2024 Challenge Statements
Sustainable Seafood
The fishing and aquaculture industries are cornerstones of the Canadian economy, especially in coastal and rural communities. Advancements in sustainable practices are imperative to ensure the long-term viability of fish stocks, minimise environmental impacts, and adhere to increasingly stringent international sustainability standards. Canada’s leadership in sustainable fishing and aquaculture practices can enhance its global market share, particularly in premium markets that value sustainability, and offer significant commercial opportunities for innovative startups.
Challenge Statements:
- Develop an AI and machine learning-enabled processing technology for shellfish farms that increases the efficiency of grading, sorting and processing
- Develop a sustainable and cost-effective feed for aquaculture using novel ingredients that reduces the environmental footprint (including transportation) of the feed production whilst maintaining nutritional requirements
- Develop a novel technology or process to reduce mortality rates in aquaculture
- Develop a technology enabled solution to increase efficiency of oyster production and harvesting
- Develop a sustainable packaging alternative that maximizes freshness and taste of seafood
- Develop a processing technology to increase the efficiency of seaweed harvesting and subsequent processing (drying, etc.)
- Create an alternative seafood packaging solution to reduce industry reliance on styrofoam
Renewable Ocean Energy
Canada’s extensive coastlines and marine resources offer a vast, untapped potential for renewable energy generation, including wave, tidal, and offshore wind energy. Embracing these resources can significantly contribute to Canada’s energy mix, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. This shift towards renewable ocean energy is aligned with Canada’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and its goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Innovating in this domain can position Canada as a global leader in sustainable energy technologies, fostering economic growth, and creating new job opportunities.
Challenge Statements:
- Develop a technology enabled solution to accelerate resource assessments for ocean-based renewable energy projects
- Develop an innovative anchoring systems for deepwater offshore wind platforms that minimizes the carbon footprint and environmental impact of installation
- Create a tool to simulate the impacts of renewable energy projects integration into existing power grids and help inform long-term planning for grid upgrades and management
- Develop an innovative process for using the outputs from offshore energy projects to create value-add products
- Create an easy-to-integrate ocean-based renewable energy solution that helps augment existing power grids
- Develop an AI-enabled solution to reduce the time, cost and environmental impact associated with site selection for ocean-based renewable energy projects
Decarbonized Shipping and Marine Transportation
Canada’s maritime sector, integral to its economy and global trade, stands at the forefront of environmental challenges and opportunities. Factually, the maritime industry is a notable contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, with shipping accounting for approximately 2.89% of global CO2 emissions, as per the International Maritime Organization (IMO). This reality, coupled with Canada’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and national emissions reduction targets, underscores the urgent need for innovation in decarbonized shipping and marine transportation. Pioneering new technologies in this sector is not only vital for environmental sustainability but also for maintaining economic competitiveness. Canada’s potential lies in embracing advancements in alternative fuels, energy-efficient ship designs, and sustainable port operations. These innovations are essential for reducing the maritime sector’s carbon footprint and aligning with global efforts towards a low-carbon future.
Challenge Statements:
- Develop a solution to reduce berth emissions for ships at ports
- Develop a novel technology enabled solution to increase efficiency and power supply management of shore power systems at ports
- Develop a hybrid battery solution to enable access to power while ships are anchored in a harbour
- Develop a solution that leverages existing data collection tools to enable the zero emissions transition for the shipping industry
- Develop a solution to reduce emissions while ships are manoeuvring, anchored or at berth at a port
- Develop a scalable biofuel to support the net-zero transition of the shipping industry
- Develop a solution to support the scale up the electrolyzer process to enable wide adoption of hydrogen fuel
- Develop a solution to capture carbon to use in green fuel production for the shipping industry
- Develop a solution to retrofit existing cargo ships to enable the use of shore power
Marine Bioresources and Biotechnology
Marine bioresource companies create new value from resources within the marine environment and support additional value creation for operators in fisheries and aquaculture. Businesses and consumers are quickly realizing that many valuable products can be derived or manufactured from marine resources, such as high-quality additives for food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, coatings, and even pet treats. There are additional opportunities to create a circular economy by utilizing the byproducts of fisheries and aquaculture processing (fish and shellfish waste) to create higher-value products. Sustainable aquaculture of fish and seafood can help feed the world’s growing population. For that to happen, new, safe and effective tools and technologies are needed to address animal health, nutrition and production. More effective prevention and treatment methods as well as diagnostics and monitoring tools are required to detect, prevent or treat bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases. Increased aquaculture production also equates to a growing demand for raw material feedstocks and a desire for novel, sustainable, and locally sourced feed ingredients.
Challenge Statements:
- Develop a scalable and novel fermentation process that efficiently and cost-effectively uses microalgae to create value-add products
- Develop a cost-effective and scalable method to extract valuable molecules from seafood co-products
- Develop a sustainable and cost effective method for producing alternative proteins for the aquaculture industry
- Develop a sustainable, easy-to-adopt solution for the textiles industry that uses regenerative ocean-based resources to reduce the environmental impact from dies and/or microplastics
- Develop a solution that combines ocean-based alginate with other biomass resources to create a more sustainable pulp product
- Develop an innovative and efficient method for producing marine-based collagen
Autonomous Vessels and Robotics
The integration of autonomous vessels, robotics, and AI is set to revolutionize how we understand, interact with, and utilize our ocean. These cutting-edge technologies offer unprecedented opportunities to monitor, protect, and sustainably manage marine ecosystems. Autonomous vessels, equipped with advanced sensors and AI, can conduct continuous, real-time data collection across vast oceanic expanses, enhancing our understanding of marine environments. Robotics can perform complex tasks such as underwater exploration and pollution mitigation with precision and efficiency. AI algorithms can analyze the vast amounts of collected data, providing insights that drive informed decision-making for conservation and resource management. Together, these innovations not only promise to enhance ocean health but also to unlock new economic opportunities in sustainable fisheries, renewable energy, and marine biotechnology, fostering a resilient and prosperous blue economy.
Challenge Statements:
- Develop an easy-to-deploy solution that provides situational awareness and autonomous decision making to enable reduced crewing on marine research vessels
- Develop an AI-enabled solution to support autonomous docking of marine vessels
- Develop an autonomous system to inspect and monitor the integrity of moorings for offshore energy infrastructure
- Develop a solution using autonomous systems that utilizes predictive analytics and optimized data collection to enable real-time decision making and monitoring for fisheries management
- Create a novel solution to increase the utility and efficiency of existing ocean-based assets that are used to monitor and secure wide areas under surveillance
- Create a low-carbon autonomous solution for moving cargo more efficiently by sea
- Create a low-cost, reliable autonomous solution for lifecycle monitoring of offshore energy assets: inspection, support vessels, construction, maintenance and operations.