VICTORIA, BC – COAST Ocean Tech Live returns to Victoria’s Ship Point Pier on Wednesday, Sept. 23, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., inviting the public to meet the innovators, explore emerging marine technologies, and learn about the ideas helping advance British Columbia’s ocean economy.
Sponsored by Babcock Canada and Innovate BC and presented by COAST, an initiative of the South Island Prosperity Partnership, the free waterfront event brings ocean technology into a hands-on public setting as part of Victoria Tech Week.
From marine robotics, autonomous vessels, and subsea cameras to renewable energy systems, biodiversity monitoring, and ocean stewardship tools, the showcase will highlight the breadth of Pacific Canada’s fast-growing ocean technology sector.
Goldsworthy said Victoria and the South Island are home to a significant concentration of ocean technology expertise, innovation, and talent, and that the event helps the public understand how these technologies can contribute to a more sustainable, secure, and prosperous ocean future. He noted a particular focus this year on dual-use technology, as marine companies respond to growing demand from Canada’s defence industry.
Attendees examine a Blue Robotics underwater ROV at a previous COAST Ocean Tech Live event. This year’s showcase again features hands-on demonstrations, including vehicles attendees can try flying.
Close to two dozen companies and organizations are expected to take part, spanning a wide range of ocean technology applications. Blue Robotics will offer an interactive demonstration of its subsea camera system and BlueROV2, a small, customizable underwater vehicle attendees can try piloting themselves, alongside its BlueBoat robotic surface vessel. AOE Accumulated Ocean Energy will demonstrate a small-scale pneumatic wave energy converter, while Roper Resources will showcase Whalespotter, an AI-powered camera capable of detecting whale presence from as far as seven kilometres away.
Other exhibitors include Cascadia Seaweed’s underwater biodiversity-monitoring camera system, Ocean Diagnostics’ microplastic and environmental DNA sampling devices, and Think Sensor Research’s autonomous underwater vehicle equipped with 3D sonar imaging. Shift Coastal Technologies will present OceanSled, a family of uncrewed surface vessels used by the Canadian Coast Guard and under a Canadian Armed Forces contract. The Royal Canadian Navy will display its CU179 Peregrine uncrewed aerial system, still in test mode ahead of a planned 2027 operational deployment.
An exhibitor speaks with attendees at a previous COAST Ocean Tech Live event. Camosun Innovates and Shift Coastal Technologies are among the organizations returning to this year’s showcase.
Additional participants include the Association of British Columbia Defence and Marine Industries, Ascent Systems Technologies, Barnacle Systems, Camosun Innovates, Cleohydron Innovation, Iris Dynamics, McElhanney, Open Ocean Robotics, Rainhouse Manufacturing, Rising Tide Boat Works, SEAMOR Marine, and the University of Victoria’s Centre for Aerospace Research.
About COAST
COAST, the Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies, works to advance commercialization of Pacific Canada’s ocean innovation economy. The organization counts more than 610 individuals, companies, and organizations among its membership and operates a 7,000-square-foot ocean-focused coworking space in Victoria, opened in October 2024. COAST is an initiative of the South Island Prosperity Partnership, Greater Victoria’s economic development alliance.
More information and registration for COAST Ocean Tech Live are available online.
