Canada’s Ocean Technology (OT) sector is a cross cutting advanced technology industry focused on products and services to understand and work in or use the ocean. The OT sector is to the marine industries as the Cleantech sector is to the environmental industries. Technologies may include complex navigation systems aboard a ship; the hybrid electrical power systems on a tugboat; or high-tech acoustics and sonar systems. 

3 metre Metocean buoy from AXYS Technologies, Sidney, British Columbia

3 Metre metocean buoy from AXYS Technologies, Sidney, British Columbia, measures and transmits environmental data, such as wind, waves, temperature, and pressure

·         The ocean technology sector is:

·         Export oriented. The majority of Canadian companies in the sector earn a high percentage of their revenue from international sales;

·         Knowledge intensive. The sector is characterized by highly innovative companies with an R&D agenda.

·         Collaborative. There is a strong network of Canadian university and government research centres active in the sector.

·         Characterized by dual or multiple use technologies which has led to many companies diversifying into several niche vertical markets, and:

·         Highly clustered in regions. Dominated by SMEs, typically each cluster also boasts  a few multi-national defence systems integrators and at least one regionally-based R&D organization /academic institution that supports technology development and commercialization efforts. 

Market opportunities for Canada’s ocean technology and other high-value marine manufacturing and service firms are driven by a variety of sources. Some of the broader ocean industries that provide markets for Ocean Technology companies include offshore oil & gas, defence & security, marine transportation/shipbuilding, ocean science & observation, ocean renewable energy, fisheries & aquaculture, coastal and ocean management and seabed mining. The Government of Canada is also a major customer for these products through its navy, coast guard and other procurements.

Competencies

Canada is a world leader in a number of areas like engineering products and services that can stand up to extreme harsh ocean environments; marine remote sensing technologies; and, ocean observing systems. Companies in the sector have a broad range of technological competencies including in such areas as radar & acoustics sensors, information systems, seabed mapping & marine geomatics, autonomous/intelligent systems, robotics, underwater vehicles, nanotechnologies/microsystems, simulation & training and communications.

The Unmanned marine vehicles, Manned sub-surface vehicles, Marine robotics, Marine sciences and Ocean technology areas totaled $246.4M in sales; accounting for 14.1% of total marine sales in 2014.