Advancing Ocean Technology Innovation

Accelerating the development of cutting-edge ocean technologies by empowering innovators, startups, and researchers across the region. This pillar strengthens the early-stage innovation pipeline by providing access to capital, shared infrastructure, technical expertise, and industry partners. It fosters deep collaboration and technology transfer among universities, industry, and government labs through a formal University Consortium, industry-matched research programs, accelerator pathways, and pitch events, while providing dedicated workspaces where robotics entrepreneurs can design, build, prototype, test, and commercialize undersea robotics and advanced materials.

Transforming regionally developed ocean technologies into market-ready products and deployable solutions. This pillar supports companies in scaling, validating, and integrating technologies through customer engagement, pilot deployments, regulatory navigation, and access to capital, while leveraging enhanced prototyping and testing capacity—including advanced design and simulation tools, shared vessel access, accelerator support, and a connected network of test ranges to reduce cost, de-risk deployment, and accelerate time to market.

Developing, attracting, and retaining a highly skilled workforce to support the region’s rapidly growing ocean technology industry. This pillar aligns education, training, and experiential learning with industry needs through strong partnerships with universities, training providers, and employers. Central to this effort is the Real Job Challenge Ocean Tech Works program, which provides hands-on, project-based training by pairing students and job seekers with real-world industry challenges, paid work experience, mentorship, and exposure to in-demand technical skills—creating clear, direct pathways into ocean technology careers

Building a thriving and integrated ocean technology ecosystem by leveraging regional strengths, forming strategic partnerships, and establishing strong global connections. This initiative brings together industry, government, academic, and nonprofit partners to align efforts and share resources, including infrastructure, facilities, data, and services. This collaboration reduces fragmentation and creates efficiencies through coordinated investments and collective strategies that lower costs. By connecting regional companies to global markets, supply chains, and opportunities, we ensure that the ecosystem scales efficiently, avoids duplication of efforts, and competes successfully on the international stage.