Member Community

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster Membership

We are a membership organization, and our members lead the direction of the OSC through board participation, working groups and projects. We have 2 types of membership – Industry members are investors in projects and cluster building. Associate members are contributors and collaborators.

By focusing on challenges shared by Canadian ocean industries, our members collaborate to bring forward innovative solutions through projects within the Technology Leadership and Innovation Ecosystem Programs.

The OSC has an open membership model, accommodating partners from across industries and sectors, with a range of investment levels, as well as opportunities for non-investing organizations.

There are two broad types of membership:

Industry Members

  • Organizations operating within the private sector in Canada who are committed to investing in their commercially focused R&D with other members, matched by OSC funds, and will contribute to the growth of a strong cluster.
  • Industry Members with approved OSC projects are eligible to leverage OSC funds. A small portion of an Industry Member’s financial commitment is leveraged by the OSC for cluster building activities and Innovation Ecosystem projects.

Associate Members

  • Represented by post-secondary institutions, non-profit corporations, government agencies, indigenous organizations, and supply chain partners. They gain access to the OSC network, can collaborate on projects, and are instrumental in helping build the Ocean Supercluster network across Canada.
  • Associate Members are not eligible to leverage OSC funds, unless delivering an approved Innovation Ecosystem project. There is no cost or financial commitment for Associate Members.

What is the Cost of Membership?

Associate Membership

  • There is no cost associated with membership.

Industry Membership​

  • The OSC collects up to 15% of a Member’s Cash Contribution​
  • The payment schedule is broken into mandatory and conditional commitments, where the conditional commitment is provided only if a member participates in a project ​
  • The commitments go towards cluster building activities including the Innovation Ecosystem Program and OSC Administration​
  • The remaining 85% goes directly to the members’ projects to be leveraged​​

Benefits of Membership

  • When you become a member of the OSC, you join a network that spans coast-to-coast-to-coast.
  • Being part of that networks means you gain access to events exclusive to our members and access to the OSC Member Portal – where you can share ideas and find potential project collaborators.
  • There’s several other ways to benefit through OSC Memberships – here’s a list of some of the perks based on each type of member:

Next Steps

  1. Fill out the Expression of Interest form below​
  2. The OSC will email you (check spam folder if not received within 24 hours and email membership@oceansupercluster.ca if you have any difficulties).​
  3. The email will contain a zip folder with the legal membership documents for execution, and an invite to a Membership Information Session (attending is not required to become a member). ​
  4. Read and sign the necessary legal documents​
    • Universal Membership Agreement
      • read
    • OSC By-Laws
      • read
    • Joinder Agreement (different document depending on type of membership)
      • sign
  5. Send your signed Joinder Agreement to membership@oceansupercluster.ca