For Immediate Release
March 26, 2025
(Vancouver, BC) – Today, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) announced three new ocean innovation projects valued at more than $10 million, including the $3.8 million Air Sea Ocean Monitoring System (ASOMS) Project. This new, collaborative OSC project will help position Canada as a leader in ocean monitoring.
The ASOMS project addresses essential gaps in observation capabilities vital for the long-term monitoring of marine protected areas, environmental surveillance for offshore energy installations, and maritime domain awareness. By integrating robotic ocean and aerial observing platforms with AI-enabled sensing technology and energy management solutions, the project delivers a hybrid observation system designed for long endurance and multi-domain ocean monitoring and surveillance.
The ASOMS solution will yield new capabilities for Canadian end users such as the RCMP, DFO, and commercial companies working in Canadian waters. This potentially includes applications in the Arctic, where the new tools can create high wage jobs and strengthen Indigenous people’s stewardship of local environments through innovative technologies.
The project will allow the development of new AI-enabled data services that optimize the utility of uncrewed systems in marine monitoring applications, presenting significant new capabilities for maritime environmental monitoring and security applications. This will enable exports of Canadian robotic solutions for the marine industry, stimulating economic growth.
This project is led by Victoria, BC-based Open Ocean Robotics, in partnership with Seahawk Robotics in Vancouver, BC, ASL Environmental Science Inc. in Saanichton, BC, Rockland Scientific in Victoria, BC, and Glas Ocean Electric in Halifax, NS. With a total project value of $3.8M Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is investing $1.4M with the balance coming from project partners.
Canada’s ocean community has developed a bold, collective goal to grow the country’s ocean economy by 5X to $220B by 2035. Continued investment in the accelerated development and commercialization of globally relevant, made in Canada ocean solutions, including the projects announced today, will help us realize this transformative growth potential mapped out through Ambition 2035.
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Media Contacts
Nancy Andrews
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca
About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster accelerates the development and commercialization of made-in-Canada ocean solutions in energy transition, food security, future of transport, and climate change while also growing more companies, creating more jobs, and attracting ocean talent. As Canada’s national ocean cluster, the OSC is a convenor of members, partners, and networks and a catalyst for transformative growth that helps build the robust ecosystem needed to help realize Ambition 2035 – a 5X growth potential in ocean in Canada by 2035. To date, the OSC has approved more than 120 projects valued at more than $500 million, which will deliver more than 300 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world.
Quotes
“The development of sophisticated ocean robotics for maritime monitoring is crucial to the sustainability of our oceans. Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is excited to announce the $3.8M ASOMS Project, which will create new technologies that support ocean industry jobs and increase Canada’s global competitiveness, all while prioritizing environmental sustainability maritime security.” – Kendra MacDonald, CEO, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster