Page 18: of Marine Technology Magazine (May/Jun 2026)

OCEAN CONSORTIUM

FROM FROM

UNCERTAINTY UNCERTAINTY

TO ADVANTAGE: TO ADVANTAGE:

WHOI Launches WHOI Launches

New Initiatives for New Initiatives for

Industry PartnersIndustry Partners © WHOI

By Leslie-Ann McGee, Chief Innovation Of? cer, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution n ocean industries, uncertainty is not an abstract chal- omous systems, and predictive models. Many of these innova- lenge. It is a direct driver of cost, risk, and operational tions have remained in a dif? cult middle ground, too applied failure. For maritime and subsea operators, that uncertain- for academic funding, too early or complex for private capital,

Ity has real consequences: infrastructure failure, defense and challenging to integrate into operational environments.

challenges, operational downtime, permitting delays, safety OceanWorks addresses this gap by providing a clear and risks, and capital exposed to conditions that are dif? cult to structured entry point for industry engagement. It connects model, price, or insure. operators, companies, and decision-makers directly with

The challenge is not a lack of ambition or investment. It is WHOI capabilities and ongoing research. By aligning sci- that the ocean remains dif? cult to observe, measure, and test enti? c expertise with operational problems earlier, it enables under real conditions. For organizations operating at sea and faster learning, more relevant testing, and clearer insight into in extreme environments, this creates a persistent gap between performance under real conditions.

what is assumed and what is actually known. Closing that gap This translation is already visible in practice. Autonomous is inherently dif? cult. Beneath the ocean surface and beyond systems like WHOI’s REMUS vehicles, proven in defense

Earth’s atmosphere, operators face sparse data, long feedback and now widely used in commercial seabed mapping and off- loops, limited access, and little margin for failure. In both do- shore energy, replace assumptions with high-resolution data mains, assumptions are costly and credibility is earned only that reduces risk, shortens timelines, and lowers costs.

through systems that perform under real conditions. For companies, this creates a more direct path to actionable

At Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), con- insight. For WHOI, it ensures that its science is applied where fronting this reality has de? ned nearly a century of work. Our it has the greatest impact.

experience is grounded in data collection in the most demand- ing environments on Earth. We are now excited to make our Ocean IQ: A Consortium for Real-World Validation oceanographic knowledge more accessible to the industry— The Ocean IQ Consortium was created with a clear recogni- let’s close one of the blue economy’s most persistent gaps by tion: no single organization, public or private, can indepen- translating ocean science into decision-ready insight. dently fund, test, and validate the full range of data, models, and systems required to operate con? dently at sea. It brings

WHOI OceanWorks: together companies, technologists, and researchers who share

A Front Door for Industry Collaboration a reliance on the ocean, even if their business models, time-

WHOI OceanWorks was launched in 2025 to serve as a front lines, and regulatory paths differ.

door for industry engagement, built on the recognition that Unlike traditional consortia focused on product develop- much of the value embedded in ocean science and technology ment, Ocean IQ is centered on evaluation, testing, and shared has yet to reach the point of use because the pathways to ap- evidence. Members gain direct access to WHOI’s expertise, plication are fragmented. facilities, data, and talent, with the ability to assess perfor-

For decades, WHOI has developed advanced sensors, auton- mance under real conditions. For industry participants, the 18 May/June 2026

MTR #4 (18-33).indd 18 MTR #4 (18-33).indd 18 5/28/2026 12:27:25 PM5/28/2026 12:27:25 PM