VANCOUVER -- KONGSBERG, its subsidiary Kongsberg Maritime, and the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) will establish a new marine research and training facility in British Columbia through a CAD 76.5 million investment aimed at supporting Canada's maritime innovation and defense industrial base.
The project will create the Marine Innovation Simulation Centre of Excellence (MISE), a facility intended to advance maritime research, workforce development, and technology testing. The investment is being made under Canada's Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) policy, which requires certain defense contractors to reinvest in the Canadian economy through industrial and research initiatives linked to government procurement programs.
The center will incorporate Kongsberg Maritime's simulation technology to provide a digital environment for applied research involving Canadian industry, academic institutions, defense organizations, and government agencies. The facility will support the development and evaluation of new maritime technologies through simulation, prototyping, and testing.
Research activities are expected to focus on areas including maritime safety, autonomous vessel operations, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection, port development, and low- and zero-emission marine technologies. The center will also support human factors research, accident analysis, and the validation of emerging operational concepts before deployment.
Funding will be used to develop new infrastructure at BCIT, expand applied research programs, recruit faculty expertise, and support long-term capability development. The partners said the facility is intended to strengthen Canada's domestic maritime technology base while providing opportunities for collaboration between academia, industry, and government.
The initiative aligns with priorities identified in Canada's Defence Industrial Strategy, which seeks to expand domestic industrial capacity, strengthen research and innovation, and develop a skilled workforce to support national defense and security requirements.
The project is significant because it expands Canada's maritime research infrastructure while fulfilling industrial offset commitments tied to defense procurement. By combining advanced simulation capabilities with academic and industry collaboration, the center is expected to support the development of Canadian maritime technologies with potential applications in both defense and commercial markets.
