31.01.2023

COVE Partners with CarteNav to Digitalize Halifax Harbour

COVE Partners with CarteNav to Digitalize Halifax Harbour

COVE’s Digital Harbour: Seabed to Space will digitally monitor the Halifax Harbour with an integrated system incorporating data sourced from stationary and mobile platforms located underwater, on the water’s surface, on land, in air, and via satellite. It will provide visualizations and interpretation tools to a breadth of commercial and other operational users to make informed qualitative decisions about activities in, on or near the harbour.

As part of the initial phase of Digital Harbour, COVE has partnered with CarteNav, a Nova Scotia-based software company specializing in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance mission software, to advance the research, development, and commercial value of above-the-surface marine-based technologies.

“Digital Harbour revolutionizes the marine sector. For the first time, it creates opportunities for the public and private sectors to access integrated real-time data related to the environment, biology, and port traffic and uses, to make better decisions and create opportunities and partnerships to build Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning solutions,” said Melanie Nadeau, CEO, COVE. “Halifax’s dense cluster of innovative ocean and aerospace companies paired with naval, commercial, research, and recreational activities that occur simultaneously in a constrained physical harbour space make it the optimal location for a project of this scope.”

The Government of Canada, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), is providing COVE with a non-repayable contribution of $497,706 for phase one of Digital Harbour: Seabed to Space. This phase of development will focus on a front-end engineering design and furthering the proof of concept with stakeholders. The contribution is being provided through ACOA’s Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI) program.

“As one of the world’s largest and deepest natural harbours, the Halifax Harbour is a hub for commercial activity. This project is the first step to creating a system that collects and analyzes data from seabed to space to help users make important operational, logistical, security and lifesaving decisions in real time,” said Darren Fisher, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors and Member of Parliament for Dartmouth – Cole Harbour. "Partnerships like this one between COVE and CarteNav showcase Atlantic Canada’s capacity for world-leading innovation – creating new opportunities and enhancing the region’s competitive advantage.”

The ability to monitor marine areas cost-effectively and deliver commercially relevant data-based solutions is desirable to several regions worldwide. With a successful deployment in the Halifax Harbour, led by global ocean tech leaders at COVE, Digital Harbour will revolutionize industry-centred global ocean sensing and ocean data applications for public and private sector users.

"At CarteNav, we are thrilled to partner with COVE on the Digital Harbour initiative. This project is an important step for Atlantic Canada's marine industry, providing real-time data and insights for the public and private sectors starting right here in our backyard," said Nick Edwards, Vice President & General Manager of CarteNav. "The ability to monitor the Halifax Harbour from seabed to space will be a testament to the region's community of world-class technology companies, and we are honoured to be a part of it. With the help of COVE and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, we are excited to see this project's potential to challenge how we think about ocean monitoring and data applications globally."

Digital Harbour: Seabed to Space builds upon Stella Maris, COVE’s multi-sensor seabed platform located 10 metres below the surface and 100 metres from the docks at COVE, and COVE’s SmartATLANTIC buoy located in the Halifax Harbour.

Stella Maris is a low-cost and easily accessible way for ocean technology companies to conduct product development, verification, and commercialization to get their products to market faster. Users can remotely monitor, control and configure equipment on the platform from a shoreside operations centre, and access real-time ocean data and video.

SmartATLANTIC buoys support operational efficiency, situational awareness and safety in the marine environment and provide unprecedented support to the country’s coastal and ocean management efforts.