B.C.’s Marine Testbed Advances Ocean Innovation

Key Points:

How is British Columbia enabling marine innovators bring new technologies to market?

British Columbia is advancing ocean innovation through a new Marine and Coastal Testbed that helps companies test and scale technologies in real-world marine environments.

• The testbed supports innovations in clean marine technology, vessel efficiency, ocean monitoring and coastal resilience.
• Initial projects include robotic hull cleaning, AI-powered salmon monitoring and smart shore-power solutions.
• As part of Innovate BC’s Integrated Marketplace, the testbed helps de-risk technology adoption, accelerate commercialization and support global market growth. 

As Canada’s Pacific gateway, British Columbia (B.C.) has more than 130 years of expertise in shipbuilding, repair, maintenance and marine supply chains. With over 25,000 kilometres of coastline and more than 1,000 marine companies, the province has become a global leader in ocean technology—from undersea digital observatories to deep-water submersibles and remotely operated vehicles. Home to the world’s largest fleet of hybrid and fully electric tugboats, B.C. continues to advance innovation through shipyard expansion, world-class ocean science, and leadership across defence, marine transportation, environmental monitoring and ocean stewardship.

As global demand grows for cleaner, safer and more efficient marine operations, B.C. is building on these strengths by creating new opportunities for innovators to test and deploy solutions in real-world environments, accelerating commercialization and strengthening global competitiveness.

A New Testbed for Marine Innovation

To build on this momentum, the Province has launched a new marine and coastal testbed through the Integrated Marketplace program, delivered by Innovate BC. Testbeds are collaborative innovation models built around a physical location, sector or theme to help de-risk technology adoption. Whether thematic or geographic, IM’s testbeds provide the right operational environments to test innovations in real-world settings.

The Integrated Marketplace is part of the B.C.’s Look West Strategy: an action-oriented plan to strengthen economic resilience, enhance sovereignty and support growth in sectors where B.C. has a strong competitive edge.

The Look West Strategy aligns government action across talent, infrastructure, policy and investment to support business growth and attract capital. It focuses on high-potential sectors including maritime, aerospace, agriculture and food processing, life sciences, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and construction innovation. By building on existing strengths while opening new pathways for innovation, the strategy aims to reinforce B.C.’s long-term competitiveness.

As a targeted priority, a key objective is to expand and optimize B.C.’s maritime sector, with a goal to secure 35% of federal defence vessel contracts over the next decade. The newest Integrated Marketplace testbed will help achieve this by enabling companies to validate made-in-B.C. technologies that support a more productive, efficient and sustainable marine industry.

The testbed targets critical industry challenges, including decarbonization, operational efficiency, competitiveness, and health and safety. It supports innovations in environmental monitoring, vessel optimization and coastal resilience, by shortening the path from development to market adoption.

Supporting Innovation Across the Marine Sector

The marine and coastal testbed supports a wide range of technologies, including renewable energy and power supply, naval defence, marine robotics and electrification, vessel optimization, ocean observation and connectivity, coastal resilience and supply chain solutions.

By providing access to real-world operating environments, the Integrated Marketplace enables Solution Adopters to validate performance, while Solution Providers can reduce commercialization risk and secure reference customers, which are key steps in scaling into domestic and international markets.

Early Projects Demonstrate Real-World Impact

The first projects supported through the marine and coastal testbed illustrate how B.C. innovators are applying advanced technologies to solve practical challenges across the sector.

KOTUG Canada: Cleaner Operations, More Efficient Vessels

KOTUG Canada, in partnership with the SC’IȺNEW First Nation and Offshore Designs, is deploying underwater robotic hull-cleaning technology, supported by a $290,000 investment through the Integrated Marketplace. The solution aims to reduce fuel consumption and underwater noise, improving vessel efficiency while minimizing impacts on marine ecosystems.

Performance data collected with Rokir Analysis will measure long-term benefits. By reducing the financial risk of testing, the program supports operational improvements for KOTUG while enabling Offshore Designs to demonstrate and scale its technology.

Lax Kw’alaams First Nation, Ocean Aid and Salmon Vision: Smarter Salmon Monitoring Through AI

The Lax Kw’alaams First Nation, in partnership with Ocean Aid and Salmon Vision, is integrating artificial intelligence with traditional Indigenous fishing practices to modernize salmon population monitoring. Supported by more than $360,000 through the Integrated Marketplace, the project uses marine-grade hardware and AI to automate data collection and improve accuracy.

The initiative aims to reduce manual labour, enhance safety, lower emissions, and support sustainable monitoring and selective harvesting. By combining Indigenous knowledge with advanced technology, it strengthens stewardship practices while advancing a more data-driven and sustainable fisheries sector.

VoltSafe: Enhancing Safety and Efficiency in Shore Power

Vancouver-based VoltSafe is deploying a smart shore power solution at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club’s Jericho marina, supported by $387,000 through the Integrated Marketplace. The project will evaluate safety, performance and operational efficiency in a live marine environment where electrical safety and capacity constraints are key challenges.

If successful, the technology could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions for smaller vessels and marinas while advancing safer and more scalable electrification across B.C.’s marine sector.

Creating Pathways to Global Markets

Launched in 2023 by the Government of B.C. in partnership with PacifiCan and delivered by Innovate BC, the Integrated Marketplace supports companies in testing, deploying and scaling innovations while reducing adoption risk for industry partners.

Provincial investment includes up to $41.5 million from the Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth, alongside $11.7 million from the Government of Canada through PacifiCan. With the addition of the Marine and Coastal Testbed, the Integrated Marketplace now supports seven testbeds across B.C., spanning partnerships with the Prince Rupert Port Authority, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, Vancouver International Airport, and sector-focused initiatives in health, forestry innovation and emergency management, and mining and critical minerals. Together, these testbeds support innovation across key sectors of the economy, helping organizations tackle operational challenges while improving sustainability, productivity and safety.

The program’s demand-driven model connects innovative companies with real-world customers, enabling them to validate solutions and expand into new markets. Early successes demonstrate this impact: A&K Robotics scaled its mobility technology to Madrid-Barajas Airport following deployment at Vancouver International Airport, while MarineLabs leveraged its work across three Integrated Marketplace projects to secure contracts along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Scaling Innovation for Global Impact

The marine and coastal testbed marks another step in strengthening B.C.’s position as a global leader in ocean innovation. By enabling companies to test technologies in real-world conditions, the Integrated Marketplace accelerates commercialization, supports industry adoption, and creates new opportunities for export growth.

As global demand rises for sustainable marine solutions, including vessel electrification, ocean monitoring, and advanced maritime technologies, B.C. companies are well positioned to compete internationally. Through programs like the Integrated Marketplace, innovators can validate their solutions, build credibility and scale more rapidly into new markets.

As the Province advances its Look West Strategy, continued investment in initiatives like the Integrated Marketplace will help attract capital, strengthen economic resilience, and expand global opportunities for B.C. companies, while contributing to a more competitive, productive and sustainable marine sector.

To learn more about the Integrated Marketplace program and opportunities to participate in its growing network of testbeds, visit the Integrated Marketplace. For the latest stories on innovation, investment and export opportunities in B.C., visit Trade and Invest BC and follow us on Bluesky, LinkedIn and X.