On May 5, we'll announce two $150,000 prizes at our BC Aquaculture Innovation Awards. You'll hear pitches from the Top 10 innovations and listen to industry influencers on why innovation in aquaculture is important. You'll also vote live on the fan favourite award, worth $25,000.
Top 10 pitch at the event AND get direct access to our Customer Advisory Group, a select group of potential buyers hand-picked and ready to hear your pitch at the event.
The award event will be of interest to:
The B.C. government and Innovate BC are showcasing BC’s best innovations for the aquaculture industry. We're encouraging sustainable growth, competitiveness and adaptability of the aquaculture sector in BC by funding innovations that solve challenges faced by aquaculture.
AOE Accumulated Ocean Energy Inc. patented wave energy technology generates large volumes of compressed air which feeds the oxygenation and pumping needs for closed containment fish pens. Other applications include desalination and electricity generation. AOE currently holds six patents and operates out of Victoria, BC.
Asens Technologies is a start-up in Vancouver, developing image-based sensors and biosensors. The key focus is on the development and commercialization of a device that transforms any smartphone to a water quality monitoring sensor.
Bioform has developed a novel 3D extrusion printing platform that manufactures 100% home compostable films derived from seaweed and wood pulp fiber. Our products are cost competitive to fossil fuel-based plastics and are ideally suited for the agri-food sector by providing optimal oxygen and moisture barrier properties.
Fanny Bay Oysters has been a quality shellfish producer in the Baynes Sound for over 30years. Family owned and operated by the Taylor's, Fanny Bay Oysters provides some of Canada's finest seafood from the west coast.
Freshline's eCommerce and fulfillment software is the best choice for suppliers selling perishable foods direct to consumer. For the first time, suppliers can sell their food products direct to consumers while accounting for catch-weight, multiple modes of delivery & pickup and for unique business rules that apply in the perishable foods industry.
Industrial Plankton develops and produces algae bioreactors for live feed production in aquaculture hatcheries. Founded in 2010, Industrial Plankton's technology is currently used in 20 countries, primarily in shellfish and shrimp hatcheries. Industrial Plankton is located in Victoria BC, with a 15 person team experienced in developing biosecure automated systems to produce live organisms for aquaculture hatcheries.
Plantee’s mission is to replace non-biodegradable and harmful plastic fishing gear with innovative, biodegradable, environment and aquaculture-friendly fishing gear.
Poseidon is a Canadian aquaculture clean-tech start-up based in Campbell River, BC. Poseidon is a global leader in aquaculture infrastructure and life support systems—helping to reduce the environmental impact of farming and assist in the production of nutritious, sustainable protein sources to feed the global population.
Sawmill Bay Shellfish is based on Quadra Island British Columbia supplying oysters and clams from its farms direct to restaurants in BC, Alberta, US, Hawaii and Asia
ThisFish Inc. is a global leader in seafood traceability software and artificial intelligence that enables seafood processors to digitize workflows in realtime using tablets and IoT devices. Their Tally software cuts costs, strengthens compliance and enables real-time monitoring.
INNOVATION DIRECTOR, CERMAQ
Brock Thomson has been with Cermaq since 1999. As the Innovation Director, he is responsible for major investments in the SW department and for the introduction of new technology and processes into SW production. He also sits on Cermaq’s Global Functional SW Team where advancements in SW production are discussed on a global scale.
Some recent projects Brock has facilitated include our mechanical delousing equipment (Hydrolicer & SFI) and the semi-closed cage system in Tofino. Brock has a BSc from UVic, an Advanced Diploma in Aquaculture from Memorial University of Newfoudland and an Advanced Diploma in Business Management from Athabasca University.
SR. ACCT MANAGER, ACQUA NORTH AMERICA
Todd Cook is a Sr. Key Account Manager at Elanco, a world leader in the development of products and services that enhance salmon health. He has a singular focus: to support the sustainability of salmon production by trailblazing innovative solutions that deliver maximum health, welfare and productivity benefits.
As a 25-year veteran, Todd has been involved in all aspects of the aquaculture industry, from R&D to egg-to-plate commercial operations. His area of expertise is commercial application of biotechnology, including DNA vaccines.
In addition to his current position with Elanco, Todd is an executive board member of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance.
Todd holds a Masters of Science degree in bioenergetics of genetically enhanced salmon.
DIRECTOR OF INDIGENOUS & COMMUNITY RELATIONS, GRIEG SEAFOOD BC LTD.
Marilyn Hutchinson has worked for Grieg Seafood for a decade, as Director of Indigenous & Community Relations. Her work includes outreach to Indigenous partners, participating in meetings to inform on the company’s operations in their traditional territories, and relaying job and contracting opportunities to their administrations.
She oversees Grieg’s donations of fresh and canned salmon to BC and Canada food banks, and her division contributes sponsor support to the many sports events, arts and culture festivals, salmon enhancement groups and community fund-raising events that contribute to the quality of life on north Vancouver Island.
VP MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS, INNOVATE BC
Sandra has spent over 20 years in tech, taking new products to markets. Some of them won awards, others were acquired, most drew the attention of beached marquis accounts. Sandra works at deeply understanding the customer to better server their needs. She's held executive roles in Marketing | Sales | BD and consistently been part of product strategy and GTM teams.
She's featured in Innovation Nation about successful tech entrepreneurs and Canada 150 Women.
CEO, NUU-CHAH-NULTH SEAFOOD LTD.
Jennifer Woodland is the CEO of Nuu-chah-nulth Seafood LP, a First Nation owned seafood enterprise that operates on Vancouver Island.
Current Chair of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA), Jennifer was awarded the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association’s Aquaculturist of the Year Award in 2014. She has over 20 years’ experience in aquaculture assisting companies on both coasts of Canada to improve their environmental performance, regulatory compliance, achieve third party environmental certifications and develop positive relationships with First Nations and local communities.
A native Newfoundlander, Jennifer grew up in the commercial fishery and has a passion for seafood and rural economic development.
MANAGER OF RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, TAPLOW VENTURES LTD
Wendy has a BSc from Queen’s University (1997), an MSc from the University of Manitoba (2001), and a PhD from the University of British Columbia (2006). She has held positions in academia, government and industry, and enjoys facilitating research and collaboration across these boundaries.
She is currently Manager of Research and Development at Taplow Ventures Ltd, Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at UBC, and remains active in support of the aquaculture industry growth in British Columbia. Wendy has extensive knowledge of salmon growth in culture conditions with a focus on genomics and reproduction, and recent work includes the role of nutrition on fish health and performance, and testing the incorporation of novel ingredients into fish feed.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FIRST NATIONS, FISHERIES COUNCIL OF BC
Astrid Niemann-Zajac (M.A.) is the Senior Manager of Economic Opportunities and Partnerships at the First Nations Fisheries Council of British Columbia. Specializing in community engagement, strategic communications, negotiation and consultation activities, she works with First Nations communities and organizations across the province to support their interests in fisheries and aquatic resource governance and management.
She also provides guidance on strategic planning and building collaborative partnerships with government agencies and external stakeholders. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Arts in Indigenous Governance from the University of Victoria, and has worked with the Musqueam First Nation as the Inter-Governmental Affairs Coordinator, and as a researcher with the Union of BC Indian Chiefs on policy and specific claims.
SENIOR MANAGER FOOD AND BEVERAGE PROCESSING , BC MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD & FISHERIES
Food has been the central focus of a 30 year career spanning the private and public sector. James established an early passion for quality B.C. grown foods. A twenty year career as a professional chef, co-owner of a local product grocery store, freelance foodservice/product development consultant and 8 years co-owning a local gourmet meat processing business – James knows what it takes to develop a product that consumers want and can create a livelihood.
James now supports the Ministry of Agriculture Food and Fisheries’ food and beverage processing file where he provides expertise to industry and designs/delivers programs for food processors.
PARTNER, PENDER FUND
Maria has over 20 years of investing and operational experience in emerging growth companies, with a focus on technology businesses. She currently heads up Pender Ventures, the private technology investing arm of Pender. Previously, she spent 11 years with one of Canada’s largest venture capital firms where she invested in multiple early-stage technology companies and served on a variety of boards, in the areas of enterprise software and health-tech. Along the way she worked at two start-ups assisting with operational activities and strategic initiatives.
Prior to that Maria worked in M&A for Deutsche Bank. Current board roles include Clarius Mobile Health, Jane Software, Teradici, Librestream, and One45 Software. She is also on the SFU Beedie School of Business Advisory Board and St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation Board. She holds a BBA from Simon Fraser University, is a CFA charterholder and an active member and a past President of CFA Society Vancouver.
REGIONAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR, DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES
Shirley Choi has worked in the Aquaculture Management Program at Fisheries and Oceans Canada since 2011. She is currently the Regional Program Coordinator for the Fisheries and Aquaculture Clean Technology Adoption Program (FACTAP) for the Pacific Region. In this role, she has helped numerous clients develop funding proposals to grow their seafood businesses through the adoption of clean technologies.
Shirley graduated from the University of British Columbia with a B.Sc in Food, Nutrition and Health. She is interested in all aspects of food, including food production, food policy, nutrition, and cooking.
TEAM LEAD, AQUACULTURE & MARINE FISHERIES, BC MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD & FISHERIES
Myron has over 30 years’ experience working with finfish and shellfish aquaculture in the areas of applied research, production systems, best-practices, fish health management, biotechnology, genetics, data management, environmental monitoring, climate change and technology transfer.
Myron obtained his Ph.D. from the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, and a BSc (Zoology) from UBC. He has held Board of Director positions for the Aquaculture Association of Canada, Salmon Health Consortium, and the BC Institute of Agrologists. Myron is currently the Team Lead, Aquaculture and Marine Fisheries for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries.
DIRECTOR, INNOVATE BC
Nadine leads the team responsible for delivering and optimizing Technology Adoption programs at Innovate BC to support and grow B.C. companies in all sectors. In doing so, she has led projects in artificial intelligence, internet of things, data visualization, agriculture and the natural resources. Nadine holds a Master of Science from the University of Western Ontario, and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto.
PRESIDENT & FOUNDER, ISLAND SEA FARMS LTD.
Paul has spent the 35 years involved in seafood projects working in both large seafood companies and on his own aquaculture ventures.
Paul is president and founder of Island Sea Farms Inc., producer of Saltspring Island Mussels. Island Sea Farms has grown to become British Columbia’s largest producer of mussels and ships live mussels year-round throughout Canada, the US and Asia. Paul was a co-founder and director of Sablefish Canada Inc., a pioneering sablefish farming company with hatchery and farm operations.
Paul holds bachelor’s degree in natural resource economics from the University of Victoria, and an MBA from the University of British Columbia.
DIRECTOR, AQUACULTURE CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH
Professor Rich Moccia has spent his entire career in the agrifood sector, having specialized in aquatic animal food production systems. He has held both faculty and senior executive cross-appointments at the University of Guelph, and has provided tech transfer and extension support services to the aquaculture sector for nearly 40 years.
Prior to joining the university, Rich was self-employed in the private sector, having established 2 small start-up companies specializing in ag-based technologies in aquatic food production. He holds awards of excellence in research, teaching, extension service and volunteerism, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Aquaculture Association of Canada.
AOE Accumulated Ocean Energy Inc. patented wave energy technology generates large volumes of compressed air which feeds the oxygenation and pumping needs for closed containment fish pens. Other applications include desalination and electricity generation. AOE currently holds six patents and operates out of Victoria, BC.
Brian has two business degrees and 20 years of experience leading technology companies. Having spent 7 years as general manager of an aircraft manufacturing company, Brian became proficient in highly regulated, and technical environments. As CEO of a renewable energy company for the last 10 years he has become an industry leader.
Brian has a strong business foundation with an undergraduate in Commerce and his MBA. This foundation of skills has been enhanced over the last 2 decades with practical business experience largely focused on energy. Brian is a Certified Energy Manager and a Business Energy Professional.
Asens Technologies is a start-up in Vancouver, developing image-based sensors and biosensors. The key focus is on the development and commercialization of a device that transforms any smartphone to a water quality monitoring sensor.
Fariborz Taghipour is the founder of Asens Technologies, and a Professor of Chemical & Biological Engineering at UBC. The broad impact of his work is evident from intellectual property generation (20 granted and pending patents), technology transfer, innovative product development, and the launch of a successful cleantech company.
His innovative R&D has led to the founding of Acuva, a world leading UV-LED system company. As the co-founder and CTO of Acuva since its inception, Fariborz has led the new technology development and the design of new products. This has resulted in the global commercialization of UV-LED water purification systems.
Bioform has developed a novel 3D extrusion printing platform that manufactures 100% home compostable films derived from seaweed and wood pulp fiber. Our products are cost competitive to fossil fuel-based plastics and are ideally suited for the agri-food sector by providing optimal oxygen and moisture barrier properties. Our initial go-to-market product is a compostable agricultural mulch that regulates soil moisture and temperature, saving farmers substantial labour and disposal costs by naturally degrading back into the soil.
Jordan developed Bioform’s core technology at the University of BC during his time as a research associate in the Department of Mathematics and Chemical and Biological Engineering. Jordan has expertise in fluid mechanics and biomaterials, with specialization in complex fluids, flow visualization and transition to turbulence. He has over 10 years of experience in experimental and theoretical fluid mechanics with an emphasis on developing biomaterials from cellulose. His passion is in advancing translatable manufacturing technologies that promote a sustainable future.
Freshline's eCommerce and fulfillment software is the best choice for suppliers selling perishable foods direct to consumer. For the first time, suppliers can sell their food products direct to consumers while accounting for catch-weight, multiple modes of delivery & pickup and for unique business rules that apply in the perishable foods industry.
Robert is a co-founder of Freshline.io. Before Freshline, he spent 4 years building Coastline Market, an online seafood wholesaling business based out of Vancouver, BC. Robert has completed undergraduate studies in Physics from Western University and was recognized as a Forbes 30 under 30 for E-Commerce in North America for his work on Coastline Market.
Robert has been through the Next 36, the Thiel Fellowship, Techstars Seattle and Ryan Holmes’ accelerator program in BC and currently serves on the Forbes Council advisory board for Sustainability.
Industrial Plankton develops and produces algae bioreactors for live feed production in aquaculture hatcheries. Founded in 2010, Industrial Plankton's technology is currently used in 20 countries, primarily in shellfish and shrimp hatcheries. Industrial Plankton is located in Victoria BC, with a 15 person team experienced in developing biosecure automated systems to produce live organisms for aquaculture hatcheries.
Robert co-founded Industrial Plankton in 2010. He has a strong technical background, and was responsible for much of the product development in the early years. Before Industrial Plankton, he worked as an independent contractor designing heavy industrial equipment. He has over 20,000 hours of diverse design and project management experience, ranging from CNC machines and industrial ovens to water filtration and live feed bioreactors.
Following the Deepwater Horizon disaster, he spent 3 years working with BP and designed a novel automated oil rig to reduce the environmental risks of oil extraction. Robert has been an avid aquarist for 20 years. He started his first company in university, breeding fish and propagating coral for the local ornamental market. Eventually he combined his passions for engineering and marine organisms, and founded Industrial Plankton.
Plantee’s mission is to replace non-biodegradable and harmful plastic fishing gear with innovative, biodegradable, environment and aquaculture-friendly fishing gear. Plantee is collaborating with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Canada to achieve this mission. Plantee has recently produced prototype of fish tags from Plantee’s patent-pending “Supreme” polymer pellets. The pellets have the ability to transform into fish feed bags, lines, and nets. In addition, the technology developed by the firm is easily integrated into current production lines. Plantee foresees comparative cost and property performance to conventional products on the market and is aggressively working to transform the aquaculture industry in BC and around the world with its new line of products.
After obtaining his undergraduate degree in polymer engineering from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, India and enjoying two and a half years of corporate experience at Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd., Praphulla immigrated to Canada. He obtained his master’s degree in Biological Engineering from the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, which focused on the reactive extrusion of biopolymers. Praphulla expanded upon his masters’ work in his doctorate in Chemical Engineering at Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada where he explored the various uses of reactively modified polymers, specifically biopolymers.
His expertise in tailoring the properties of various polymers led to the foundation of Plantee Bioplastics Inc., a Vancouver-based Canadian polymer processing startup. Praphulla’s passion for biopolymers stems from his motivation to protect his hobbies (gardening, fishing, and hiking) by mitigating the effect of plastics on the environment using the skills he developed in industry and perfected throughout graduate school.
Poseidon is a Canadian aquaculture clean-tech start-up based in Campbell River, BC. Poseidon is a global leader in aquaculture infrastructure and life support systems—helping to reduce the environmental impact of farming and assist in the production of nutritious, sustainable protein sources to feed the global population.
Matt is a Professional Engineer and the Co-Founder of Poseidon Ocean Systems. Matt is responsible for the overall vision and creative direction of the company—based on his first hand experience working as the head of engineering of one of Canada’s largest producers of farmed salmon, he has a good understanding of the challenges that exist on a modern farm and where our team can create effective solutions for the industry.
Sawmill Bay Shellfish is based on Quadra Island British Columbia supplying oysters and clams from its farms direct to restaurants in BC, Alberta, US, Hawaii and Asia.
Stephen has been a Farmer for most of his life and shellfish farming for the last 15 years. He jointly owns and operates Sawmill Bay Shellfish with his wife Linda. Stephen is currently president of British Columbia Shellfish Growers Association.
Fanny Bay Oysters has been a quality shellfish producer in the Baynes Sound for over 30-years. Family owned and operated by the Taylor's, Fanny Bay Oysters provides some of Canada's finest seafood from the west coast. As a fully integrated company we farm, harvest, and process all of our own shellfish, as well as provide direct wholesale options for customers across Canada, the United States, and Asia. Known best for our classic beach grown pacific oysters from Fanny Bay, we also farm manila clams, and our line of specialty SunSeeker oysters are becoming a staple in both Vancouver & Singapore.
Alex Munro has been farming shellfish in British Columbia since 1989 and has been the Director of Farming at Fanny Bay Oysters since 2017. Alex also has his own oyster farm on the west coast of Vancouver Island, as well as serves as a board member for the BC Shellfish Growers Association. Alex has been working on, and sharing, innovative farming techniques for decades.
His dedication to effective and efficient farming solutions has helped to uphold Canada's west coast as one of the world's most premier shellfish growing regions.
ThisFish Inc. is a global leader in seafood traceability software and artificial intelligence that enables seafood processors to digitize workflows in realtime using tablets and IoT devices. Their Tally software cuts costs, strengthens compliance and enables real-time monitoring. The company's mission is to drive profitability and sustainability in seafood supply chains through better data: digital, real-time, accurate.
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