Ocean Engineering Hub
With more than 100 researchers spread across a diverse range of eight Faculties, Dalhousie is a world-leader in ocean research. We have allocated 24 Canada Research Chairs and a Canada Excellence Research Chair to ocean and ocean-related research areas, and operate major research networks such as the Dal-led Ocean Frontier Institute, the Ocean Tracking Network and MEOPAR.
This internationally-recognized dedication to advancing ocean science, technology, and policy is a critical contribution in the endeavour to solve the complex challenges facing our life-sustaining oceans. It is also a significant contributor to the Nova Scotian economy: revenues from Nova Scotia's ocean-tech sector have doubled in recent years.
One of the IDEA Project's critical renovation projects establishes the new Ocean Engineering Hub in the Electrical Engineering and Theakston Buildings. The Faculty of Engineering has a critical role to play in Dalhousie's ocean research, as the work of our research engineers sits at the nexus of science, policy, and technology, and the Ocean Engineering Hub greatly enhances our capacity to fulfill this role.
Innovation in Ocean Technology
The Ocean Engineering Hub was designed to enhance research, commercialization, and innovation efforts in the area of ocean-related technology, with dedicated space for development, testing, and validation.
Existing laboratory facilities dedicated to ocean research have been substantially upgraded. Researchers involved in the development of underwater sensors, robotics, and autonomous underwater vehicles, among other ocean-linked tech, will benefit from these upgrades.
The Ocean Engineering Hub's state-of-the-art facilities will bolster the Faculty of Engineering's capacity to contribute to innovative interdisciplinary research to address the critical challenges facing our world's oceans. These facilities will be key resources for ocean research centres such as the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship, the Irving Shipbuilding Research Chair in Marine Engineering and Autonomous Systems, and the Sexton Research Chair in Ocean Sensing.