Ocean Supercluster partners with New York-based real-estate developer on ocean climate solutions

Canada's Ocean Supercluster is partnering with the real-estate development company The Plant to speed up the commercialization of ocean-based climate solutions. 

The Plant owns a historic power plant and manor by the Hudson River near New York City, which they plan to make into innovation centres focused on climate change solutions. When the facilities open, they will include offices and conference spaces as well as a Techstars climate solutions accelerator and the Epic Institute’s earth data observatory.

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, meanwhile, funds collaborative projects between industry, academia and the public sector to stimulate innovation and commercialization of new technologies in the oceans sector. It is based in Atlantic Canada, although it supports projects across the country.

"We've been in discussions for a little while now to understand our shared missions, and where there might be an opportunity to double down or elevate the impact of each other's work in certain areas," said Melody Pardoe, the chief engagement officer at Canada's Ocean Supercluster, in an interview.

The Ocean Supercluster and The Plant say they will focus their collaboration on accelerating the development and commercialization of ocean-based climate solutions, the creation of skilled jobs in the ocean economy, and strengthening links between the ocean economies of the U.S. and Canada, with a focus on Indigenous and under-represented communities.

"The marine ecosystems are really important to us, to the history of New York, particularly when you start thinking about the Indigenous communities that have historically lived off that land and those waterways," Zeina Fayyaz Kim, The Plant's head of strategy and programs, told Research Money. "That was one of our areas of really, really strong alignment."

Fayyaz Kim said the Ocean Supercluster may be involved in accelerator activities at their facility or producing video content to promote innovation taking place on both sides of the border. Their New York location isn't open yet — it will open in phases over 2023 and 2024 — but they plan to open more locations.

"We're planning to have many others in cities and countries around the world," she said. "Establishing those relationships early is a big part of our goal to expand the climate movement and the climate conversation."

Ocean innovation will be important for meeting Canada's net-zero ambitions, and doing it in collaboration with the U.S. allows them to leverage shared strengths, Pardoe added.

"The ocean is a critical carbon sink. It has absorbed 40 percent of our fossil fuel emissions over the last 200 years," she said. "The ocean takes up more carbon dioxide than all of the rain forests combined."

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