Ontario shipyard in action — supporting marine trade, industry, and innovation.
Recognizing that increased talent pipeline needs and access to cutting-edge innovation partners are two necessary ingredients in transforming the province’s marine sector, the Ontario Marine Council has taken a solid step forward by entering into a formal agreement with the Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI).
SONAMI recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ontario Marine Council (OMC), an independent not-for-profit organization that serves as the industry association representing the major stakeholders in Ontario’s marine sectors. OMC membership includes port operators, shipyards, ship owners, shippers, and the Seaway. OMC’s mission is to bring together industry leaders, workforce developers, academic researchers, and communities with the aim of strengthening the marine sector and driving economic growth.
“The marine transportation industry is well positioned for significant transformation in the years ahead. Formalizing our partnership with SONAMI will help us embrace applied research as a tool to drive business and economic growth, plus the College can help us address future workforce challenges, allowing us to tap into incredible local talent,” said Maguessa Morel-Laforce, Executive Director, OMC.
The Ontario Marine Council is an industry association representing the major stakeholders
in Ontario’s marine sectors. Membership includes port operators, shipyards, ship owners,
and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation.
The partnership between OMC and SONAMI will focus on building ongoing engagement with Ontario marine companies. This includes small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the supply chain, partnering in clean growth collaborative research projects and the skilled workforce talent pipeline to develop the workforce for the marine industry with graduates and alumni from Niagara College. These projects aim to foster economic growth, sector resilience, and environmental sustainability.
The partners will share information on potential events, networking opportunities, forums, operational priorities, updates to goals and initiatives, and relevant communications and marketing collateral.
OMC’s focus is on the following disruptive, advanced manufacturing technologies:
- Shaping Ontario’s marine industry to embrace new thinking, new technologies, new talent, and new lines of business that play a central role in economic growth and sustainability in the province.
- Working alongside the province to implement Ontario’s Marine Transportation Strategy, with private and public partners, to improve the performance and sustainability of the marine transport system.
- Finding ways to further reduce the sector’s environmental footprint.
“By investing in the SONAMI network, which brings together local colleges, universities, and businesses, we’re helping turn big ideas into real-world solutions, supporting greener practices, and giving southern Ontario’s manufacturers a competitive edge around the world.”
“The Government of Canada is committed to backing the businesses and organizations that are pushing boundaries and helping grow our manufacturing sector,” said the Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. “By investing in the SONAMI network, which brings together local colleges, universities, and businesses, we’re helping turn big ideas into real-world solutions, supporting greener practices, and giving southern Ontario’s manufacturers a competitive edge around the world.”
“SONAMI will accelerate clean growth through innovative, sustainability-focused applied research projects,” said Marc Nantel, PhD, Vice President, Research, Innovation and Strategic Enterprises at Niagara College. “These collaborative efforts will not only drive environmental innovation but also contribute to sustainable job creation, emissions reduction, and increased resilience to climate change across the marine industry.”
Led by Niagara College, SONAMI is a network of 11 postsecondary institutions that, through their respective research and innovation centres, collaborates with SMEs to tackle their manufacturing-related challenges. The award-winning network leverages faculty, students, and state-of-the-market equipment together with funding from the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) and the Government of Ontario through Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON), to support manufacturing in Canada. Additionally, SONAMI assists SMEs across all industries to plan out their commercialization strategy and protect their intellectual property rights.
The MOU is a further building block to discussions started in November 2024, when SONAMI, the Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (WAMIC) and the College’s School of Media, Trades and Technology hosted a round table and tour focused on the marine transportation industry.
The event highlighted the industry’s current and future challenges and explored how Niagara College, along with the SONAMI network it leads, can be valuable partners in supporting the industry’s growth, greening efforts, and workforce challenges. Attendees engaged in discussions about applied research support available and the current and future workforce development needs within the marine transportation sector.
Together, this partnership will enhance the support framework available for the Ontario and Canadian marine transportation industry.
Representatives from interested businesses can contact SONAMI to access the advanced manufacturing network. For more information about the network, please visit the SONAMI website.
The Southern Ontario Network for Advanced Manufacturing Innovation (SONAMI) is a Niagara College-led network of postsecondary institutions, who, through their respective Research and Innovation Centres, collaborate with small- and medium-sized companies to tackle their manufacturing-related challenges. SONAMI leverages faculty, students, and state-of-the-market equipment, together with funding from the Federal Government, to support manufacturing in Canada. Learn more at sonami.ca.
For over 15 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, growth and job creation in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving productivity, growing revenues, creating jobs, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impact the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our investment profiles, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts.
Niagara College has a full-time enrolment of more than 10,000 students from over 95 countries, who study in 130 diploma, certificate and bachelor degree programs at specialized campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara College is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world and is consistently ranked among Canada’s top 10 colleges for research funding. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca.
The Ontario Marine Council is an industry association representing the major stakeholders in Ontario’s marine sectors. Our membership includes Port Operators, Shipyards, Shippers, Ship Owners, and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation. For more information visit ontariomarinecouncil.com/ or email OMC at [email protected].