UK subsea company Aquatec expands operations to North America thanks to Innovate UK EDGE support

Innovate UK EDGE began working with Aquatec in early 2020, when the company were accepted to take part in the Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP).?Aquatec creates?innovative subsea instruments, services and solutions for underwater measurement, monitoring and communication. GBIPs are holistic support mechanisms to help companies reach new global markets in a specific sector, and include training on the business culture of the country and a funded trip to the region – in this instance, to Halifax, Canada, focusing on Marine Robotics.

The company were keen to expand into North America, a market with a vast coastline and potentially great demand for Aquatec's myriad innovative products that benefit the oil and gas industry, the renewable energy sector and marine research. Timothy Benzie -?Innovation and Growth Specialist (IGS)?helped the company prepare for the visit, which was?centred?around COVE (The Centre for Ocean Ventures & Entrepreneurship) in Dartmouth, Canada, a harbourside research and business incubation?centre?and a hub of maritime innovation on Canada's East coast.

Due to Covid, the trip was postponed until November 2021, but in the meantime, Aquatec were able to attend multiple online meetings, exhibitions and workshops, and establish strong connections even prior to their journey, which also included visits to neighbouring universities and research centres. Timothy helped refine their business offering and pitch, facilitated introductions and accompanied them on the trip. Following the visit, they were invited to a second GBIP to Halifax in 2022, which they attended.

Shortly after this second GBIP, which included a presence at the H20 Conference & Exhibition and a live demonstration of its Sediment SolvedTMdivision's capabilities at COVE's Demo Day, Aquatec announced its decision to make high-tech ocean technology hub COVE its official Canadian office space. COVE provides Aquatec direct access to its facilities and vast connections to more than 300 other ocean-related companies. Since then, Aquatec has actively participated in the 2023 editions of the Home to Overseas Conference & Exhibition and COVE's Demo Day.?

Additionally, Aquatec is one of two winning teams in the inaugural Ocean Tech Challenge, a collaborative venture between the Ocean Technology Council of Nova Scotia and Innovate UK, with support from ACOA – APECA. This initiative aims to foster industry advancement, open new markets, and encourage international partnerships by combining the capabilities and experience of companies from Canada and the UK.

The?expansion has resulted in the company seeking new staff, introducing its range of products and services to the Canadian market and raising its brand awareness.

Andy Smerdon , Managing Director of Aquatec, has said: "After a highly productive 2022, where Aquatec's potential was recognised consecutively in the UK with Global Underwater Hub's Best Small Company Award, and in the US, with Offshore Technology Conference's Spotlight on New Technology Award, as well as ASME's Albert Woelfel Best Mechanical Engineering Achievement Award,?we made the strategic decision to expand our subsea solutions into the Canadian market. With a strong partnership with ROMOR and after evaluating COVE's outstanding offering, investing in Nova Scotia became the logical next step. We are thrilled that Aquatec's PIPEguardian? technology, which monitors pipeline and seawater temperature, has also been honoured with the Best Mechanical Engineering Achievement Innovation Award from the American Society of Engineers in 2023."

?"We are proud to welcome Aquatec to the COVE community. COVE provides a great location for international ocean technology companies to grow in a climate supportive of innovation. Their tenancy at our Nova Scotia facility further strengthens the Canadian workforce and ocean ecosystem to support the growth of the blue economy." – said Melanie Nadeau, CEO of COVE.