On the rugged North Coast of British Columbia, where Pacific waters meet some of Canada's busiest shipping lanes, Gitxaała Environmental Services (GES) is deploying cutting-edge technology that could redefine how ports worldwide understand and protect their marine ecosystems.

The catalyst? The Integrated Marketplace program. Created by the Government of B.C. in partnership with PacifiCan and delivered by Innovate BC, the program provided not just $448,355 in funding, but something far more valuable: a real-world proving ground where new technology could be tested, refined, and scaled in an operational port environment. For GES and their technology partner Shift Coastal Technologies, it's proving to be exactly the launchpad they needed to transform local innovation into global opportunity.

What sets the Integrated Marketplace apart from traditional funding programs is its "testbed" model. Rather than simply providing grants, the program connects B.C. technology companies with real operational environments—in this case, the Port of Prince Rupert—where they can prove their solutions work in real-world conditions.

For Shift Coastal Technologies and GES, this meant immediate access to one of Canada's most strategically important ports, complete with support from the Canadian Coast Guard. It's the kind of reference customer and testing environment that typically takes years for startups to secure.

"The opportunity to evaluate emerging technologies which can enable improved safety, efficiency, and data quality is highly aligned with our organizational objectives," explains a representative of GES. But more than evaluation, the program is enabling GES to position itself as a leader in marine technology services, building expertise that will serve the North Coast for decades.

The Port Environmental Monitoring Platform (PEMP) that GES deployed represents a fundamental shift from traditional monitoring methods. For decades, environmental monitoring at ports has relied on labour-intensive approaches: boats collecting water samples, observers scanning for marine mammals, divers inspecting underwater structures. It's costly, time-consuming, and provides only snapshots of complex, dynamic ecosystems.

The PEMP integrates autonomous surface vessels and sophisticated sensors with real-time data visualization software to capture a comprehensive, continuous picture of marine conditions. But getting from prototype to proven solution requires exactly what Integrated Marketplace provides: a real customer with real needs and the support to work through technical and operational challenges.

The project unfolded across three phases, each building evidence for the platform's capabilities. Phase one deployed shore-based cameras and drones for marine mammal observation and water quality monitoring. Phase two introduced autonomous vessels with hydroacoustic sensors to monitor underwater noise and establish exclusion zones. Phase three used photogrammetry to create 3D models of artificial reefs and underwater infrastructure, tracking habitat changes over time.

The real power of the Integrated Marketplace model becomes clear when you look at where this project is headed. The data collected through GES's deployment isn't just serving the Port of Prince Rupert—it's helping Shift refine the PEMP for deployment across major Canadian and U.S. maritime markets. Plans are already underway to incorporate artificial intelligence into the platform, with GES preparing for broader deployment across ports, regulators and industry partners.

"This collaboration, made possible through Innovate BC's Integrated Marketplace program, exemplifies how advanced marine technologies, paired with a local First Nation-owned business, can create scalable, impactful solutions for sustainability," notes James Spencer, CEO of Shift Coastal Technologies.

It's a pattern the program was designed to enable: B.C. companies use local testbeds to prove their technology works, gain credible reference customers, and then scale into national and international markets. The Port of Prince Rupert serves not just as a client, but as a showcase that de-risks adoption for other ports worldwide.

Beyond technology adoption and growth, the project demonstrates how Integrated Marketplace addresses multiple priorities simultaneously. GES is a 100% First Nation-owned business, and this collaboration creates opportunities for Indigenous communities to lead in the high-growth marine technology sector while building resilient local expertise.

Peter Cowan, President and CEO of Innovate BC, emphasizes this multiplier effect: "From reducing carbon emissions in key provincial sectors, to bolstering the productivity of major industries, and in this instance, supporting Indigenous economic development in B.C. and generating new job opportunities in the region's ocean-based sector, the impact is broad-based."

The Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada notes that "B.C. has the talent and innovation that the world needs. By investing in Integrated Marketplace, we are ensuring that B.C. businesses have the resources they need to grow and contribute to one strong Canadian economy.” 

By providing B.C. companies with access to real operational environments, credible reference customers, and the support to work through technical challenges, the Integrated Marketplace is doing what traditional grants cannot: creating conditions for technologies to prove themselves and scale rapidly into larger markets.

For GES and Shift Coastal Technologies, this is just the beginning. The data they collected, the systems they refined, and the customer relationships they built through the program are positioning both companies for expansion well beyond British Columbia's coastline. That's exactly what a launchpad is supposed to do.