New Zelim base in Canada supports maritime market growth

by Americas - Featured NewsFeatured NewsPorts & Maritime

Zelim expands in Atlantic Canada

Zelim has opened new premises in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, with the site set to serve as its Atlantic Canada base from April 2026.

Zelim announced that the office will be located at the COVE ocean facility, which it described as a technology hub for maritime innovation.

The company said the site will support ongoing partnerships and future opportunities in the region for its AI-enabled technologies designed for safety and security operations at sea.

The move follows activity in the Canadian cruise, ferry and defence sectors.

In 2024, Zelim demonstrated its man-overboard detection and monitoring system, ZOE, to the Canadian Coast Guard and other maritime partners.

In 2025, the company was selected for the NATO DIANA Phase II programme, through which ZOE was used in a NATO naval exercise and introduced to the Royal Canadian Navy.

Zelim also secured a commercial contract with BC Ferries in February 2026 to equip four new-build ferries with its ZOE technology.

Leadership and regional plans

Zelim said the Canada office will be led by its newly appointed regional Vice President, Brigadier General (Retired) Tom Dunne.

Dunne has served as a search and rescue leader with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the United States Coast Guard.

Sam Mayall, Zelim’s Founder and CEO, said: “Given the scale and complexity of its maritime domain and the operational challenges associated with remote and harsh environments, Canada is a strategically important market for Zelim’s maritime detection and automated alerting capabilities.

“With a number of partnerships and agreements already in place in North America, and significant potential for future development, establishing this office base and bringing Tom on board were the next logical steps in our growth journey, with a view to a long-term presence and economic contribution in the region.”

Melanie Nadeau, CEO of COVE, said: “Zelim’s expansion into Canada is an important step for the maritime industry.

“Since first connecting with COVE in 2024 through Innovate UK’s Ocean ScaleUp Accelerator, Zelim has demonstrated the innovation and expertise that strengthen the sector.

“Its Canadian presence will enable new partnerships, foster collaboration, and deliver maritime detection and automated alerting solutions, with COVE supporting access to an ecosystem designed for growth and opportunity.”

Zelim said the new office follows the launch of a defence business unit and additions to its senior leadership team as it continues its international expansion.

BC Ferries selects Zelim rescue detection system for new ferries

by Featured NewsProjectsSearch and Rescue

Zelim secures ferry detection contract

Zelim has secured a contract to supply its ZOE man-overboard (MOB) detection system to four hybrid-electric ferries being built for British Columbia Ferry Services (BC Ferries).

Zelim announced the contract on 25 March, stating that the partnership was agreed in February 2026 and that installation is expected to begin in 2027.

The hybrid-electric New Major Vessels will replace four end-of-life vessels and are scheduled to start service in 2029.

BC Ferries operates 37 vessels across 25 routes serving 47 terminals across nearly 1000 miles (1,600 kilometres) of coastal British Columbia.

Developed by Zelim, ZOE MOB uses computer vision and video analytics to provide 360-degree surveillance for vessel crew.

The AI-enabled system is trained on a proprietary maritime dataset of over 9.5 million annotated objects.

It is designed to detect man-overboard incidents instantaneously, in compliance with ISO 21195:2020, the international standard for shipborne man-overboard detection systems.

ZOE has also been independently tested by Lloyd’s Register to detect adults and children during daytime and night-time conditions.

Zelim sets out vessel rollout details

Sam Mayall, Zelim’s Founder and CEO, said: “We look forward to building a strong partnership with BC Ferries as we deliver our technology to its New Major Vessels.

“It secures a multi-vessel rollout for Zelim and demonstrates the growing value of our ZOE technology for passenger ships.

“It also reflects the positive momentum we’re continuing to build with vessel operators in the ferry sector – and more broadly across the North American market.”

Ed Hooper, BC Ferries’ Head of Fleet Renewal, said: “Safety is our first priority throughout the entire organisation.

“We look forward to working with Zelim to incorporate this innovative technology into our New Major Vessels as we modernise our fleet and further strengthen the safety of our passengers and crews.”