Global Business Innovation Programme: Ocean Technology, Canada

Innovate UK invites ambitious Ocean Technology sector companies to join our programme in Canada with two workshops and a market visit.

Opportunity Details

When

Registration Opens

21/02/2024

Registration Closes

24/03/2024

Award

Innovate UK will fund and organise flights, accommodation, in-market travel, and conference fees for successful applicants. Innovate UK will also pay for any reasonable adjustments throughout the initiative. One representative from each company will be funded.

Organisation

Innovate UK

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Note: This opportunity is fully funded support and not monetary funding.

Innovate UK is inviting ambitious companies to participate in the Global Business Innovation Programme. This programme consists of a preparation phase in the UK, a tailored innovation visit to Canada, a post-visit exploitation workshop and follow-up support from an Innovate UK EDGE Innovation and Growth Specialist, helping your business maximise the opportunities identified, including developing innovation projects with partners in the region.

The Innovation Visit to Canada includes a bespoke 2-day programme in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, and participation at Canada’s premier event for the ocean technology sector. The H2O: Home to Overseas Conference and Exhibition will include: the ocean industry showcase, Innovate UK pavilion presence, exclusive networking opportunities to connect with like-minded Canadian and international businesses, and the opportunity to attend pre-arranged B2B meetings with potential international partners for technology collaboration.

Focus Themes:

  • Aquaculture
  • Fisheries
  • Marine Energy
  • Marine Environmental Monitoring
  • Marine Net Zero
  • Marine Observations
  • Marine Robotics
  • Marine Transportation
  • Ocean Plastics

Key Technologies:

  • Alternative Energy
  • Aquaculture Systems
  • Autonomous Vessels
  • Fishery Processes & Management
  • Ocean Sensors
  • Robotics and Drones
  • Vessel Design and Manufacture
  • A GBIP has three stages:

    Prepare for the market

    Preparing for the market includes the cohort being briefed by sector and market experts on, for example, cultural aspects of conducting business in that country. Delegates receive help to find business partners and arrange meetings and are advised on best practice including the management and protection of their intellectual property.

    Visiting the market

    Visiting the market provides opportunities to attend pre-arranged meetings and activities in order to better understand and maximise the opportunities that the visit presents.

    Exploiting the opportunity

    Exploiting the opportunity is arguably the most important aspect of the programme. To maximise the opportunity, participating companies are given bespoke one-to-one support from an Innovate UK EDGE innovation and growth specialist to help develop and implement an action plan.

    The Global Business Innovation Programme operates on a competitive basis and businesses selected are required to participate in all three stages (some or all of which may be online).

  • To apply for this initiative, you must be a UK based company, with fewer than 500 employees, and have a focus on ocean technology.

    On acceptance to the Programme a commitment fee of £500 will be obtained from each delegate, which will be refunded on completion of the full activities and agreed action plan. Non-completion after formal acceptance may result in forfeiting some or all the commitment fee.

  • Canada has become a world leader in engineering products and services suited to extreme harsh ocean environments, marine remote sensing technologies, and ocean observing systems. More than half of Canada’s $30bn ocean economy is anchored in Atlantic Canada, including the key province of Nova Scotia.

    Atlantic Canada and Nova Scotia, in particular, is home to a strong cluster of ocean industries and to ground breaking ocean research. This region is quickly becoming a globally recognised hub of oceans expertise with the potential to be a significant contributor to a number of Global Value Chains associated with the oceans sector.

    St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador boasts a world-class network of researchers, start-ups, established companies, and ecosystem support partners that are developing technologies and solutions for operating in harsh ocean environments in sectors including offshore energy, defence, fisheries and aquaculture and environmental monitoring.

  • Closing date for applications: 24 March 2024
    Pre-visit workshop: 23 – 24 April 2024
    Market visit: 29 May – 7 June 2024
    Exploitation workshop: 25 September 2024
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