SEATAC
Driving sustainability and growth in the blue economy
Nova Scotia’s ocean economy contributes over $5 billion annually to the province’s GDP and supports thousands of jobs, from shipbuilding and fisheries to marine tech and logistics. As global demand for sustainable marine solutions grows, Nova Scotia is uniquely positioned to lead. Helping drive that momentum is SEATAC, the province’s first Technology Access Centre.
Based at COVE, a waterfront facility on the Halifax Harbour, SEATAC helps small- and medium-sized ocean technology companies get their products and services closer to market. Through applied research, access to specialized equipment and technical expertise, SEATAC supports the design, testing and commercialization of smart, sustainable marine technologies.
SEATAC engineers and technologists collaborate with businesses across the province, often incorporating internships and co-op placements. This model gives students an opportunity to tackle real problems faced by industry.
“Working with SEATAC gave me hands-on experience applying data analytics to real-world challenges in the ocean sector,” says Jared Park, a recent NSCC graduate. “I learned how to write efficient programs for large datasets and saw firsthand how valuable data is to marine operations. That experience helped me grow as a data analyst and played a part in landing my new position with the Halifax Port Authority.”
SEATAC partnered with BlueGrid to advance low-carbon marine operations. With SEATAC’s support, BlueGrid tested its new plug-and-play energy monitoring tool, BlueGrid Insights, which collects voyage and fuel data without requiring technical know-how. SEATAC engineers validated the system on their 9-metre research vessel, confirming its accuracy, durability and ease of use.
Once commercially available, this made-in-Nova Scotia technology will help marine operators reduce fuel use and cut emissions, delivering cost savings and environmental benefits across the sector.
By advancing ocean technologies and supporting the next generation of talent, SEATAC is playing a key role in building a more sustainable, innovative and inclusive ocean economy.
“BlueGrid’s partnership with SEATAC has been essential in advancing our ability to efficiently and cost-effectively monitor performance data from any type of marine vessel. As a growing company, having access to both a test vessel and SEATAC’s knowledgeable staff has helped us refine the delivery of our BlueGrid Insights product. Their support has enabled us to test hardware, improve our methods and deliver high-quality insights that give our clients the confidence to champion marine electrification. We have nothing but positive things to say regarding our experience with SEATAC!”
- Patrick Sampson, Service Delivery Manager, Bluegrid
