The investment is enabled through Canada’s Industrial Technological Benefits policy and supports Kongsberg Gruppen programmes in the country. It will fund upgraded facility infrastructure, applied research capacity, faculty expertise and long-term maritime capability development.
The new BCIT simulation centre will be built around Kongsberg Maritime’s simulation technology. It will provide a synthetic environment, development tools and APIs for applied research with Canadian industry, academia, defence and public-sector partners.
The centre is expected to support prototyping, human factor studies, testing, and accident and incident analysis. It will also help assess and reduce risk in new concepts linked to maritime safety, autonomy, cyber resilience, critical infrastructure, port development, and low- and zero-emission operations.
“Kongsberg’s investment in the Marine Innovation Simulation Centre of Excellence in British Columbia, made through Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy, is a significant step forward for Canada’s maritime sector. As the first national hub for maritime simulation and applied research, the centre will help address the shortage of certified mariners and drive innovation. It will also support Canadian small and medium-sized businesses in developing new products and bringing them to market, while strengthening Canada’s defence industrial base. It directly addresses a skills shortage that both commercial and DND operators have identified, in advance of the new fleets being delivered,” said The Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.
The partners said MISE will also support commercialisation opportunities and help develop sovereign Canadian capability in a strategically important sector. Technology partners will provide the core systems, simulation environment and technical expertise needed for high realism, scalability and innovation across the project.
“We are very pleased to demonstrate our continued commitment to Canada through this partnership. Sovereign digital systems are a key capability outlined in Canada’s defence industrial strategy. Our company is pleased to play a role in building out key defence capabilities, based on Kongsberg Gruppen and Norway’s long history of maritime domain research and infrastructure,” said Jordan Freed, President and Managing Director at Kongsberg Geospatial, Kongsberg Gruppen’s Ottawa-based subsidiary.
“Together with BCIT, we are establishing a long-term innovation and research hub for Canada’s maritime sector – one that can support safer operations, faster competence development and the testing of new concepts before they are deployed in the real world,” said Are Føllesdal Tjønn, Managing Director, Maritime Simulation at Kongsberg Maritime. “By combining advanced simulation with collaborative R&D, MISE will empower Canadian maritime capability and support future sustainable growth”.
The partnership will also provide licences for cloud-based simulation systems to expand access and increase training capacity. The partners said this will allow BCIT to extend learning beyond the campus, support flexible delivery, provide more practice hours and enable remote and distributed training models.
The cloud-based systems are also expected to improve access to maritime education and skills development opportunities for Indigenous communities. BCIT said the project brings workforce development, applied research and industry collaboration into one environment.
“The Marine Innovation Simulation Centre of Excellence speaks to the power of collaboration and partnership. This innovative project will enable the creation of new education and training programs, support small and medium-sized businesses to commercialize new products, and create the most advanced marine education research environment in Canada,” said Dr. Jeff Zabudsky, President of BCIT. “This unique partnership combines workforce development, applied research, and industry collaboration in one environment.”
“MISE reflects BCIT’s commitment to preparing the next generation of talent for Canada’s evolving marine sector,” said Jennifer Figner, Provost and Vice President, Academic, BCIT. “By expanding access to advanced maritime training and immersive learning opportunities, MISE will equip learners with the skills, experience, and industry connections needed to succeed in a rapidly changing sector. It will strengthen BCIT’s ability to deliver responsive, future-focused education that meets the needs of employers and communities across Canada.”
BCIT’s academic capability, applied research expertise and educational leadership will be central to the project’s development and implementation. The partners expect the initiative to generate socio-economic value through workforce development, closer industry-academia collaboration, opportunities for Canadian small and medium-sized businesses, and wider knowledge transfer across the maritime sector.
The project is also expected to support regional economic activity and strengthen sovereign industrial capability in Canada. The partners said it will create long-term benefits for training, research and commercialisation in the country.
