Increasing worldwide competitive advantage for Canadian companies
The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry, and the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology, today announced an investment in exactEarth Ltd. from the Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program (DTAPP), delivered by the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP).
“The Government of Canada is investing in science and technology to create good jobs, strengthen the economy and improve the quality of life of Canadians,” said Minister Paradis. “In every sector of the economy, digital technologies allow companies like exactEarth Ltd. to be more innovative, productive and competitive.”
exactEarth Ltd. will receive up to $50,000 from DTAPP to implement projects that include the adoption of new software tools and information and quality systems. These new tools and systems will allow exactEarth to improve its ability to locate more than 80,000 ships daily anywhere around the world and transmit this information quickly to its customers. This data is used within Canada and globally for a number of purposes, including enhancing maritime security and surveillance as well as search and rescue support.
“As an organization that excels in developing and exploiting leading-edge technology, we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with DTAPP,” said Peter Mabson, President of exactEarth Ltd. “This project will help us further increase our competitive advantage worldwide.”
Founded in 2009, exactEarth Ltd. is a leading data services company providing advanced location-based information on global maritime traffic. It collects ship monitoring data and delivers the highest quality information to customers around the world. Its information improves maritime domain awareness for governments and commercial organizations, whether tracking a single vessel or monitoring large, unwired ocean regions. NRC-IRAP has been working with exactEarth since March 2012.
Economic Action Plan 2012 provides substantial direct support for research and development and business innovation, leading to job creation, growth and long-term prosperity for Canadians. Of this investment, an additional $110 million is allocated to NRC-IRAP annually to expand the program’s reach and services for innovative small and medium-sized enterprises in Canada, including $80 million for DTAPP to support the digital economy.
Media Relations
National Research Council of Canada
613-991-1431
1-855-282-1637
media@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Margaux Stastny
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Christian Paradis
Minister of Industry
613-943-7599
Michele-Jamali Paquette
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Gary Goodyear
Minister of State for Science and Technology
613-947-2956
