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expanding efforts to embed sustainability into both undergraduate and post-graduate qualifications and research programmes . The University of Victoria ’ s Gustavson School of Business will replace its 16-month MBA programme in September 2020 with one of the same duration in sustainable innovation .
Victoria ’ s status as a marine technology hub is also enhanced by a variety of specialist organisations . University of Victoria ’ s Ocean Networks Canada ( ONC ) monitors the west and east coasts of Canada and the Arctic to continuously deliver data in real-time for scientific research . Using cabled observatories , remote control systems and interactive sensors , coupled with big data management , ONC enables evidence-based decision-making on ocean management , disaster mitigation , and environmental protection . ONC has been working with provincial , national and international partners to develop innovative tsunami modelling , measuring , monitoring and reporting methods that support the creation of more accurate tsunami
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Right : Companies based in Victoria include behemoths like Babcock and burgeoning tech start ups like LamaZoo
It is the seas that have a massive impact on the region ' s strategic appeal . Oceanoriented activities in British Columbia account for 1 in 12 dollars of GDP .
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detection and inundation maps .
Aside from conferences hosted by the academic centre , many international events have been hosted at the Victoria Conference Centre ( VCC ). A combination of 7,153sqm of meeting space , 21 rooms and a 400-seat lecture theatre , the venue can accommodate 2,000 delegates . VCC – originally inspired by London ’ s Crystal Palace - works with partners in Saskatoon and St . John ’ s to provide planners with an efficient tool to book their meetings in rotation from east - central – west .
Victoria has a thriving meetings industry , with numerous high profile events and many of them oceans-related , among them the IPHC Annual Meeting , the Annual Northwest Fish Culture Conference , Aquaculture Canada , the Council of Marine Carriers and MARI-TECH 2018 . Despite its island location , there are regular flights into the airport and a plethora of transport alternatives , from hydrofoils to helicopters , helping make Victoria easily accessible .
CORPORATE CHOICE There ’ s an impressive list of top companies based in Victoria and operating across the region , including global marine , aviation , nuclear and land systems behemoth Babcock . Young upstart LamaZoo is developing ' bleeding-edge ' technology , disrupting and improving how traditional industries do business with software products that combine big data , spatial business intelligence , enterprise systems , and AR / VR . Meanwhile , around the world recreational boats , Coast Guard vessels , and industrial vessels are being protected by products from Barnacle Systems Ltd . While , for under the water , OpenOcean Robotics produces
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energy-harvesting unmanned boats equipped with sensors and cameras .
Vancouver Island also has over 2,800 farms , with nearly 1,000 in the Greater Victoria Region . There are companies like Cascadia Seaweed , which is growing a number of seaweed species in the waters around British Columbia providing everything from food , bio-packaging , body products , and organic fertiliser .
Bill Collins , chairman Cascadia Seaweed , tells us : “ We are growing to be the largest provider of ocean-cultivated seaweed in North America . Our success relies on embracing the knowledge and workforce of Indigenous communities along British Columbia ’ s coastline to grow seaweed and therefore provide a healthy source of food for our growing populations , along with other innovative uses for the 630 species of seaweed in B . C .
" We are grateful to the City of Victoria for developing the Ocean Futures Innovation Hub as it supports our desire to bring large conferences — such as the biennial International Seaweed Symposium — to Vancouver Island ."
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