Nova Scotia ocean tech companies getting millions for next-level innovation

A Dartmouth, N.S., startup behind a hull paint that repels barnacles and an ocean data company withan ambitious expansion plan in Nova Scotia are the latest to receive funding from Canada's Ocean Supercluster.

Thejoint program between industry and the federal government was created to promote innovation in ocean technology.

Xocean of Ireland, one of two companies announced as funding recipients Thursday, makes unmanned surface vesselsthat gather ocean data and are piloted from shore using satellite communication.

The vessels, also known as USVs, can scan the ocean floor to check if offshore wind farms or oil rigs have been damaged by storms, saidchief operating officer Sarah MacDonald.

"We are developing the next generation of USVs enabling us to serve faster, deeper and further offshore with negligible carbon emissions," MacDonald said at the announcementatthe Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship in Dartmouth.

The Nova Scotia expansion

MacDonaldsaid aNova Scotia expansion will create dozens of jobs over the next four years and provide work at Lunenburg fabrication company ABCOIndustries.

"Xoceanis targeting the fabrication of a fleet of 100 USVs and the opening of a control centre in Nova Scotia to support our global operations with our partners," said the former Emera executive.

The $3.4-million project with $2 million from the OceanSupercluster and $1.4 millionfrom industry will develop a seven-metre USV capable of towing underwater sensors with a range of over 3,000 nautical miles.

Partners are ABCO Industries, DMR Boat Design, Ocean Floor Geophysics, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Too slick to stick

The biggest innovation project unveiled Thursday $4.6 million will test an environmentally friendly hull coating that's too slick forbarnacles, making ships more fuel efficient and quieter.

It was co-developed by Mo AlGermozi at an engineering lab at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

He saidthe coating is a smooth surface that does not allow underwater growth.

"What we're selling is a coatinga paint if you want to call it that. It does not leach into the environment and it has all these performance benefits," AlGermozi said after the announcement.

"It's certainly a smoother ride. We've had a couple of people put it on and they've noticed half a knot difference in speed," he says.

His company, Graphite Innovation Technologies, will test and validate the coating on the bottoms of Horizon Maritime offshore vessels.

The company intends to commercialize a product in 2022.

Coping with COVID-19 headwinds

The Ocean Superclusteris a non-profit overseeing$154 million in federal innovation money committed two years ago. Industry also contributes.

So far, it has approved 42 projects worth $200 million. Of that, $90 million wasfederal money.

The agency pivoted this year with a new program to help the sector hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It involved smaller amounts of money, faster approvals and reduced the requirement for matching funding from industry.

CEO Kendra MacDonald saidCOVID-19 has slowed activity.

"Certainly there were delays in terms of research labs being closed, the number of people that could be on ships and the safety measures for offshore oil and gas. They've had incredible impacts with the pandemic," she said.

The oil industry was a founding member of the Supercluster. MacDonald saidthe battered sector remains committed to funding projects, but money is slower to arrive.

"They are still providing match, but it is a slower process to get them through. They have a lot of other things happening, as well," she said.

2 other Nova Scotia projects

The Ocean Supercluster announced two other projects Thursday, both led byPisces Research Project Management.

One is valued at $3.8 million. It will seek ways to share ocean data and make it more widely available.

The other, valued at $420,000, will promote "diversity, equality and inclusion" in the ocean tech sector.