St. John’s a hotbed for ocean technology

St. John’s and Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) are home to a thriving, diverse ocean economy with expertise in defence and security, fisheries, marine transportation, ocean technology and offshore energy.



The city hosts some of the world’s most exclusive ocean tech facilities and technologies propelled by Memorial University and a National Research Council facility and other state-of-the-art resources that drive innovation, research, and development in ocean-related fields. 

Photo: Erik Mclean on Unsplash

Oceans Advance is Newfoundland and Labrador's Ocean technology innovation cluster and is driving growth in the sector as the portal into the ocean tech ecosystem of the province. Learn more about Oceans Advance at their upcoming Annual General Meeting featuring a keynote address by Andy Hoggarth, Senior Leader at Teledyne Geospatial, who will share insights on the latest innovations in ocean technology June 19, 2025. Visit oceansadvance.net for registration details.

St. John’s is a city that attracts and cultivates students and is one of the best places in the world to receive an advanced education in ocean-related programs. The Fisheries and Marine Institute (MI) of Memorial University was recently selected to host the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) competition world championship. In June 2026 students from all over the world will take the skills they are learning in the classroom to design and construct an ROV and complete a series of tasks in the world’s largest flume tank—housed at MI’s St. John’s campus. 

The City of St. John’s was delighted to light City Hall in blue on World Ocean Day, June 8^th to celebrate the ocean, the many economic and environmental benefits it provides, and those who earn a livelihood in ocean-related industries and organizations.

The global ocean economy is anticipated to double in size by 2030. The Newfoundland and Labrador ocean technology sector will play a pivotal role in Canada's Ocean Supercluster’s Ambition 2035 initiative, which aims to grow Canada’s ocean economy by five times its size to $220 billion by 2035. This sector offers immense potential for investment and partnerships and positions the region to take advantage of the rapidly expanding global market.  

City of St. John’s seeks public input to plan the future of downtown

The City of St. John’s is inviting the public and businesses to an Open House on June 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. at City Hall to provide feedback on several initiatives to plan the future for downtown. A key focus of the event will be to provide feedback on Downtown Forward, a new Neighbourhood Plan that outlines a vision for growth, investment, and renewal over the next 10 years. Feedback on the plan can also be provided at EngageStJohns.ca or by email at Engage@StJohns.ca until Friday, June 20.

Applications open for St. John’s Traffic Box Art Program

Artists in the capital city can now apply for the 2025 Traffic Box Art Program. The program engages visual artists to design and paint original artwork on traffic signal boxes. These boxes are metal cabinets located at intersections and roadsides that house traffic signal controls. Each selected artist will receive an honorarium of $500. The deadline to apply is on June 20. 

NL offshore natural gas assessment shows potential

Newfoundland and Labrador’s (NL) offshore holds trillions of cubic feet of natural gas, a largely untapped resource the provincial government says will play a key role in the clean energy transition. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Natural Gas Resource Assessment demonstrates the natural gas potential for the province in the Jeanne d’Arc Basin. The province focused on the Jeanne d'Arc Basin because it has existing infrastructure, shallow waters and a supply and service community available to service any developments The assessment is a strategic tool to help understand how NL’s offshore natural gas resource can drive economic growth and support the global transition to net zero emissions. Budget 2025 includes almost $1 million for the second phase of the natural gas resource assessment. Completing this next phase of the natural gas resource assessment will give potential developers essential data necessary to evaluate the economic viability of commercial development, along with insights into the upside value and tie-back opportunities. 

AI training for small businesses 

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is investing $2-million into Artificial Intelligence (AI) training programs for small businesses. The program, in partnership with Keyin College will begin in June with a cohort of 650 employees across 325 businesses focused on using AI for human resources, finance and customer service with an aim to improving productivity and competitiveness. It’s the second such program by Keyin College, which recently announced a partnership with Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters Newfoundland & Labrador to train 350 workers in AI use.  

2025 NLOWE Entrepreneur of the Year Awards

Know a remarkable woman entrepreneur who is driving impact, innovation, and growth in Newfoundland and Labrador? Summit a nomination and let their success shine. This year’s award categories shine a spotlight on women transforming business and community. Check out the Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs (NLOWE) website for eligibility and award descriptions www.nlowe.org. Nomination deadline: June 30, 2025.