Today, alongside project partners, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) announced the $3 million Fishing Smarter Not Harder Project, led by the Northern Shrimp Research Foundation. In the project, the team is developing technology to bring near-real time images from the sea floor to the bridge to support decision making during trawling operations.

This project, part under the cluster’s first round of funding, answers the call to improve operations and meet regulatory requirements. The technology developed in the Fishing Smarter Not Harder Project reduces by-catch, avoids endangered species, and limit seabed impact. Included in the work is the development of an integrated Fishing Smarter Platform that includes data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence to aid in situational awareness, species identification and quantity characterization.

The Northern Shrimp Research Foundation is working with partner Nunavut Fisheries Association on the project. With a total value of $3 million, the OSC is providing $1.5 million to the project, with the balance coming from project partners.

This technology can apply to all trawl fisheries, including Greenland Halibut. This species generates about $100 million annually in revenue with a high profit margin to the Inuit in Nunavut and Nunavik communities. Beyond the individual benefits to license and quota holders, this technology holds the potential to transform stock assessment methodologies which can provide a more complete analysis of the stock status, reducing the high level of uncertainty as to the true status of these stocks.

Quotes
“Through projects like this one, Canada’s Ocean Cluster is helping position our country as a leader in the fishing industry, benefiting us by creating great jobs, generating additional income, and becoming more competitive in the fishing sector.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“The Ocean Cluster, one of Canada’s five Global Innovation Clusters, continues to collaborate on key projects that are keeping Canada’s fishing sector competitive on the world stage while also directly benefiting our northern Canadian communities.” – Andy Fillmore, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and Member of Parliament for Halifax

“We are excited to announce the Fishing Smarter Not Harder Project that is developing technology to improve conventional trawl operations, contributing to a more sustainable fishing industry and creating benefits for northern communities.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

“We believe that the technological innovations encompassed in this initiative will support our pursuit of key sustainability objectives including reduced fuel consumption, bycatch avoidance, and reduced seabed contact. This level of technological and financial risk could not have been contemplated without the support provided by the Ocean Supercluster.” – Bruce Chapman, Executive Director, Northern Shrimp Research Foundation

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is a pan-Canadian, industry-led transformative cluster focused on tackling some of the biggest challenges across ocean sectors through a collaborative program designed to accelerate the development and commercialization of globally relevant solutions, while also building a highly-capable, inclusive workforce. The OSC has approved 86 projects with a total value of more than $400 million which will deliver more than 130 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world.

Media Contact
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca
709.725.7070

Today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) announced $52 million in new, expanded project activity for active phase one OSC projects. This new funding is helping member organizations scale up and expand as they continue to gain momentum and develop stronger relationships in the supply chain and ecosystem.

Calls for proposals under the OSC’s 2021 Capacity and Supply Chain Expansion (CASCE) Program were launched under the cluster’s first round of funding. The 16 projects announced today build on the success of active OSC projects with expanded scope and will help industry access and acquire the capability Canadian companies need now to become and stay globally competitive. The CASCE Program is helping to strengthen and grow supply chains and increase the capacity of Canadian ocean-focused companies, de-risking the acquisition of critical assets that are needed to accelerate commercialization and enable existing projects to meet the growing demand for their products and services.

The 16 projects announced today include a total of $52 million in project funding. Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is providing $23 million, with the remainder of funding coming from project teams.

The expanded projects include:

Tech Companion – Operational and In-Service Support $1.4M	This project will support the development and deployment of digital technologies for ocean manufacturers and service providers through an integrated service-hub called “Tech Companion” that centralizes data in a remotely accessible, intelligent, and automated digital ecosystem for use in ocean industries.	Modest Tree Media Inc Cartenav Solutions Inc Mitacs Inc
Production Resilience in Subsea Sensor Manufacturing Project (PRISSM) $1.5M	The PRISSM project’s aim is to enhance and expand Canadian production capability and supply chain resilience in subsea optical-sensor manufacturing to meet the increasing market demand.	Voyis Imaging Inc. Advantage Machine & Tool Inc.
COMPASS Scale-Up Project - $3.3M	This project will assist the business to scale up production and develop enhanced versions for additional applications of the Thin Line Array developed in the original project – a portable technology capable of collecting and analyzing passive acoustic data in real time, onboard untethered autonomous underwater vehicles.	Sensor Technology Ltd Kraken Robotics JASCO Applied Sciences Smart Sea Tech
Enhanced SPC Manufacturing Application Data Collection and Logistics Project $3.3 M	GIT is expanding into a Net Zero facility in Atlantic Canada and increasing production capacity 12 times while improving efficiency through automation and Artificial Intelligence. In this project, GIT is collaborating with shipyards to improve access to sustainable biocide free, low friction coatings across Canada and the globe.	Graphite Innovation and Technologies Inc. Canadian Maritime Engineering Ltd
Enhancing the OceanDNA System via Automation and Market Positioning Project $1.1M	This project will enable eDNAtec to expand its analytical capacity to meet growing customer demands, as well as performing real-world demonstration projects of the benefits of eDNA technologies in fisheries and biodiversity management with the Nunavut Fisheries Association.	eDNAtec Inc Nunavut Fisheries Association
Expansion of Canadian Rope-on-Command Fishing Capacity Project $1.4M	This project is supporting Ashored to increase manufacturing capabilities and strengthen supply chains to ensure that their rope-on-command technology can be delivered to fishermen on time and on budget.	Ashored Inc. Sensor Technology Ltd eSonar Inc.
TallyVision $1.1M	This project will embed both machine learning and computer vision artificial intelligence (AI) into seafood production and traceability software and advance ThisFish’s work on integrating computer vision technology - branded TallyVision.	ThisFish Inc. Orca Specialty Foods Ltd. Eurofish S.A.
Commercialization of Sustainable Protein for Aquaculture: Market Introductory $7M	This project will expand DeNova’s capacity to produce large volumes of its protein ingredient that will accelerate market adoption and support the design of its first-level commercial plant. This will ultimately enable market entry by the end of 2023, growing to full scale production of 100,000 metric tons of protein per year by 2026.	DeNova Inc. CFFI Ventures Center for Aquaculture Technologies The Verschuren Centre Innovasea Marine Systems Canada Ltd Smallfood MCA Consulting Cooke
Multiport International Data Enhancement (MIDE) $11.1M	This project focuses on the expansion of the BNSuite of applications developed in the original PIED project. MIDE focuses on the development of BNNet, an application that provides the translation and correction functions needed to make the organization work more efficient and reliable.	BlueNode Saab Technologies
Data Enhancement Framework (DEF) $1M	This project builds on MIDE, the predecessor project, focusing on a critical component of the value/supply chain in data management software application, the connectivity to the various operational functions of an organization.	BlueNode Port of Saint John
Data Enhancement Framework 2 (DEF2) $2.7M	This project builds on DEF, the predecessor project. The software will analyze operational functions of an organization for the purposes of operational analysis and coordination amongst stakeholders; as well as the appropriate cyber-security to allow data collaboration.	BlueNode Port of Saint John PSAGlobal Port of Halifax
Commercialization & Capacity Expansion of OSC Projects $1.4M	This project is focusing on four significant opportunities that expand on the original RBR project: acquisition of a deep pressure vessel tank; building an optical test; acquisition of a Fast-Cooling Temperature Calibration (TCal) Bath; and acquisition of an incoming inspection optical scanner.	RBR Ltd. Plymouth Marine Laboratory Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Project Foundry $6.6M	This project will deliver environmental benefits to the ocean economy through the deployment of Katal’s first fuel supply depot in the world located on Canada’s East Coast and serving the marine sector.	Katal Energy Inc Valent Low Carbon Technologies Ltd. Miawpukek Horizon Maritime Services
Remote Ocean Data Surveillance and Analysis (RODSA) $4M	This project brings together Canadian ocean technology innovators to integrate existing and emerging systems onto a common platform. Specifically, the project will enable advanced, remote surveillance and inspections of ocean infrastructure.	Shift Environmental Technologies Ltd. BlueNode Inc. Avestec VideoRay Nanaimo Port Authority Snuneymuxw First Nation
CoLab Enterprise Phase II - Commercialization, Expansion and Technological Scaling $3M	This project will focus on two main areas: accelerating commercialization of CoLab Enterprise and advancing the software solution for Enterprise Design Review.	CoLab Software Inc. Genoa Design Kraken Robotics ERINL Aker Solutions Canada Inc.
Offshore Connected Worker Mixed Reality Application Project $1.9M	This project will implement the technology of a Connected Worker (CW) offshore in a digital twin environment, reducing the risks and adding value for offshore marine operations.	Horizon Maritime Services Ltd. Allswater Marine Consultants Ltd. VMG Strategic Consulting Kognitiv Spark Inc Movella Technologies N.A. Inc.

Quotes:
“Our government continues to collaborate with Canada’s Ocean Cluster to strengthen and grow supply chains so that we can support Canadian ocean-focused companies. As ocean-focused projects gain momentum and scale up, our support to expand 16 projects with a total of $52 million in new funding will help those companies as they directly increase commercialization benefits and have positive impacts on Canadian competitiveness in the ocean economy.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“Through its Capacity and Supply Chain Expansion Program, Canada’s Ocean Cluster has leveraged its ability to foster collaboration and connect key members of the ocean sector to increase their commercialization capacities. The renewed support announced today will help take these successful projects to the next level, and I’m looking forward to seeing the results.” – Andy Fillmore, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and Member of Parliament for Halifax

“OSC projects are lowering emissions, improving processes, and creating a more digital, sustainable, and inclusive ocean economy. We are excited to announce these 16 expanded projects that will build on this momentum, helping existing solutions extend their reach and address the world’s largest ocean challenges.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

« We are proud to be able to extend the capabilities of Tech Companion to provide further digitalization of maintenance procedures on complex equipment. By partnering with CarteNav to connect to their network of IoT devices and sensors, operators using Tech Companion are able to visualize surveillance assets in an augmented-reality view, while leveraging real-time data visualization and object recognition. » – Emily Smits, CEO, Modest Tree

“Our Systems Business Unit continues to gain traction by creating and delivering adaptable, flexible solutions to address the constantly growing and evolving ocean acoustic market’s needs and demands.  We’ve been listening, educating, and delivering with promising results.  Our nimble footprint, enabled by the OSC, has allowed us to pivot as the market requires and scale with the opportunity.  There would have been little chance to do so without OSC’s support. In the words of Walter Elliot, « perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other. » – Niru Somayajula, President & CEO, Sensor Technology

“GIT is excited to continue our collaboration with Canada’s Ocean Supercluster and build on our success achieved through the Smart Protective Coatings Technology Project. This new project funding will provide GIT more with resources to expand production capacity, replicate data and improve coating applications globally.” – Mo AlGermozi, CEO, Graphite Innovation & Technologies (GIT)

We are grateful for Canada’s Ocean Super Cluster’s continued support. This grant directly supports the commercialization of R&D developed through the OceanDNA System Technology Leadership project, led by eDNAtec. Our firm has seen increased demand for our biomonitoring services based upon the measurement of environmental DNA (eDNA). The capacity increases developed through this CASCE project will allow us to meet that demand by increasing our analytical throughput by more than 100%. Our partner on the project, the Nunavut Fisheries Association, will benefit through the training of personnel in eDNA sampling; outfitting vessels to perform the sampling; and the continued application of eDNA technologies towards fisheries management. » – Steve Barrett, CEO, eDNAtec – Visit ednatec.com to learn more about the company, its innovations and solutions.

“With the awarding of this second Ocean Supercluster projected, Ashored is pleased to be working once again with our partners at eSonar and sensor technologies to further the advancement of rope-on-command fishing in Canada by expanding our production capabilities and supply chain to meet the growing demand for this innovative technology.” – Aaron Stevenson, CEO, Ashored

« Funding from Canada´s Ocean Supercluster is going to be critical for advancing our R&D in artificial intelligence in the seafood industry. We´re excited to work with our industry partners Orca Specialty Foods in British Columbia and Eurofish S.A. in Ecuador to pioneer new computer vision and machine learning innovations to improve the profitability and sustainability of the seafood industry. Canada´s Ocean Supercluster is helping us become global leaders in AI for seafood.” – Eric Enno Tam, CEO & Co-Founder, ThisFish

“The ongoing support of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster through the Capacity and Supply Chain Expansion program has enabled DeNova to build a new pilot facility and laboratories, expanding our R&D and in-house production capacity of our sustainable aquafeed protein ingredient. This growth has unlocked the ability to distribute large customer samples and validate production processes under industrial conditions, critically advancing the commercialization of DeNova’s sustainable protein and contributing to healthier oceans.” – Brianna Stratton, President & Founder, DeNova

“As Canada’s first living lab for the transportation industry, The PIER is focused on entering the next stage of innovation and technology development. The Data Enhancement Framework, one of the innovative projects taking place at The PIER, will enable the Halifax Port Authority in cooperation with BlueNode and PSA Global to monitor, track and mitigate carbon dioxide emissions through the Port of Halifax, providing cargo owners and global supply chain partners more sustainable shipping options through the Port of Halifax.” – Louis Beaubien, Co-Founder & CEO, BlueNode

“The OSC has been a tremendous development partner. Their support has helped accelerate our commercialization efforts to bring emission reduction solutions to the ocean economy.” – Craig Latimer, CEO, Katal Energy

“Shift, in collaboration with its development partners and end-users, is driving digital transformation in the marine services industry through the implementation of multi-mission and multi-domain autonomous platforms and sensor suites. These innovative solutions aim to enhance the safety, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency of marine services delivery. This CASCE project is a cutting-edge application for port infrastructure inspection and marine incident response, that showcases the expanded capabilities of small uncrewed systems to support enhanced decision making.” – James Spencer, Founder & CEO, Shift Environmental Technologies   

“CoLab is focused on building technology that helps enterprise manufacturing organizations develop better products faster. The support from Ocean Supercluster Phase I has allowed us to accelerate our own product development by at least 12 months and help large manufacturing companies leverage the power of Cloud based collaboration years sooner. Phase II will enable strategic investments in security, integrations, and data analytics to better support current and future customers. » – CoLab Software Management Team

“We’re excited to work alongside our partners at Allswater Marine, helping to lead the Connected Worker (CW) project. This new investment from OSC means that we can expand this ship to shore, modern digital technology to more vessels, reducing the risk to offshore companies, allowing for greater efficiency, and improving the overall health and well-being in the offshore environment. This innovative remote digital support application allows seafarers to connect to shore-based resources when needed and optimizes vessel operations services provided to our customers.” – Steve Widmeyer, CEO Horizon Maritime Services Ltd.
 
About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is a pan-Canadian, industry-led transformative cluster focused on tackling some of the biggest challenges across ocean sectors through a collaborative program designed to accelerate the development and commercialization of globally relevant solutions, while also building a highly-capable, inclusive workforce. The OSC has approved 86 projects with a total value of more than $400 million which will deliver more than 130 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

(Sherbrooke, QC) Today, alongside project partners, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) announced the $14.1 million Oneka Glacier Project – Utility-Scale Wave Powered Sustainable Desalination, led by Oneka Technologies, a Sherbrooke, Quebec-based clean tech company. In the project, Oneka will scale up its wave-powered desalination technology to utility-scale, creating a desalination “Glacier” system to make the ocean a sustainable and affordable source of freshwater.

Oneka Technologies will work with project partners AF Theriault who is supporting the manufacturing the hull and structure of the Glaciers’; H₂O Innovation who is providing the process plant for the desalination portion of the Glacier technology; and government partner, the City of Barrington, NS who will provide a coastal site for buoy installation at Cape Sable Island. With a total project value of $14.1 million, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster will provide $6.7 million in funding with the balance of coming from project partners.

Since the ocean contains almost all the world’s water and approximately half the world’s population lives within 100 km of a coast, there is a significant opportunity for portable, modular, energy efficient desalination plants in coastal areas. The project team will use breakthrough technology to harness wave power to produce fresh water, producing no GHG emissions, requiring minimal land, and employing responsible brine-using modular units for water-scarce regions globally while also reducing water costs by two-thirds or more in identified markets.

Through the Oneka Glacier Project and the technological advancements it employs, Canada can become the global hub of ocean-supplied sustainable freshwater for coastal populations and industries by exporting this high-value technology around the world, helping realize its ambition of bringing fresh water to all communities.

Quotes:

“Through this investment, our government is supporting breakthrough wave-power technology that will enable the production of fresh water at a very low cost and without GHG emissions. Scaling up this project is key for the company’s ability to create well-paying jobs, accelerate its commercialization efforts and seize export opportunities.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“Our government is proud to contribute to Oneka Technologies’ vision. This Quebec-based clean tech company is working to scale up its desalination buoy system, granting coastal communities more affordable and sustainable access to fresh drinking water. This innovative project is taking Canada one step further toward becoming a global leader in providing technology for sustainable fresh water for coastal populations and industries.” – The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec

“I am committed to the environment and the adoption of clean technologies. Today, Canada’s Ocean Cluster announced its partnership with Oneka Technologies and its project partners to produce fresh water at the lowest possible cost and without carbon emissions by harnessing wave power. It’s amazing to see such a revolutionary project, right here in our community, that could help increase global access to safe drinking water.” – Élisabeth Brière, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Sherbrooke

“We are extremely excited to announce the Oneka Glacier project, our first ever Quebec-led project that will not only deliver new economic activity in ocean, but also create a solution to a significant challenge – access to freshwater for communities of all sizes. We are inspired by the innovation of this project team and excited that Canada’s Ocean Supercluster can help make it a reality.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

“As Canadians, we are privileged with an abundance of freshwater. However, freshwater scarcity is one of the world’s greatest 21^st century challenges. I am proud that we team up with incredible partners, H₂O Innovation and AF Theriault to develop our Glacier unit and bring our know-how and expertise to the rest of the world. Propelled by the invaluable help of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, this sustainable source of water will make coastal populations and industries across the globe, including the Barrington Municipality, in Nova Scotia, more resilient to impacts of climate change.” – Dragan Tutic, CEO and Founder of Oneka Technologies

“We have been delivering land-based desalination plants all over the world for over 20 years now. With this project, we will apply our deep desalination expertise to ocean-based desalination plants solely powered by wave energy. While desalination is a robust and sustainable solution to water scarcity, it is often perceived as an energy-intensive process that uses meaningful portions of grid and conventional energy sources. Oneka’s innovative approach, which uses the power from the waves to mechanically push the water through our reverse osmosis systems, is a technological game changer because it has literally no carbon footprint and uses free, untapped, consistent, and renewable energy extracted right at the location of the desalination plant on the floating vessel. We are incredibly proud to be a consortium partner for this visionary project.” – Guillaume Clairet, COO of H₂O Innovation

“We are delighted to be partnering with Oneka Technologies for the achievement of a project that will meet a growing need in the world, access to drinking water. We believe that desalination is part of the solution if we use systems that have been designed to operate in a sustainable manner. This project is an opportunity for our employees to put their expertise to good use by integrating their know-how which will facilitate the development of this innovation. In addition, it allows AF Theriault, which operates in a cyclical maritime industry, to diversify its markets. We are excited to create a success story with Oneka and its partners.” – Gilles Theriault, President of AF Theriault

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is a pan-Canadian, industry-led transformative cluster focused on tackling some of the biggest challenges across ocean sectors through a collaborative program designed to accelerate the development and commercialization of globally relevant solutions, while also building a highly-capable, inclusive workforce. The OSC has approved 86 projects with a total value of more than $400 million which will deliver more than 130 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world

About Oneka Technologies

Oneka Technologies is a Canadian company working in the water technology sector, with a growing international presence. Its mission is to make the oceans a sustainable and affordable source of freshwater. Using only the renewable energy created through ocean waves, Oneka turns seawater into fresh water, allowing coastal communities and industries facing water scarcity to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Founded in Sherbrooke, Quebec in 2015, the company employs more than 25 employees and has operations in Florida, Chile and soon, in Nova Scotia.

Media Contacts:
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca
709.725.7070

Camille St-Pierre
Oneka Technologies
camille@onekawater.com
819.485.0335 ext. 711

 

(Lisbon, Portugal) – Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) and Fórum Oceano have announced their new, collaborative partnership to promote sustainable investment and growth of the blue economy in regional and international networks. This agreement, signed yesterday at the Canadian Embassy in Lisbon, will formalize the partners’ collaboration particularly in the areas of data and Artificial Intelligence (AI).   

Enhanced international cooperation is needed to unlock the potential of data and AI solutions to address global ocean challenges. In their pan-Atlantic partnership, the OSC and Fórum Oceano will work together to exchange competence and experience within operation, development and governance of the ocean clusters to advance work in these spaces. 

The partnership between OSC and Fórum Oceano will include:  

• Knowledge exchange and transfer on the use of AI in ocean economy 
• The facilitation of pan-Atlantic collaboration in R&D in ocean data and AI  
• Increase collaboration of Atlantic coastal cities in climate resilience planning and climate change adaptation 
• Shared and cross promotion and public awareness on the advancement of the blue economy 
• Access to the services offered by the innovation centers included in the Blue Hub Portugal Canadian innovation, research and development spaces
• Collaboration between partners in each cluster to undertake projects, events and partnership opportunities 

“Sharing knowledge, experience and data is key to a successful blue economy,” said Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster. “We are excited about the potential of this partnership with the Fórum Oceano where we will work together with our memberships to cross collaborate and advance solutions in the global blue economy.”

Canada has recognized the need to support the commercialization of AI driven ocean solutions by funding the launch of the OSC’s new AI Ocean Program, as part of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS). This program stream represents, for one of the first times in Canada, the launch a program dedicated to funding ocean innovation using AI platforms.

“Cooperation is strategic for making a sustainable blue economy happen. The challenges are systemic, as also the opportunities. We are very excited with this MoU with Super Ocean Cluster from Canada, » said Ruben Eiras, Secretary General of Forum Oceano. It opens new horizons for synergies with our recent innovation ecosystem projects financed by the EuropeanCommission: Blue Hub Portugal,  a network of 7 blue innovation centers for Blue economy in ports; Portugal Blue Digital Hub, an European Digital Innovation Hub for Blue Economy, where we will have 1 million euros a year for financing blue Digital startups and SMEs.”

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is a pan-Canadian, industry-led transformative cluster focused on tackling some of the biggest challenges across ocean sectors through a collaborative program designed to accelerate the development and commercialization of globally relevant solutions, while also building a highly-capable, inclusive workforce. The OSC has approved 86 projects with a total value of more than $400 million which will deliver more than 130 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. 

Media Contact:
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca
709.725.7070

 

 Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announces Two-Eyed Seeing Initiative toward meaningful Indigenous participation in Canada’s ocean economy

Today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) announced the Two-Eyed Seeing Initiative working towards meaningful Indigenous participation in Canada’s ocean economy. This initiative will engage and collaborate with Indigenous organizations and communities to foster greater inclusion and participation in OSC projects and activities and build direct and meaningful partnerships.

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is investing $230 thousand in the first phase of the initiative to shift towards fulsome and meaningful engagement of Indigenous communities as outlined in Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, inclusive of Elders, youth, and those historically excluded living away from their communities.

Work on this exciting initiative began early this month and will continuously inform OSC policy and program development over the coming year. Led by SOAR Professional Services along with Indigrow Business Management and Dillon Consulting, the Two-Eyed Seeing Initiative will focus on:

• Conducting an Indigenous-led review of the current OSC project selection process and provide recommendations to further the definition of “meaningful” community-based engagement/involvement;
• Undertaking engagement with OSC Membership to promote the benefits partnering and collaborating with Indigenous groups as a pillar of project planning and implementation;
• Broaden OSC’s organizational Indigenous cultural competency and awareness for OSC staff, board, and members;
• Undertaking engagement with Indigenous organizations and communities to help identify Indigenous-focused ocean challenges and opportunities;
• Creating an OSC Indigenous Partnerships Program to help realize opportunities which can support both ocean outcomes (ecosystem and commercial outcomes) and Indigenous-focused project identification and delivery; and,
• Developing a “Two-Eyed Seeing” Indigenous Traditional Knowledge framework that guides OSC organizational and Indigenous community relationship and partnerships building through shared understanding and an integrated body of ocean knowledge.

Quotes:
“As we continue to grow Canada’s ocean economy, it is essential that Indigenous communities be not only involved but also meaningfully engaged at every step of the way. The Government of Canada is proud to support Canada’s Ocean Cluster in this collaborative project with Soar Professional Services to ensure that policies and programs are co-designed and co-developed through Indigenous partnerships.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“This initiative is much more than just engaging more meaningfully with Indigenous groups. We intend to drive system change within the ocean ecosystem that focuses on fostering relationships, elevating opportunities for Indigenous communities, and setting our course as a sector towards reconciliation with all Indigenous peoples from coast to coast to coast.” – Ralph Eldridge, Indigenous Engagement Lead, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

“SOAR is proud to work with OSC on their Two-Eyed Seeing Initiative. From the inception of SOAR, Two-Eyed Seeing has been the foundation of what we do. Combining Indigenous and Western knowledge allows us to co-create customized, resilient solutions that are considerate of Indigenous world views on sustainability for generations to come.” – Ryan Dunbar, President, SOAR Professional Services

About OSC
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is a pan-Canadian, industry-led transformative cluster focused on tackling some of the biggest challenges across ocean sectors through a collaborative program designed to accelerate the development and commercialization of globally relevant solutions, while also building a highly-capable, inclusive workforce. The OSC has approved 86 projects with a total value of more than $390 million which will deliver more than 120 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world.

About SOAR
SOAR Professional Services LP (SOAR) is an innovative, employee-owned planning, engineering, environmental science and mSOAR prides itself on servicing our client’s needs. Our team members have been providing Indigenous focused services for over ten years. SOAR prides itself on servicing our client’s needs. We have had the opportunity to deliver on projects within our core technical areas of planning, environmental and engineering with projects ranging from feasibility studies, business plans and pre-design to advanced engineering including detailed design.

SOAR has a proven ability to foresee potential obstacles and develop solutions based upon an extensive knowledge of Indigenous funding mechanisms, governance and management structures. SOAR is committed to a one window approach to service delivery for our clients and have commonly partnered with a broad network of companies to best service our clients towards their objectives and vision. This approach allows us to work with the right partner for every project through facilitated guidance with our Indigenous team and has proven time and again to be the correct balance for our client needs.

About Indigrow
Indigrow Business Management (Indigrow) is an Indigenous-owned management consulting company that works specifically with Indigenous businesses and communities, including social enterprises and not-for-profit organizations. They have a relentless focus on driving business growth and positive community impact – particularly in Indigenous communities.

Since its launch in 2020, Indigrow has provided an array of management consulting services to over 60 Indigenous businesses, social enterprises, and not-for-profit organizations throughout Atlantic Canada. Headquartered in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL, they currently have four staff located across three locations in Newfoundland and Labrador with plans to expand beyond the province in 2023.

Media Contact:
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca
709.725.7070

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announces $6.3M C-MASS Project – A Near-Real-Time Monitoring Solution for the Ocean’s Near Shore Zone

Today, alongside project partners, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) announced the $6.3 million C-MASS project (Coastal Mapping/Monitoring via Autonomous Systems & Services). Using uncrewed autonomous vehicles, this project will develop a near-real-time monitoring solution for the ocean’s littoral (near shore) zone to deliver actionable data to marine industries.

Traditionally, monitoring and mapping programs are costly, limited, and rarely maintain current and relevant information. Critical coastal data often lacks necessary coverage and immediacy, especially in emergencies. It’s therefore difficult to plan, implement, and support marine operations. The C-MASS project will leverage partners’ existing products and capabilities to advance state-of-the-art capabilities in Geospatial Information Systems (GIS), Internet of Things (IoT), and Autonomous Uncrewed Systems (AUS) to collect and maintain actionable data for marine industries such as coastal defence; life sciences; nearshore aquaculture/shellfish harvesting; climate change monitoring; emergency and infrastructure planning/management; search and rescue; ports and shipping and more.

With a total project value of over $6.3 million, the OSC will provide $1.8 million in funding with the balance coming from project partners. The C-MASS Project is led by Mount Pearl, NL based Compusult Ltd. who’s working with Canadian partners StrobelTEK, Spiri Robotics, PicSea Canada Ltd., CogNova Technologies, and the Government of Nova Scotia as well as international partner, Resolve Robotics.

The data collected through the C-MASS project will improve evidence and awareness of coastal change and support decision-makers adaptation to a changing climate. This project is applicable to ocean communities around the world and can advance partner technologies global blue economy. C-MASS will create and maintain 10 full time jobs through its duration.

Media Contacts:
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca
709.725.7070

Michael Pickard
Compusult Limited
marketing@compusult.com
709-745-7914

Quotes:

“With support from Canada’s Ocean Cluster, this project will change how coastlines are mapped and what we know about the environment all thanks to near-real-time monitoring. This novel Canadian-made technology has the potential for many uses that can lead to improved living standards for ocean communities worldwide.” – Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“The C-MASS project is an example of the power of the Global Innovation Clusters to bring partners together to solve big, challenging real-world problems. Gaining more accurate coastal data will bolster emergency responses and support day-to-day marine operations across a range of industries, from life sciences to search and rescue. We’re proud to support this project, not only for its economic impacts but also for the improved understanding it will provide about the impacts of climate change on our oceans and coasts.” – Joanne Thompson, Member of Parliament for St. John’s East

“The C-MASS project team is developing a solution to collect better data and monitor our coastlines so we can use near-real time information to make decisions for ocean operations, supporting both the productivity and the well-being of our ocean environment.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

The monitoring and mapping of Canada’s coastal areas is extremely challenging: the environment is harsh and constantly changing. This is becoming an even higher priority for our country every day – for things like maritime border security, search and rescue, and environmental monitoring and mitigation. This project brings together technologies from a team of small, world-leading tech companies, which is led by Compusult. Together, we are designing a system unlike anything in the world right now, using well-developed GIS software, and a suite of robotic vehicles by air, land, and sea to visualize, monitor, and manage coastal zone data.” – Paul Mitten, Vice-President, Compusult

About OSC
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is a pan-Canadian, industry-led transformative cluster focused on tackling some of the biggest challenges across ocean sectors through a collaborative program designed to accelerate the development and commercialization of globally relevant solutions, while also building a highly-capable, inclusive workforce. The OSC has approved 86 projects with a total value of more than $390 million which will deliver more than 120 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world.

Watch the announcement:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhiYnSuvPD0

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster announces $5M Adaptive Microlearning
Technology Project for Fatigue Risk Mitigation in the Marine Sector

Today, alongside project partners, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) announced two new projects including the $5 million Adaptive Learning Technology Project – The Future of Marine Fatigue Risk Mitigation, led by Training Works, a Newfoundland and Labrador based EdTech company. This project is creating a comprehensive tool for Fatigue Risk Mitigation in marine organizations by leveraging combined advancements in biometrics, environmental data, and microlearning.

Through Training Works flagship educational technology Skilltinuous, the project will give marine workers the tools to recognize, understand and anticipate fatigue while providing moment of need microlearning to help mitigate the risk associated with fatigue – a critical advancement in a sector where irregular schedules, challenging operating conditions and operation across multiple time zones impacts the level of worker fatigue and its associated risks.  This comprehensive fatigue risk mitigation educational technology will equip marine organizations and their workers with a new tool that can stand alone or run alongside existing organizational fatigue management systems, to support human performance and help to create healthier, safer, and more productive work environments.

With a total project value of close to $5 million, the OSC will provide $1.9 million in funding with the balance from project partners, including the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, which is contributing $335 thousand towards the initiative. In the Adaptive Learning Technology project, Training Works will work with partners Compusult Ltd., Altera Infrastructure, Qikiqtaaluk Corporation, and the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland, to develop a commercially viable fatigue risk mitigation learning technology which can be scaled across marine industries. The resulting technology will link biometric and environmental data to identify fatigue markers and provide individualized corrective action(s) and risk mitigation techniques through Training Works’ adaptive learning platform, Skilltinuous.

The Adaptive Learning Technology project will create and maintain 22 full time jobs through its duration with the potential for more than 100 indirect jobs as a result. The first market for commercialization will focus on offshore workers within Canada’s Ocean Supercluster’s membership. The project team will explore marine connections to create new opportunities to bring the solution to customers within the Canadian marine marketplace.

Quotes:

“With support from Canada’s Ocean Cluster, the project partners will develop a comprehensive program aimed at improving seafarers’ safety. We are pleased to support this project and to help those working on our seas return home safely.” – The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

“Fatigue at sea is a problem that spans all marine industries, and the impacts can be potentially catastrophic. With support from the Ocean Cluster, the project partners are working on a technological solution to help identify and mitigate fatigue and provide corrective actions, which will improve safety, reduce accidents and save lives. We’re proud to support this project for the positive impact it will have on workers.” – Joanne Thompson, Member of Parliament for St. John’s East

“Supporting innovative companies like Training Works helps to grow and diversify Newfoundland and Labrador’s tech ecosystem, while advancing our innovation economy. The leading-edge technology created through this project will help to improve worker safety and productivity. We support collaboration, research and development and the commercialization of new digital ocean technologies that further position our province as a world leader in this sector.” – Honourable Andrew Parsons, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology

“The Adaptive Microlearning Technology team is developing cutting-edge technology to make working on the ocean safer and more efficient for workers. As we help build the workforce of the future these are important tools in both traditional and emerging ocean industries.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

“Fatigue and its associated risks are widely acknowledged in the marine industry and across all other industries. Our goal is to enhance our Skilltinuous platform to identify fatigue markers in seafarers using biometric and environmental data. Once the markers are identified, Skilltinuous will deliver countermeasures in the form of microlearning to mitigate the risk of fatigue. This is a groundbreaking project that will have wide-ranging benefits for worker safety in the marine industry” – Tamara Vatcher, CEO, Training Works

Watch the announcement: https://youtu.be/mhiYnSuvPD0

About OSC
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is a pan-Canadian, industry-led transformative cluster focused on tackling some of the biggest challenges across ocean sectors through a collaborative program designed to accelerate the development and commercialization of globally relevant solutions, while also building a highly-capable, inclusive workforce. The OSC has approved 86 projects with a total value of more than $390 million which will deliver more than 120 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world.

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

(Halifax, NS – November 24, 2022) – Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) and Marine Renewables Canada (MRC) have announced their new, collaborative partnership to share knowledge and support the advancement of marine renewable energy in Canada. This agreement, signed yesterday in Halifax, will increase formalize the partners’ collaboration particularly in the areas of offshore wind, wave and tidal energy.

Only requiring wind and water’s natural movement to create power, marine renewable energy has the potential to provide sustainable energy sources, thereby reducing dependence on fossil fuels and supporting Canada’s path to net-zero. In their partnership, OSC and MRC will work together to generate increased awareness, innovation, investment, and opportunity in the development and use of marine renewables in Canada.

The partnership between OSC and MRC will include:

• Knowledge exchange and transfer on offshore wind, wave, and tidal energy
• Annual meetings and continuous relationship development
• The facilitation of networking, exchange of best practices and collaboration initiatives between OSC and MRC members
• Shared and cross promotion and public awareness on the advancement of marine renewables

“As the world begins to transition to more renewable energy sources, it creates significant opportunity for sustainable offshore energy growth. Canada has the wind and water but will require significant collaboration and investment to advance these industries and compete globally,” said Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster. “We are excited about the potential of this partnership with the Marine Renewables Canada where we will work together with our memberships to help realize the Canada’s full potential in renewable marine energy.”

Additionally, the partnership between OSC and MRC extends beyond Canada with the European Leaders of Blue Energy (ELBE) Alliance partnership announced earlier this year. ELBE gathers seven European clusters with top expert companies and research and development organizations in blue energy to tackle the expansion of renewable blue energy beyond Europe. The triparty collaboration plans hope to unlock partnership and business development opportunities for Canadian companies at home and abroad.

“Canada’s marine renewable energy resources have enormous potential to contribute to national and international decarbonization goals, but there is still a lot of work to be done to address challenges and advance the sector,” said Elisa Obermann, Executive Director of Marine Renewables Canada. “By partnering with Canada’s Ocean Supercluster we will be able to foster collaboration amongst our memberships, facilitate innovation, and ultimately drive growth of the marine renewable energy sector in Canada.”

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is a pan-Canadian, industry-led transformative cluster focused on tackling some of the biggest challenges across ocean sectors through a collaborative program designed to accelerate the development and commercialization of globally relevant solutions, while also building a highly-capable, inclusive workforce. To date, the OSC has approved more than 70 projects with a total value of more than $360 million which will deliver more than 120 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit www.oceansupercluster.ca.

About Marine Renewables Canada

Marine Renewables Canada is the national association for tidal, offshore wind, wave and river current energy, representing technology and project developers, utilities, researchers, and the energy and marine supply chain. Since 2004, the association has worked to build the sector by advocating for supportive policies, identifying domestic and international business development opportunities for its members, facilitating collaboration amongst its membership and broader ecosystem, providing education and outreach, and disseminating market intelligence. As part of its focus on developing the sector, Marine Renewables Canada is active in catalyzing opportunities for how marine renewable energy can contribute to achieving net zero goals through production of green fuels such as hydrogen, as well as displacement of diesel in remote communities and marine industries. More at www.marinerenewables.ca

Media Contacts:
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca
709.725.7070

Elisa Obermann
Marine Renewables Canada
elisa@marinerenewables.ca
902-817-4317

Canadian Startup Ecosystems Take Four of Top 35 Spots in New Global Blue Economy Report

Atlantic Canada Ranked in Top 10

 LISBON, PORTUGAL (Nov. 2, 2022) – Startup Genome released its first report focused on global startup ecosystems in the blue economy, where Canadian startup ecosystems took four of the top 35 rankings. The research was undertaken by Startup Genome in 2022 with the support of partner organizations including Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, Novarium, crunchbase, and dealroom.co and findings were made public today amid Web Summit activities in Lisbon.

This report looks at the current state of startup activity and related investment in the blue economy, where the rankings are a reflection of which global ecosystems are currently driving innovation through startups and related activities. It aims to provide information for founders, investors, and policymakers interested in understanding the current landscape, and is intended to encourage further blue economy activity within the startup world, with an overall goal of both mitigating climate change and improving lives around the world.

Global blue economy rankings in the Startup Genome report were determined based on performance, funding, startup experience, knowledge, talent, focus and legacy. Singapore took the overall top spot marking the first time in a Startup Genome tech-based report that Silicon Valley did not rank first. Atlantic Canada also had a top ten ranking (at tenth); Vancouver ranked 14^th; and Calgary and Toronto-Waterloo came in at 26^th and 35^th respectively. Atlantic Canada and Vancouver were also named the fourth and fifth of the top five ecosystems in North America.

Other key findings from the report:

• Europe is the global leader in Blue Economy startups, holding 39 per cent of the share and producing the highest number of early-stage deals. Europe also has produced the three of the top five ecosystems: Oslo, Amsterdam-Delta, and London.
• Blue Economy startups that secure early investment have a much higher chance of success in comparison to other sub-sectors. The attrition funnel over 2016 to 2021 shows that 17 per cent of recorded VC-funded blue economy startups that receive seed investment go to Series B, and 6 per cent go on to exit at over $50 million.
• Within the blue economy, aquaculture, marine energy, and marine transportation are currently receiving the most VC investment.

In August, the United Nations’ Sustainable Blue Economy Investment Forum saw governments, banks, and corporations gather at a UN Ocean Conference and commit to investing billions of dollars in the blue economy. In Halifax this fall, an international conference focused on investing in the blue economy drew the participation of Prime Minister Trudeau and participants from around the world. Described as being in its early stages, the blue economy is increasingly becoming a global conversation focused on the accelerated development of ocean technologies that help address climate change and contribute to a healthier planet, and also create sustainable economic opportunity in the process. In Canada, and in the startup world more broadly, there is plenty of untapped opportunity.

From its earliest days, Canada’s identity as an ocean nation has been built around an abundance of marine resources that helped sustain communities and people in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic who endured harsh conditions and uncertain waters to build thriving ocean sectors such as fisheries, offshore energy, transportation, and others. Today, these sectors and other emerging ones are thriving in new ways, leveraging advancing technologies across expanded areas of focus reflective of the world’s attention on the blue economy.

Canada has a long history of ocean-related activities, and several well-established startup hubs have a deep connection to the marine industry. As the global blue economy continues on its trajectory of rapid growth, there is opportunity not just in areas of focus but in geographic reach and impact. Canada has a strong research community that is increasingly leading to startups, and as a result innovators and their investors are starting and scaling more ocean companies. With game-changing ideas that will service sectors including fisheries, aquaculture, offshore energy, marine renewables, transportation, defense, ocean technology, and other areas, Canada’s ocean startup ecosystem is quickly growing stronger.

With incubators and accelerators oversubscribed, there are many ocean innovation hubs established and growing across Canada including Rimouski, Quebec where a blue innovation corridor is forming; Halifax, Nova Scotia with 20 startups funded through the Ocean Startup project to date; Victoria, British Columbia now generating more applications for the Ocean Startup Project than any other region; and St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador with 17 per cent of the early-stage ideas submitted to the Ocean Startup Project this year.

There is tremendous momentum building in the blue economy in Canada. Through the work of the OSC and its ambition to see 5x growth in Canada’s blue economy by 2035, there has never been more opportunity for new ideas, new investment, and new companies in ocean.

Read the report at: www.startupgenome.com/report/gser-blueeconomyedition  

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Quotes

“The blue economy is an increasingly global conversation where made in Canada innovation is helping solve some of the biggest challenges in ocean. It’s both established ecosystems named in this report as well those that are emerging in Canada that contributing to our collective efforts as a nation to make this the best place to start and grow an ocean company. We are thrilled to see Canadian startup ecosystems ranking amongst global leaders in this report, knowing there is much more for us to do together.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

“Working with local and international partners and different stakeholders in developing systemic initiatives is the only way to create impact. It is this strategy that put Atlantic Canada in the 10th place challenging ecosystems such as Amsterdam and Singapore. This success is the result of collaboration between actors across the country. Every industry should take note of the collaboration that exists on the Blue Economy between business leaders, government officials and innovation hubs.” –  Liette Lamonde, managing director, Startup Montréal