SCHEDULE

 

Monday, June 8, 2026

 
Program time zone is Atlantic Daylight Time (ADT).
9:30 am – 12:00 pm
Facility Tours (out of province, pre-registration required)
1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
On-Water Technical Tour of Halifax Harbour (pre-registration is required)
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Exhibitor set up
 

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

 
Program time zone is Atlantic Daylight Time (ADT).
8:30 am – 5:30 pm
Registration Desk open
9:15 am – 9:45 am
Welcome and Opening Comments
Ocean Outlook
9:45 am – 10:45 am
Main Stage Panel Presentation TBC
Bureau of Research, Engineering and Advanced Leadership in Innovation and Science (BOREALIS)
More information to come.
10:30 am – 4:30 pm
B2B Meetings
10:45 am – 3:00 pm
Room 106/107
H2O Career Connect Day: Explore, Network, And Discover
A multi-session workshop for registered students and early career professionals (ages 18-30).
learn more
10:45 am – 11:30 am
Exhibit Hall
Networking Break
Spotlight Sessions & Demonstrations
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Main Stage Panel Presentation
Securing Critical Undersea Infrastructure for the Future
Moderator: Chris Gare, Program Director, COVE; Panelists: Sean Spears, Capability Engineer, Autonomous Systems, DRDC; Paul Evans, Senior Advisor, COVE; Cdr. C. Heckman, CO TRINITY, Director of Intelligence, RCN; Alastair (Alf) Trower, Principal Consultant, Canfluence Strategy
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11:30 am – 12:25 pm
Room 109
Tech Track Presentations
 
11:30 am – 11:45 am
Multi-Domain Awareness for Ports and Shorelines
Presenter: Patrick Edwards-Dougherty, President, Spiri Robotics
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11:50 am – 12:05 pm
The Need for Maritime Cybersecurity in the Current World Environment
Presenter: Andrew Stewart, Business Manager, Secure State Cyber Inc.
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12:10 pm – 12:25 pm
Listening Smarter: Advancing Maritime Domain Awareness using URN
Presenter: Emma Carline, Acoustic Algorithm Developer, Ocean Sonics
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12:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Exhibit Hall
Light Lunch
Spotlight Sessions & Demonstrations
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Main Stage Panel Presentation TBC
Royal Canadian Navy & Canadian Coast Guard Briefing
More information to come.
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Room 106/107
Workshop & Information Session
Navigating New Markets – Security and Compliance for Research, Exports, and Sanctions
Presenters: Beth Cainen, Atlantic Regional Advisor, Research Security Center, Public Safety Canada; Serge Stang, Senior Export Control Officer, Strategic Export Controls, Global Affairs Canada; Simon Boutin, Senior Analyst, Sanctions Outreach and Compliance, Global Affairs Canada
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2:30 pm – 4:35 pm
Room 109
Tech Track Presentations
 
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Applied AI for Maritime Domain Awareness
Presenter: Dr. Chris Whidden, COVE Digital Ocean Research Chair
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3:05 pm – 3:20 pm
Next-Gen Hydrofoil Technology for High-Efficiency, Low-Impact Maritime Mobility
Presenter: David Tyler, Managing Director – North America, Artemis Technologies
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3:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Dual-Use Implications from Swarm Glider Experimentation at NATO REPMUS for Canadian Maritime Surveillance and Offshore Wind Monitoring
Presenter: John Moloney, Director of Defence & Autonomous Systems, JASCO Applied Science
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4:05 pm – 4:35 pm
Using Dual Use Technology to increase Operational Readiness in Canada’s Arctic
Presenter: Dr. Randy Billard, President & CEO, Virtual Marine
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3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Main Stage Panel Presentation
Investing in Ocean Innovation: Six years of NRC’s Ocean Program Research – What’s Next?
Moderator: Marie-Chantal Ross, Program Director, Ocean Program, National Research Council Canada; Panelists: Ivana Kubat, Director of Research, Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre, National Research Council Canada; Fabrice Berrué, Director of Research, Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre, National Research Council Canada; Allison Kennedy, Intelligent Marine Assets Theme Leader, Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre, National Research Council Canada
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Workshop
Storytelling Strategies to Counter Misinformation
Presenters: Natalie Gilson, CEO, Pisces Oceans Inc.; Andrew Lewin, Ocean Communications Manager, Pisces Oceans Inc.
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4:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Exhibit Hall
Hour of Good Cheer Reception
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
off-site
Seaside Social Dinner (pre-registration required)
 

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

 
Program time zone is Atlantic Daylight Time (ADT).
8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Registration Desk open
9:00 am – 9:15 am
Welcome
9:15 am – 10:00 am
Main Stage Panel Presentation
Domain Awareness in the Arctic
Moderator: Kevin Dunn, Engineer, Joint Project Office BOREALIS and Defence Innovation Secure hub (DISH); Panelists: Richard Mills, Chief Commercial Officer, Cellula Robotics; Scott Carr, Chief Executive Officer, Jasco Applied Sciences; Karl Birgir Björnsson, Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, Hefring Marine; Paul Yeatman, President, GeoSpectrum Technologies
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9:40 am – 4:20 pm
B2B Meetings
10:00 am – 10:45 am
Main Stage Panel Presentation TBC
Port Innovation Panel
More information to come.
10:00 am – 10:50 am
Room 109
Tech Track Presentations
 
10:00 am – 10:30 am
Connecting Industry, Infrastructure, and Ocean Science to Defence
Presenters: Jamie Snook, Executive Director, MEOPAR; Dr. Vincent Myers, DISH Implementation Lead, BOREALIS Joint Program Office, DRDC; Drew Moores, General Sales Manager, Hawboldt Industries; Dr. Doug Wallace, Department Chair, Professor, Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University
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10:35 am – 10:50 am
Scaling AUV Endurance with Green Hydrogen
Presenter: Matt Dempsey, Sales Manager, Cellula Robotics
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10:45 am – 11:15 am
Exhibit Hall
Networking Break
Spotlight Sessions & Demonstrations
11:15 am – 12:00 pm
Main Stage Panel Presentation TBC
Offshore Wind Technology Panel
More information to come.
11:15 am – 12:00 pm
Room 106/107
Workshop
Unlocking Ocean Technology Opportunities in the Philippines and the ASEAN Region
Presenters: Thi Be Nguyen, Advisory Board Member, Canada–ASEAN Business Council (CABC); Yuri Frolov, Business Development Coordinator, CABC
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11:15 am – 12:05 pm
Room 109
Tech Track Presentation
 
11:15 am – 11:45 am
Electrifying Maine and Nova Scotia’s Workboats
Presenters: Phoebe Wheeler, Community Development Officer, Island Institute; Lia Morris, Community Development Officer, Island Institute; Brent Dancey, Director of Maine Climate Action, Oceans North
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11:50 am – 12:05 pm
IHO and HPAS Education for Hydrography
Presenter: Manaf Zora, Geosurvey Manager, G2Surveys
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12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Exhibit Hall
Light Lunch
Spotlight Sessions & Demonstrations
1:30 pm – 2:15 pm
Main Stage Panel Presentation
Indigenous Leadership in the Blue Economy
Introductions: Chris Googoo, COO, Ulnooweg Development Group; Moderator: Andrew Lewin, Ocean Communications Manager, Pisces Oceans Inc.; Panelists: Ken Paul, Principal/Owner, Pokiok Associates; Dylan MacLennan, Founder, L'nu Energy; Richard MacLellan, Managing Director, Miawpukek Horizon
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1:35 pm – 2:10 pm
Room 109
Tech Track Presentation
 
1:35 pm – 1:50 pm
Rethinking Marine Domain Awareness Through Autonomous and Connected Systems
Presenter: Wenwen Pei, VP, Strategic Partnerships, Marine Thinking
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1:55 pm – 2:10 pm
From Pathways to Purpose: Empowering the Next Generation in Canada’s Sustainable Blue Economy
Presenters: Anna Naylor, Program Manager, SOI Foundation; Scott Pynn, Alumni Program Coordinator
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2:15 pm – 2:45 pm
Exhibit Hall
Networking Break
Spotlight Sessions & Demonstrations
2:45 pm – 3:30 pm
Main Stage Panel Presentation TBC
Arctic Port Logistics Panel
More information to come.
3:30 pm – 4:15 pm
Main Stage Panel Presentation
The Challenge of Multi Modal Systems
Moderator: Chris Bourque, Executive Director, Ocean Technology Council of Nova Scotia; Panelists: Sean Kelly, Vice President of Business Development, GeoSpectrum Technologies; Roland Leyte, OMM, CD, Business Development Manager, Kraken Robotics; Patrick Edwards-Dougherty, Spiri Robotics
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4:15 pm – 4:30 pm
Conference Closing
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Closing Reception
 

Thursday, June 11, 2026

 
Program time zone is Atlantic Daylight Time (ADT).
10:00 am – 2:30 pm
COVE Demo Day
Brings together global leaders from industry, investment, defence, and government for a full day of live, high-impact demonstrations. Experience proven, deployable marine and dual-use technologies solving real-world challenges—and connect directly with the founders and decision-makers behind them.
Register Here
 
The program is subject to change. This schedule was last updated: May 21, 2026.

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