Media Inquiries
Victoria King, MassCEC
617-315-9398
press@masscec.com
Seven projects awarded as MassCEC launches new Ocean Innovation Network
New Bedford, Mass. – The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) today announced over $11 million in funding for seven organizations through its new Ocean Innovation Network. The program will further position Massachusetts as a leader in ocean technology, accelerating the development of new solutions while fostering connections among marine science and technology businesses, particularly on the South Coast, Cape Cod, and the North Shore.
The announcement took place at New Bedford Research and Robotics during the Southeast stop of MassCEC’s Climatetech Corridor Roadshow, following morning sessions at UMass Dartmouth. Dr. Emily Reichert, CEO of MassCEC, was joined by New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell to highlight both the new investments and the region’s growing role as a center for climate technology.
“This is how we lead—with strong investments that give inventors and researchers access to labs, testing facilities, and coastal sites where they can build and deploy real technology like underwater drones, smart buoys, and marine sensors that will change how we understand and protect our oceans,” said Governor Maura Healey. “This program will help drive solutions that can put our state on the map as a global leader in ocean science and technology, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with natural resources.”
“These projects will expand collaboration across our coasts—from the South Coast to the North Shore—strengthening connections between businesses, researchers, and local communities,” Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “The Ocean Innovation Network takes Massachusetts to the next level, helping train local workers, support small businesses, and making sure the benefits of this investment are felt at kitchen tables across the state.”
The Ocean Innovation Network will have a direct impact on local businesses by expanding access to shared testing facilities located at existing docks and in nearshore and offshore areas. These sites will allow companies to test and improve their technologies, making it easier for them to bring new products to the market. The initiative will also support organizations that help entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of logistics, supply chain, and permitting, ensuring they have the resources they need to thrive. Additionally, the program will expand co-working facilities for oceantech startups. To ensure companies are well-prepared to succeed, mentorship programs will be developed to guide them through engaging with customers, refining their products, and bringing them to market.
The initiative builds on MassCEC’s Climatetech Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Plan, a roadmap for ensuring Massachusetts remains a global climatetech leader. The plan calls for strategic investments in testing and demonstration assets, physical and programmatic support for startups, and stronger coordination across the ecosystem.
“Ocean conditions are changing fast. We need technology that can adapt just as quickly,” said Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “The Ocean Innovation Network will fast-track tools that monitor coastal risks, support offshore energy, and strengthen marine infrastructure. This is a direct investment in solutions that protect our working waterfronts and drive economic growth right here in Massachusetts.”
“New Bedford’s emergence as a center of marine innovation is a natural outgrowth of the concentration of maritime businesses in our Port,” said New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell. “These grants will make it easier for innovators here to test and deploy new technologies and attract investment.”
“Oceantech startups are developing innovative ways to make maritime industries more energy efficient, protect marine life and coastal communities, and generate clean, local power from the ocean. With the Ocean Innovation Network, we are building the infrastructure and support system that these startups need to thrive,” said MassCEC CEO Dr. Emily Reichert. “These awards are a down payment on a stronger, more connected network that will accelerate innovation, expand access to testing and workspaces, and reinforce Massachusetts as the premier place to launch and grow oceantech businesses and jobs.”
The Ocean Innovation Network awardees include:
- Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute (Gloucester, MA) - $1,383,460
- Funding will enable GMGI to build dedicated lab space for eDNA processing, equip it for sequencing and analysis, and create areas for startups and partners to conduct training, planning, and experimentation.
- Innoventure Labs (Beverly, MA) - $1,237,100
- Funding will support Innoventure Labs in launching the OceanTide initiative by expanding entrepreneurial services, operating a Mobile OceanTech Workshop, providing mentoring and training, and facilitating access to local test sites and permitting resources to help startups advance to open-water deployment.
- Marine Renewable Energy Collaborative (Bourne, MA) - $1,885,870
- Funding will enable MRECo to upgrade and expand its shallow water and nearshore test facilities, including new data systems, improved safety and sensor deployment at the Bourne Tidal Test Site, electrical grid access for tidal turbines, and enhanced infrastructure for testing floating devices and wave energy buoys off Cuttyhunk Island.
- Massachusetts Housing and Climate Innovation Center (South Yarmouth, MA) - $50,000
- Funding will allow MassHCIC to catalog municipal assets across Cape Cod and develop an Innovation Opportunity Atlas, providing a detailed database of sites where oceantech and other climate-related technologies can be field-tested.
- New Bedford Ocean Cluster (New Bedford, MA) - $2,130,040
- Funding will allow NBOC to expand its facilities and services by renovating a 4,000 sq. ft. space for industry events, supporting the Maritime Business Incubator’s operations, and providing new prototyping equipment at New Bedford Research and Robotics to accelerate oceantech startup development.
- SeaAhead (Cambridge, MA) - $1,467,500
- Funding will enable SeaAhead, in partnership with The Engine and National Renewable Energy Laboratory, to support oceantech startups from early-stage development through prototyping and pilot demonstrations by expanding programs like BlueSwell, offering specialized workshops, and launching the new PILOTS program to guide successful pilot planning.
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (Falmouth, MA) - $3,200,160
- Funding will support WHOI in developing new ocean test sites, including mobile dockside access points and a nearshore buoy-based testing area in New Bedford, and enhance an existing offshore multi-technology site at the Air-Sea Interaction Tower, which will provide startups and partners with expanded opportunities for marine technology testing and development.
For more information, visit www.masscec.com/our-focus/offshore-wind/ocean-innovation.
Statements of Support
“Massachusetts is the hub for climatetech and clean energy,” said State Senator Barry Finegold (D-Andover). “MassCEC providing this funding through its new Ocean Innovation Network will help the Commonwealth continue to offer the best in innovation and growth in maritime science and technology.”
"The Atlantic Ocean still serves as a new frontier for exploration and the possibility of new discoveries. First and foremost is our charge to develop better scientific strategies to manage fisheries and to protect our fish stocks and marine biodiversity,” said State Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester). “Additionally, it is incumbent upon us to understand and to learn from marine species how their DNA is structured to resist diseases such as cancer. I am grateful to MassCEC for granting funding to the Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute as part of the Ocean Innovation Network to develop an environmental DNA processing, sequencing, and analysis center to protect our marine resources and study these unknowns.”
"The Ocean Innovation Network is another example of our state's leadership in innovation-not only for climate technology but for the blue economy,” said State Representative Carole Fiola (D-Fall River). “This investment by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center will not only help drive transformative marine science and clean energy solutions but will also help create jobs, make our coastal communities more resilient, and ensure a more sustainable future for Massachusetts and beyond.”
About the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center is a state economic development agency dedicated to accelerating the growth of the clean energy and climatetech sector across the Commonwealth to spur job creation, deliver statewide environmental benefits, and secure long-term economic opportunities for the people of Massachusetts. Since 2010, MassCEC has awarded nearly $800 million in programs and investments and attracted more than $2.8 billion in private and public funds.
###