Good morning, Chair, and members of the committee.
I'd like to thank you on behalf of the president and vice-chancellor of Memorial University of Newfoundland, Dr. Gary Kachanoski. I am pleased to present on behalf of Dr. Kachanoski, who is leading convocation celebrations back in St. John's today. We would, indeed, love to host you in St. John's at some time.
As you noted, joining me are Mr. Glenn Blackwood, Memorial's vice-president for the Fisheries and Marine Institute. In the gallery is Dr. Charles Randell, president and CEO of C-CORE at Memorial University. I'll speak more about C-CORE.
The federal government has been our partner in many projects at Memorial. We are the only university in our province, and we have a special obligation to the people of the province, going back to our founding legislation in 1949. It builds on Memorial College, which was founded in honour of the men and women who sacrificed their lives in the First World War and then in the Second World War, so we attach great importance to our contribution to the needs of the province.
The funding partnership we've had with the federal government helps to drive innovation, as well as the economy of Newfoundland and Labrador and our country. Without the research performed and the skills learned in our university—much of it funded by the Canadian government—companies would be hard pressed to develop the products and processes on which the nation prospers.
Canada's commitment to being a world leader in economic growth, innovation, clean technology, environmental stewardship, and climate change mitigation is embodied and advanced by the world-leading work of Memorial University across many academic disciplines—in particular, by the Fisheries and Marine Institute and its Holyrood marine base, as well as by C-CORE and its cold ocean oil spill response centre of excellence. With federal investment and collaboration in the amounts of $25 million and $35 million respectively, these projects will have a lasting impact on the economic and environmental well-being of our country for many years to come.
The Fisheries and Marine Institute is one of the most respected centres of marine learning and applied research in the world. It is Canada's most comprehensive centre for education, training, applied and advanced research, and industrial support for ocean industries. You really must come to St. John's, if you haven't been there, and do a tour of the Marine Institute and C-CORE. Seeing is believing. It has been described as the NASA of the north. Glenn is currently chair of the International Association of Maritime Universities. There are American admirals who are on the committee that Glenn chairs. It is the best in the world.
To meet the growing demands and shifting challenges and opportunities presented by marine, offshore, and ocean technology sectors, the Marine Institute has undertaken developing the Holyrood marine base in the town of Holyrood, approximately 50 kilometres from St. John's. There are no access roads. You can get out there in 25 or 30 minutes.
The first phase of the base opened in 2010, very much driven by Glenn and his team. It includes facilities that house the Centre for Applied Ocean Technology, ocean technology small business incubation space, and research, training, and support space. The Marine Institute is incredibly connected with industry, community, and government. It leverages about half its budget. It's very entrepreneurial.
The second phase of the Holyrood marine base is now getting under way and will increase its capacity exponentially. Phase IIA includes the construction of a breakwater and a marginal wharf—Glenn can tell you what a marginal wharf is, if you are interested. Phase IIB includes plans for a new oceanfront building. This expansion will allow Memorial to undertake critical at-sea, in-water, and subsea education, training, research, and innovation activities. The base will also be the cornerstone of the town of Holyrood's new cold ocean innovation and research park, which will greatly bolster the ocean technology cluster in Atlantic Canada.
Memorial is one of the few, if not the only, university in Canada that has a public engagement framework, a strategy for the whole university about how the university connects with industry, community, and government. This work is really in concert with and exemplary of that work.
Memorial is seeking support from the federal government in the amount of $25 million in budget 2017 for the completion of phase IIB of the Holyrood marine base.
C-CORE is a not-for-profit research, development, and innovation corporation that was established at Memorial in 1975 to address the challenges of developing Canada's offshore resources. It raises all its funds through projects with industry, governments, and community.
Incredibly entrepreneurial, the Marine Institute and C-CORE are being studied by leading researchers in Canada now as examples of what the Jenkins task force called for—bridging institutions to link universities with industry and governments and communities.
It is globally recognized for unparalleled harsh-environment expertise and world-leading capability in remote sensing, ice engineering, and geotechnical engineering. It is home to the federally funded LOOKNorth, a centre of excellence for commercialization and research fostering remote sensing innovations to support northern resource development. C-CORE, in its areas of expertise, is the best in the world, doing work with the European Space Agency and others. Charles can rattle them off. They come to us.
To meet the growing need for sound science and engineering solutions to support safe and responsible activity in cold ocean environments, C-CORE is working with industry, government, and community partners to develop the world's first ice-capable oil spill research and response centre of excellence. The Sedna Centre will be the only facility of its kind in the world and make Canada—not just Newfoundland and Labrador, not just Atlantic Canada, but Canada, the country—the world's foremost nation in ocean safety, research, training, and innovation. The centre will enable cutting-edge research, clean technology development, and training related to oil spill prevention, response, and recovery in all areas of our oceans. Charles could go into more detail if you would like during questions and answers.
In budget 2017, Memorial is seeking support from the federal government in the amount of $35 million to leverage private sector funds for the construction of the Sedna Centre. It was industry that came to Memorial, and C-CORE in particular, to develop this ability.
I'd like to turn things back over to the committee and give you the opportunity to ask any questions you might have about either initiative, or about what Memorial is doing generally.
Thank you very much for your time.