Marine Technology
Industry Overview
New England is home to over 500 marine tech firms – with a large portion of them located in, or within an hour’s drive of the SouthCoast region. The cluster is promoted by UMass Dartmouth’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship – an incubator hosting many leading edge marine technology companies. The cluster is further strengthened by the expertise at UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science and Technology, and UMass Dartmouth’s College of Engineering.
The industry also benefits from the region’s proximity to Rhode Island’s Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Falmouth, MA, and the University of Rhode Island’s Ocean Engineering Center.
Marine Technology Industry
- Lower cost of doing business (20-40% lower wages than Greater Boston; 50-90% lower industrial and residential real estate costs)
- Business incubator space available in the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship offering a high-support environment to assist early-stage companies
- Business park sites available with an EPA approved master plan plus fast track 60 day permitting
- Scientists at SMAST have expertise in ocean modeling and monitoring, fisheries science and management, coastal systems science, ocean acoustics, biogeochemistry, remote sensing, and ocean engineering.
- The New Bedford Business Park is home to 4 marine technology based businesses.
Key Companies/Organizations
- Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science & Technology (SMAST)
- Seaport Economic Council
- Massachusetts Office of Business Development
- College of Engineering at UMass Dartmouth
- Power Docks
- AquaBotix
- Apex Companies
- Fathom Research
Workforce Resources
- Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science & Technology (SMAST)
- College of Engineering at UMass Dartmouth
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
- Bristol Community College
- The Center for Workforce and Community Education at Bristol Community College provides high quality, market-responsive training to support the evolving workforce. BCC also offers extensive courses in engineering.
- SouthCoast Workforce Investment Boards
- The Bristol Workforce Investment Board serves 14 cities and towns including Attleboro, Berkley, Dighton, Fall River, Mansfield, North Attleboro, Norton, Raynham, Rehoboth, Seekonk, Somerset, Swansea, Taunton and Westport.
- The Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board oversees workforce development efforts in Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Freetown, Lakeville, Marion, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, Rochester, and Wareham.