Newfoundland and Labrador — Ocean Technology

NRC is nurturing a vibrant cluster initiative of public and private organizations in Newfoundland and Labrador to capture a sizeable portion of a global ocean technology market worth $1.8 trillion. By positioning its pioneering NRC Institute for Ocean Technology as a hub for the community's groundbreaking R&D activities, NRC serves as both cluster initiative catalyst and mentor — it encourages key players to work collaboratively toward critical common goals, and it affords the cluster's roughly 50 small and medium-sized companies an opportunity to prototype and incorporate new technologies using NRC expertise and facilities.

A simulation created by Virtual Marine Technology Inc., a resident of NRC-IOT's Ocean Technology Enterprise Centre.

Uniting key players

The momentum behind the cluster's impressive growth stems from a broad-based collaborative initiative involving NRC, all levels of government, local businesses, industry groups and Memorial University of Newfoundland. An NRC-initiated roundtable in 2000 attracted 85 ocean technology stakeholders, resulting in the development of a bold action plan that has enabled the community to identify key strategies and goals for cluster development. Here are some key initiatives that have sprung from the roundtable:

		NRC CLUSTER INITIATIVE PARTNERS
		Province of Newfoundland and Labrador
		OceansAdvance
		City of St. John's
		St. John's Board of Trade
		Memorial University of Newfoundland, including the Fisheries and Marine Institute
		Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
		Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Technology Industries
		Newfoundland Ocean Industries Association
		Petroleum Research Atlantic Canada
		Canadian Centre for Marine Communications
		C-CORE

• NRC's Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP), with the collaboration of several stakeholders, helped to establish the influential private sector ocean technology cluster development forum, OceansAdvance. Oceans-Advance facilitates collaboration among industry stakeholders, builds the community's R&D capacity, expands lucrative business and export opportunities and identifies the industry's most promising investment prospects.
• NRC has established a new $6.5 million industry partnership facility at its research complex in St. John's. The facility, which transfers research from NRC labs to vibrant start-up companies, now houses five pioneering firms and also operates a technology incubator that houses four more.
• The City of St. John's launched a nationwide advertising campaign that branded the city as Canada's Centre of Ocean Excellence. This campaign has helped St. John's attract top talent and investment from across the country.
• The St. John's Board of Trade partnered with the City of St. John's to establish Ocean Industries Week, which highlights the economic importance of ocean industries and draws attention to the strategic importance of St. John's as a centre of excellence in the field.

NRC-IOT conducts a program of research in underwater vehicle technology.

Commercializing research

One of NRC's goals is to encourage collaborative R&D that puts federal research to work in the private sector. Significant strides have come in recent years: in 2004-2005 alone, the value of NRC's collaborative agreements with stakeholders in the St. John's cluster initiative tripled to nearly $9.1 million – or about $2.9 million annually.

Transforming technology into business

NRC offers strategic services to businesses that wish to take their innovations to market — helping small businesses succeed.

		CLUSTER FACTS AT A GLANCE
		Ocean-related economic activities comprise 25% of Newfoundland and Labrador GDP. The ocean technology's component of this figure is growing at twice the rate of the remaining components.
		Ocean industries contribute $20 billion and 350,000 jobs to the Canadian economy annually.
		St. John's is home to roughly 50 ocean technology companies.
		The world market for ocean technologies is $1.8 trillion and growing at a rate of 2.5% annually.
		NRC's $6.5 million industry partnership facility houses 10 companies.

Assisting with industrial research

The NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) — a national program aimed specifically at assisting small and medium-sized businesses — contributes technical expertise and funding to all NRC cluster initiatives. In Newfoundland and Labrador, NRC-IRAP has helped bring promising technologies closer to commercial success by supporting key cluster players such as NavSim Technology Inc., Trans Ocean Gas, Blue Ocean Satellite System, ICAN Ltd. and Lotek Wireless Inc.

Best available science and technology literature

NRC is a world leader in electronic publishing, and Canada's largest and best resource for scientific, technical and medical information.NRC's information specialists are highly active in the St. John's ocean technology cluster initiative, offering clients access to the same top-notch document-delivery services that NRC scientists enjoy.

Since April 2002, NRC has expanded its professional team in the ocean technology cluster initiative, improving its ability to fulfill stakeholders' requests for information. Services include a weekly ocean technology newsletter and services designed specifically for companies housed at NRC's industry partnership facility.

Mad Rock Marine Solutions Inc., a resident of the NRC-IOT's Ocean Technology Enterprise Centre, is manufacturing and marketing a unique lifeboat release mechanism.

"The ocean technology cluster is catalyzing companies in Newfoundland and Labrador to build individual strengths into powerful collective efforts.More and more, the industry is assuming strategic leadership for the sector. The province sees this sector as a major element of its new economy."

L.G. O'Reilly, Executive Director, OceansAdvance

		MILESTONES FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
		2000 — NRC and Industry Canada launch Technology Roadmap exercise
		2001 — St. John's roundtable attracts 85 participants from industry, academia, various agencies and all three levels of government (Consult the Marine and Ocean Industry Technology Roadmap)
		2001 — NRC acquires $20 million in new federal funding for its Institute for Ocean Technology
		2002 — NRC-IRAP spearheads the creation of OceansAdvance, a public-private joint venture that aims at making St. John's an international location of choice for ocean technology
		2002 — NRC organizes $60 million Ocean Partners Investment Fund and trade mission to Ireland
		2003 — NRC opens an industry partnership facility in St. John's
		2004 — NRC announces BioSeas Partnership
		2005 — Cluster champion OceansAdvance is incorporated
		2005 — NRC-IRAP, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador launch New England Trade Initiative concentrating on ocean technology
		2005 — NRC's Ocean Technology Enterprise Centre graduates its first two companies
		2006 — OceansAdvance signs an MOU with the Marine and Oceanographic Technology Network, a U.S. business development association

NRC-IOT researchers are involved in projects related to marine safety, performance evaluation, applied hydrodynamics, ships and structures in ice, and underwater vehicle systems.

Mapping a Promising Future

NRC and Industry Canada led a technology roadmap exercise in 2000, the outcome of which reflected the community's priorities in a cohesive, common plan. The roadmap identified four areas that hold special promise for ocean technology R&D in the Newfoundland cluster. Cluster stakeholders will concentrate on developing innovative technologies for:

• oil and gas services
• energy-efficient marine transportation
• eco-sensitive ocean harvesting, critical to maintaining sustainable fisheries and aquaculture
• climate and ocean monitoring

"NRC's work in ocean technology has been instrumental in positioning St. John's as a centre of ocean excellence.With a common vision and purpose,we are experiencing progress and are poised for even greater development in this sector. The City anticipates considerable benefit from our ocean technology community for many years to come."

Andy Wells,Mayor, City of St. John's

http://iot-ito.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca