has the potential to help transform the way we do ocean business. Today Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announce the $10.5 million dollar HydroAware Project, bringing together partners across different ocean sectors to advance AI in fish tracking technology, manage the movement of fish around hydropower infrastructure, support the sustainable growth of an industry and create economic benefits and jobs in the process.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

“Incorporating artificial intelligence capabilities to our existing fish tracking technology will help ensure that hydropower producers in Canada and beyond are able to meet their green power goals in a manner that safeguards habitats and minimizes impacts to marine life. AI will enable us to monitor fish activity in environments that were previously too remote or inhospitable, ultimately serving as a catalyst for the next generation of hydro and tidal power facilities.” – Mark Jollymore, President of Innovasea

“The HydroAware project is going to build upon the significant advancements Innovasea has made with tagless fish detection technology over the last few years while working with many of the same partners. That technology is giving hydropower producers better, real-time data on fish activity in and around their infrastructure today to help meet the dual mandate of protecting wildlife and improving operations.” – Mark Jollymore, President of Innovasea

“Tidal energy can help us meet our clean energy targets, contribute to our economy, and reduce reliance on imported energy. HydroAware will help us unlock that potential by improving our understanding of how fish and tidal devices interact with each other, and ensuring the safeguarding of our marine ecosystems.” – FORCE

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 85 projects with a total value of more than $400 million which will deliver more than 200 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca

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