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Subsector spotlight: Superclusters

When small-, medium- and large-sized companies, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations come together to generate bold ideas, regional innovation systems are transformed.

Harnessing the power of collaborative R&D, a $950M investment by the Government of Canada matched by the private sector unlocks the power of data-driven innovation across a spectrum of industries that make up Canada’s five superclusters: digital technologies, protein industries, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence (AI) and blue ocean science.

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster

Canada is growing the ocean economy in a way that has never been done before. Leaders in fisheries, aquaculture, defence, offshore resources, marine renewables, bioresources, shipping and ocean technology are coming together under the Ocean Supercluster umbrella to develop and commercialize solutions to shared challenges — together advancing Canada’s position as a global leader in the blue ocean economy. Anchored in Atlantic Canada and focusing on digital sensors and monitoring, autonomous marine vehicles, energy generation, automation, marine biotechnology and marine engineering technologies, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster harnesses emerging technologies to change the way business in the ocean economy is conducted.

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster includes over 300 industry and associate members in 13 ocean industries across the country that are committed to working together to answer the call for sustainable ocean growth, including:

  • Accumulated Ocean Energy
  • Albion Marine Solutions
  • Canadian UAVS
  • Cellula Robotics
  • Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship
  • Grieg NL
  • Genoa Design International
  • Innovasea
  • Irving Shipbuilding
  • Kraken Robotics
  • Nunavut Fisheries Association
  • Ocean Choice International
  • Ocean Frontier Institute
  • Pangeo Subsea
  • Petroleum Research Newfoundland & Labrador
  • Virtual Marine

Digital Technology Supercluster

Based in Vancouver, the Digital Technology Supercluster is a cross-industry collaboration of diverse tech-centric businesses that co-invest in ambitious, business-led R&D projects focused on transformational digital technologies, some of which overlap with the natural resources sector. Current projects include the Fresh Water Data Commons, a unique consortium led by Carl Data Solutions in collaboration with Teck Resources, Astra Smart Systems, i4C Innovation, Living Lakes Canada, Microsoft, the University of Victoria and Genome BC. Together, the resource sector, digital companies and non-profit organizations are developing technology to help every part of Canada — and the world — harness data to protect supplies of freshwater and dependent ecosystems, foster sustainable development and monitor the impacts of climate change.

Scale AI

A consortium of private entities, research centres, academia and high-potential startups, the Montréal-based Scale AI supercluster identifies cross-sector collaborative projects, and provides funding and expert guidance to strengthen and improve the productivity of supply chains through the integration and responsible use of AI. Current projects include an innovative optimization solution for the planning of naval in-service support. The intelligent planning tool will help shipyards manage complex sets of constraints and adapt to unforeseen events.