The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) has announced a CA$76.5 million (approx. US$54 million) investment to establish the Marine Innovation Simulation Centre of Excellence (MISE) in the province.
The initiative, to be delivered in partnership with Kongsberg and Kongsberg Maritime, is designed to strengthen maritime innovation and skills development, support ongoing research and development, and build on key objectives outlined in Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy.
The deal and subsequent investment are enabled through the Industrial Technological Benefits (ITB) policy, in support of Kongsberg programmes in Canada. This investment will directly support improved facility infrastructure, the onboarding of applied research and faculty expertise, and ongoing research and long-term capability development.
The new simulation centre will be built around Kongsberg Maritime simulation technology, providing a synthetic environment, development tools, and application programming interfaces (APIs) to support collaborative applied research with Canadian stakeholders.
It will serve as a platform for prototyping, human factor studies, testing, and accident and incident analysis, including de-risking new concepts in areas such as maritime safety, autonomy, cyber resilience, critical infrastructure, port development, and low- and zero-emission operations.
“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.”
To expand access and increase training capacity, the partnership will provide licences for cloud-based simulation systems, enabling BCIT to extend learning beyond the campus. This will support flexible delivery, additional practice hours, and remote and distributed training models for students, while also helping increase access to maritime education and skills development opportunities for Indigenous communities.
“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,” said Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister Responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.
“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.”
