Click for video interviews with the ocean tech challenge winners
May 9, 2023 · Halifax, Nova Scotia · Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
Exploring more of the ocean - and finding new ways to do it safely - represents tremendous opportunities both at home and in international markets. The ocean is responsible for 30% of Atlantic Canadian exports and 320,000 jobs across Canada. Globally, the ocean economy is projected to reach an overall value of $4 trillion by 2030 - but to date, only about 10% of the ocean has been explored.
Today signaled a big step toward safer, more sustainable ocean exploration, as Canada and the United Kingdom announced the winning teams in the inaugural ocean tech challenge. They are:
1. eSonar Inc. (St. John's, NL) with Aquatec Group Inc. (Basingstoke, England, UK)
2. Deep Vision Inc. (Dartmouth, NS) with D-RisQ (Malvern, England, UK)
Each team will merge technology from both sides of the Atlantic, developing two different tools that will help uncrewed vessels "see", sense and move more skillfully in water. eSonar is combining its subsea acoustic sensors with Aquatec's marine monitoring instruments to create a suite of enhanced sensors that will increase vessels' awareness. D-RisQ's verification technologies will be used to build safety monitor software which will use Deep Vision's perception system to detect and avoid obstacles. The two solutions will help vessels venture farther to collect new, valuable ocean data - while better safeguarding the environment around them.
Spearheaded by the Ocean Technology Council of Nova Scotia (OTCNS) and Innovate UK, with support from ACOA, the ocean tech challenge is designed to create industry-advancing solutions, open new markets for innovative companies and grow trade through international partnership.
