Welcome to this week’s Sunday Briefing. In this issue, the VIATEC Awards recipients, learn how local entrepreneurs are helping families like yours eat healthily, how Open Ocean Robotics navigates shallow waters, and why a high school robotics team from Saanich is heading to Dallas, Texas.

Now on to today’s briefing.

-Emily, [email protected] 

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COAST and UVic team up to launch marine decarbonization hub

Last week, two local leaders in B.C.’s ocean innovation sector announced a joint initiative intended to create new pathways for the development and commercialization of marine renewable energy and decarbonization technologies in the province.

The BC Marine Energy and Decarbonization Hub (the Hub) is a core initiative of the Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST), delivered in partnership with the University of Victoria.

“No single source of renewable energy or diesel alternative can catapult us to net-zero. Marine decarbonization requires integrated systems of renewable energy (including marine renewables), alternative fuels, and process innovations for storage, management, and distribution,” said Jason Goldsworthy, executive director, COAST. “However, ocean innovators with potential solutions can face tremendous barriers to testing and demonstration of their technologies in marine environments, including high costs, lack of partner networks, or lack of supportive infrastructure. The BC Marine Energy and Decarbonization Hub will play a vital role in addressing these challenges by opening up a new realm of possibilities for clean tech innovators to apply their decarbonization innovations right here in coastal British Columbia, propelling our transition to a clean energy future working with the oceans.”

The Hub will leverage existing infrastructure and capacity to help ocean sector companies to test and demonstrate technologies in coastal and marine test sites related to:

• Marine renewable energy capture.

• Energy integration and management, including energy storage and grid integration technologies.

• Innovative distribution and/or uses of energy including production, storage and transmission of clean fuels.

COAST says the Hub will also issue innovation challenges in partnership with regional stakeholders, which will give local companies the opportunity to propose their technology as potential solutions.

Funding for the Hub comes from the federal and provincial government, as well as the RBC Foundation, and will support the Hub's establishment and operation for four years.

📰 More Victoria innovation news

🐔 You know I like my chicken fried: In this episode of Chamber Chats, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce CEO Bruce Williams is joined by Chamber members Way of Life Foods (WOLF) Meal Prep, This Week’s Lunch, and the Bubble Bus to discuss how the local entrepreneurs are making it easier for you and your family to eat healthily.

🌊 Swimming in your ocean: Check out the latest episode of Ocean Talks from Open Ocean Robotics to learn about eDNA sampling in Shinnecock Bay. The team explains how its uncrewed surface vehicle, the DataXplorer, has helped researchers collect samples in shallow, challenging waters.

🤖 Robots have feelings too: Claremont Secondary School’s robotics team will fly south in May for the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas. The team is one of 800 competing for top spot.

🕴️ Tech jobs of the week

Find your next career:

• Generalist Software Engineer at Electronic Arts

• People Operations Coordinator at Vivid Solutions

• DevOps Team Lead at VertiGIS

Hiring in Victoria? Reply to this email and let us know!

📅 Upcoming events

May 13 | Business Leaders Luncheon: Hon. Diana Gibson, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation

Hear directly from the Honourable Diana Gibson about her ministry's mandate and the provincial government’s work to help businesses create good jobs and build a sustainable economy that will allow future British Columbians to thrive.

May 23 | How to Use Storytelling to Empower Your Ocean Project

Marketing and communications within the ocean industry require time, storytelling skills, and specialized expertise—resources that many ocean projects often struggle to access. Whether you're managing a collaborative ocean project, driving research, or building the latest ocean tech, this workshop will help you captivate funders, engage stakeholders, and ensure your project’s success through compelling and impactful narratives that capture the nuances of the ocean industry.

Have an upcoming event? Reply to let us know.

Have something or someone we should know about?

Reply or email [email protected] so we can work together to spotlight the lesser-known stories of Victoria's tech ecosystem.