(Montreal, Quebec) – Today at the ALL IN Conference in Montreal, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster (OSC) announced the Port Watch AI Dredging Project led by SeafarerAI based in Saint John, New Brunswick. 

The project will improve dredging efficiency for ports using a new AI enhanced cloud service. Combined with amplified Teledyne Geospatial software, the product will enable the port industry to make better and faster decisions when it comes to reference depth conformance, allowing for a smoother dredging process. Beyond improving dredging in real-time, the powerful new tool will provide data-driven insights into area and volume of dredging that ports can expect in the future, through prediction of sedimentation.  

The project can help revolutionize the way ports and the inland waterway industry approach dredging activities. As these activities can be disruptive to marine life and release pollutants into the water, introducing a new monitoring system supports development of a sustainable practice, minimizing the environmental impact of dredging activities on a much larger scale. 

The project is led by SeafarerAI in collaboration with Teledyne Geospatial in Toronto, ON, DeepSense in Halifax, NS, the University of New Brunswick, and Port Saint John. With a total project value of $964,388, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster is investing $386,412 to the project from its allocation under the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS) Program, with the balance of funding coming from project partners. 

As shipping capacity is important to Canada’s economic growth, the project is poised to help stimulate that growth through Canada’s ocean economy. This dredging solution is anticipated to have high value in the global ports and waterways markets.  

Media Contact: 
Nancy Andrews 
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster 
nancy.andrews@oceansupercluster.ca 

About Canada’s Ocean Supercluster
Canada’s Ocean Supercluster accelerates the development and commercialization of made-in-Canada ocean solutions in energy transition, food security, future of transport, and climate change while also growing more companies, creating more jobs, and attracting ocean talent. As Canada’s national ocean cluster, the OSC is a convenor of members, partners, and networks and a catalyst for transformative growth that helps build the robust ecosystem needed to help realize Ambition 2035 – a 5X growth potential in ocean in Canada by 2035. To date, the OSC has approved more than 100 projects which will deliver more than 220 new made-in-Canada ocean products, processes, and services to sell to the world. For more information visit oceansupercluster.ca 

Quotes
“Projects like this demonstrate how the Ocean Cluster is working with partners to advance competitiveness in the ocean industry through the use of innovative and responsible technologies in artificial intelligence (AI),” says the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “AI is one of the greatest technological transformations of our age, and through advances like this, Canada is leading the way.” 

 “Today we are excited to announce the Port Watch AI Dredging Project that improves the ability for data-driven decision making to support increased shipping and port activity,” said Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster. “This project will not only help stimulate growth in Canada’s ocean sector but will also support sustainable practices with a system that is anticipated to have high value in the global ports and waterways markets.”