ABOUT
US
The Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation (CCFI) is dedicated to supporting research and development that enhances the sustainability, safety, and profitability of Canada’s seafood industry.
CCFI has supported hundreds of industry related projects that have solved industry challenges by actively promoting research and development in the aquaculture, harvesting sector, and fish processing sectors. We often utilize both the human resources and facilities assets of Memorial University and its Fisheries and Marine Institute, as well as other academic and research institutions, gear manufacturers, ocean tech organizations, artificial intelligence firms, and other entities advancing innovations in seafood.
CCFI works directly with industry players to secure funding and facilitate access to scientific and technological expertise and facilities, resulting in projects that answer and/or address industry questions and work toward the adoption of new scientific data, technologies, and product developing knowledge.
In summary, we are a welcoming and accessible facilitator for seafood industry innovation. We work with a wide variety of stakeholders and operations of different sizes and in different areas of harvesting, processing, and aquaculture sectors. We look forward to working with all innovators and problem solvers towards the goal of enhancing Canada’s place as a world leader in the burgeoning Blue Economy.
FAQs
OUR MISSION
To enable leading edge research, innovation and technology in the Canadian seafood industry.
VALUES
Engaged
CCFI engages with industry, research, government and other key partners in fisheries innovation.
Informed
CCFI identifies best practice, programming, and opportunities for technology adaptation from fisheries R&D from around the world, and shares this with our industry and research partners.
Responsive
CCFI responds to R&D needs in the fish harvesting, processing and aquaculture sectors, developing and leading projects big and small, and transitioning quickly to meet emerging opportunities or challenges.
Inclusive
CCFI demonstrates leadership in equity and diversity, and fosters understanding and a shared approach with Indigenous peoples and communities.
Sustainable
CCFI supports sustainable fisheries and enables industry adaptation to climate change.
It all starts with your idea. Call us, send an E-mail to our team, or use the “Contact Us” page or “Submit An Idea” section of this website. The usual first point of contact for people engaging CCFI is our Industry Liaison Officer, Jason Card, who can be reached at jason.card@mi.mun.ca or (709) 327 5351.
During our first interaction, we will want to discuss:
What aspect of the seafood industry you are working in (i.e. harvesting, aquaculture, or processing)
A summary of the innovation you want to explore or the problem you are trying to solve
A summary of any work you have completed to date related to your idea
A summary of partners you have or would like to have involved with your potential project.
From there we will discuss developing a project proposal and pursuing potential sources of expertise and support.
CCFI provides support to innovators and problem solvers by helping them develop and carry out applied research projects. We also work with seafood industry players operating in Canada’s three oceans to advance research priorities. That involves everything from developing test parameters to prove out ideas, creating budgets to support the work, suggesting funding sources to help pay for project costs, making funding applications, securing necessary expertise and oversight of projects, finalizing any final reports generated from project activities, and disseminating information accumulated over our 30 years of operation. Very often CCFI will facilitate access to specific expertise and facilities at the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University, but we can also work to secure expertise from other areas throughout Canada and the world.
This varies project to project. Dependent on a number of factors including the complexity of the project, the number of funding sources being drawn from, and the amount of expertise and/or special facilities that are needed, the development of a project proposal can take one to four weeks, and the review of a project proposal by funding bodies can take anywhere between two to six weeks. CCFI endeavors to move at the pace of business and expedite all aspects of work.
Once a project proposal has been finalized and has received funding, CCFI generally tries to complete projects within one year. Projects exceeding one year are often divided into phases to facilitate the project proposal process. CCFI welcomes multi-year projects.
CCFI has standardized agreements for managing intellectual property matters. IP matters are clearly defined and our project agreements clearly identify how IP will be handled, for all parties to sign. CCFI’s work is intended to strengthen Canada’s overall seafood sector, and as such, project summaries are made available publicly upon conclusion.
OUR TEAM
Our staff is comprised of our Managing Director, who leads all operations, engages on industry priorities and requirements, collaborates with stakeholders, and provides oversight to research; as well as an Industry Liaison Officer and an Office Manager, who support partners in projects.
WHAT WE DO
CCFI is a conduit between industry players, academic expertise, and innovation funding supports that creates knowledge through research projects and serves as a national store of information regarding best practice for safety, sustainability, and profitability.