Louisbourg Seafoods: Fishing for Innovative Solutions

Rory Andrews Follow Me

Posted this 2015-12-02 9:14 AM AST (updated 2016-08-04 2:22 PM ADT)

Fishing is often described as a “traditional industry,” which conjures up images of grizzled fishermen, smoking corn cob pipes in yellow sou’westers, looking vaguely satisfied in their seafaring ways. Anyone even closely related to the fisheries industry will tell you this is a severely outdated cliché, and while the sun cracked, rod wielding fishermen of days gone by were undoubtedly good at their jobs, the Fishing and Aquaculture industries have come a long way from the age of bobbing lures and wooden dinghies.

Today, the Fishing Industry brings in more than a billion dollars annually in Nova Scotia, and while still described as a “traditional industry,” no industry worth that much can afford to be stagnant. The entire industry is in a race for innovation, and The Kennedy Group is determined not to be left behind. Along with recent advances in the bio-technical field, processing seaweed into value-added product and creating revenue generating material from aquaculture fish waste, The Kennedy Group is reaching out to the local Start-up tech-sector and university to explore creative solutions in a changing industrial landscape.

The Kennedy Group is comprised of eight companies, processing a wide range of species including crab, shrimp lobster, fish, mussles, and several under-utilized species. They employ more than 500 people, and understand the importance of innovation within the Fisheries sector.

Compared to the ancient industry of fishing, the tech start-up community is in its relative infancy, yet in the past 3 years has found a firm footing on Cape Breton Island. Spurred by Innovacorp’s Spark and i3 innovation competitions, along with the success of local tech entrepreneurs such as Gavin Umha, young Cape Bretoners are increasingly turning away from traditional jobs and industries to learn the skills they need to start their own tech businesses.

These young entrepreneurs are highly educated, extremely motivated, and know that the economic challenges Cape Breton is facing will not be solved by outside forces. The economic history of our region has been a repetition of external forces dropping industry in our backyard and managing it from afar. First it was cod, then coal, then steel. This new generation of young entrepreneurs realizes that if Cape Breton does not create its own wealth, it will have no wealth.

With the development of the Island Sandbox at CBU and Gavin Umha’s leading-edge UIT Start-up Immersion Program, Cape Breton has laid the foundation for a lasting and substantial tech start-up community on the island. The new businesses created from this groundwork are small, smart, and nimble enough to quickly shift strategies and processes to accommodate new technologies and market dynamics.

At first glance, the Fisheries industry and the start-up community seem to have very little in common. The fisheries industry began the first time a person speared a fish, while the tech start-up community seemingly appeared overnight. One industry exists in basements and makeshift boardrooms, while the other survives upon the open sea. What could young, tech-savvy entrepreneurs, looking to create the next killer app or online solution, possibly provide the ancient mariner ways of the seafood industry? A lot, actually.

Even though the Fisheries Industry is deep-rooted does not mean it is static. With new regulations requirements established by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, coupled with consumer expectations for sustainable environmental practices, means the Fisheries Industry has to adapt to a constantly changing market climate. Along with discovering and utilizing the most current technologies to their fullest market potential, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Industries find themselves in constant flux, with only the most pioneering companies at the forefront of the seafood market.

This is the why The Kennedy Group is building a bridge connecting their businesses to the young and energetic tech start-up community of Cape Breton Island. The start-up community exists to solve problems and overcome challenges in novel and creative ways, using complex skillsets to create simple solutions. This community can bring a new and fresh perspective, and new tools to even age-old practices. The Kennedy Group would like to harness this new Cape Breton resource and explore possible relationships to benefit the entire island.

On Wednesday, December 2 ^nd, The Kennedy Group will be hosting a networking event – Tech Opportunities in Fisheries – from 6:30pm-8:30pm at the Joan Harris Cruise Pavillion to introduce the local, growing tech sector to The Kennedy Group. This event will showcase The Kennedy Group’s recent innovations in the fields of Fishing and Aquaculture, and explore potential opportunities created by our tech community and fisheries industry coming together.

Invitations have been sent to the Cape Breton start-up community, tech sector, business community, and regional and local officials.

“This networking event is our first in a series intended to reach out and explore synergy between our companies and our emerging Cape Breton tech sector” says Glen Fewer, one of the Kennedy’s Group’s marine biologists. “The Kennedy Group is doing a lot to stay at the forefront of our industry, but you never know what outside perspectives and new skillsets will bring to the table,” says Fewer. “This community knows how to create solutions, whether it’s in the form of an app, a program, an idea for a new business, or a refined business process. The main focus of this event is creating even more economic opportunities within the fishery and oceans sectors.”

For the Kennedy Group, this is an experiment. “But”, says Dannie Hansen, the Kennedy Group’s Vice President of Sustainability, “it is one that I am confident will create significant benefit for our operations and for CBRM.”

Tech Opportunities in Fisheries will take place at the Joan Cruise Pavillion on December 2 ^nd, from 6:30pm-8:30pm.

Posted by Rory Andrews
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Meeting today at 6:30pm, at Flavor on the Water. Open to the Public.

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Joe Ward Follow Me 2015-12-02 1:25 PM AST Reply 0 0 Great article, Rory. This is a potentially pivotal moment in the tech ecosystem and for the future of Cape Breton industry. Specifically, one of our traditional industries... lead by one of the firms that has successfully adapted, thrived, and discovered new opportunities... is now putting itself in a position to act as a bridge to the developing tech sector. Perhaps that barrier has largely been psychological bias. A perception that traditional industry and tech industry are mutually exclusive of one another. I saw other positive signs recently when Chief Terry Paul spoke at Orenda's software launch event at Membertou - demonstrating the First Nations commitment to getting involved with the technology industry and the opportunities it presents for us as well. I'm not sure how often we've had such bridges between sectors in our past. But I see it as a valuable opportunity space to explore. Technology doesn't have to be a complete departure from what we've always done. We can better utilize our expertise when we focus on ways to bring technology into our world, rather than simply trying to displace/disrupt everything. Rory Andrews My Post Follow Me 2015-12-02 2:15 PM AST Reply 0 0 Right on, Joe. And we tend to think the traditional industries are the ones with the blinders on, but I feel like it's really up to the new startup sector to widen their scope. The Startup community is pigeonholing themselves if they think the only use for these new skills are in developing apps or software solutions. These skills could be used in any industry to create tailored solutions to age-old problems. Also, the app and software route seems like an "all-or-nothing" bet to me, as in it either explodes and makes you fabulously wealthy, or it doesn't really go anywhere. Working with a traditional industry that already makes $1 billion a year gives job security and the potential to move up the ladder in an established market. Just a thought. Joe Ward Follow Me 2015-12-02 2:46 PM AST Reply 1 0 What they really have is their "focus" on, even if it's time for adaption. Having focus is a fundamental success factor, and later can potentially become a limiting factor. But that's all a natural occurrence. We techs aren't "inspired" because we suggest technology. It's our focus - and the lens through which we'd be anticipated to see the world. :) You're right, the tech sector folks are the ones that are supposed to be pushing for and convincing more traditional industries of how they can help. I think all this nonsense talk of "unicorns" in the startup space is really troublesome. If our only goal is to see if we can build a company worth more than Oprah and refer to it as a mythological creature, then those aren't true innovators. They are relying on a lottery ticket approach with predictable outcomes. Software turns out to be an excellent choice for local economies like ours simply because it has such low barriers to entry. We're producing an intellectually "manufactured" product using low cost tools, laptops and the occasional development license here or there. There are, however, lots of intermediary states of business even in the software realm. There are all kinds of successful software businesses that do well without going full ape**** over IPOs, billion dollar valuations, yada yada. One of the best examples that standout in the software/web startup realm is the company called "Basecamp" (formerly 37 Signals) who have written about the topic, including a recent article that really resonated with a lot of people. Awhile back, I wrote a short post talking about looking locally for practical business opportunities. The idea that I shared was as local as you get: potholes. And I described a software/mobile device solution to do accurate charting of road conditions. It was just a sample idea, but a little searching during the writing revealed that a Boston company was already working on something very similar for the city. (cont'd) Joe Ward Follow Me 2015-12-02 2:55 PM AST Reply 1 0 So, with that said, it's almost a no-brainer that we should be bridging these two worlds. Utilizing the knowledge of our tech community to do new things within our existing traditional industries. And it certainly isn't the tech community that has the resources to get much done. Ha ha. The bulk of the small players out there, myself included, are either just paying their rent or critically diminishing their chances of success with their startups by splitting their time in multiple initiatives (concurrent career, consulting, etc). Capital buys focus that bootstrapping simply won't allow in most cases. Though I don't hear as much buzz about it, the Hansen's deserve major credit for spotting an opportunity - and executing on it - that is very close to our labour economy. With Coretech, they developed software to record and analyze drilling data, including apps for collecting data at the rig site. They knew they didn't have to try to build a Snapchat to build a successful company - and as a result, they're among our most successful local startups. They combined an innovative mindset, with a practical, realistic view of what type of business opportunity can really be successful here. Then they built it - both software and company. Major props!
Randy Pointkoski Follow Me 2015-12-04 9:55 AM AST Reply 2 0 This event on December 2 was a great event in many ways. 1. It was well organized 2. it was very well attended 3. identified opportunities for technology within the fisheries industry 4. was a great introduction of CBU's Entrepreneur-in-residence Permjot Valia ..... 5.The room was full of economic vibrancy.. .. GREAT JOB BY TEAM from Louisbourg Seafoods!

Depth

Joe Ward Follow Me 2015-12-02 1:25 PM AST

Reply 0 0

Great article, Rory. This is a potentially pivotal moment in the tech ecosystem and for the future of Cape Breton industry. Specifically, one of our traditional industries... lead by one of the firms that has successfully adapted, thrived, and discovered new opportunities... is now putting itself in a position to act as a bridge to the developing tech sector. Perhaps that barrier has largely been psychological bias. A perception that traditional industry and tech industry are mutually exclusive of one another. I saw other positive signs recently when Chief Terry Paul spoke at Orenda's software launch event at Membertou - demonstrating the First Nations commitment to getting involved with the technology industry and the opportunities it presents for us as well. I'm not sure how often we've had such bridges between sectors in our past. But I see it as a valuable opportunity space to explore. Technology doesn't have to be a complete departure from what we've always done. We can better utilize our expertise when we focus on ways to bring technology into our world, rather than simply trying to displace/disrupt everything.

Rory Andrews My Post Follow Me 2015-12-02 2:15 PM AST

Reply 0 0

Right on, Joe. And we tend to think the traditional industries are the ones with the blinders on, but I feel like it's really up to the new startup sector to widen their scope. The Startup community is pigeonholing themselves if they think the only use for these new skills are in developing apps or software solutions. These skills could be used in any industry to create tailored solutions to age-old problems. Also, the app and software route seems like an "all-or-nothing" bet to me, as in it either explodes and makes you fabulously wealthy, or it doesn't really go anywhere. Working with a traditional industry that already makes $1 billion a year gives job security and the potential to move up the ladder in an established market. Just a thought.

Joe Ward Follow Me 2015-12-02 2:46 PM AST

Reply 1 0

What they really have is their "focus" on, even if it's time for adaption. Having focus is a fundamental success factor, and later can potentially become a limiting factor. But that's all a natural occurrence. We techs aren't "inspired" because we suggest technology. It's our focus - and the lens through which we'd be anticipated to see the world. :) You're right, the tech sector folks are the ones that are supposed to be pushing for and convincing more traditional industries of how they can help. I think all this nonsense talk of "unicorns" in the startup space is really troublesome. If our only goal is to see if we can build a company worth more than Oprah and refer to it as a mythological creature, then those aren't true innovators. They are relying on a lottery ticket approach with predictable outcomes. Software turns out to be an excellent choice for local economies like ours simply because it has such low barriers to entry. We're producing an intellectually "manufactured" product using low cost tools, laptops and the occasional development license here or there. There are, however, lots of intermediary states of business even in the software realm. There are all kinds of successful software businesses that do well without going full ape**** over IPOs, billion dollar valuations, yada yada. One of the best examples that standout in the software/web startup realm is the company called "Basecamp" (formerly 37 Signals) who have written about the topic, including a recent article that really resonated with a lot of people. Awhile back, I wrote a short post talking about looking locally for practical business opportunities. The idea that I shared was as local as you get: potholes. And I described a software/mobile device solution to do accurate charting of road conditions. It was just a sample idea, but a little searching during the writing revealed that a Boston company was already working on something very similar for the city. (cont'd)

Joe Ward Follow Me 2015-12-02 2:55 PM AST

Reply 1 0

So, with that said, it's almost a no-brainer that we should be bridging these two worlds. Utilizing the knowledge of our tech community to do new things within our existing traditional industries. And it certainly isn't the tech community that has the resources to get much done. Ha ha. The bulk of the small players out there, myself included, are either just paying their rent or critically diminishing their chances of success with their startups by splitting their time in multiple initiatives (concurrent career, consulting, etc). Capital buys focus that bootstrapping simply won't allow in most cases. Though I don't hear as much buzz about it, the Hansen's deserve major credit for spotting an opportunity - and executing on it - that is very close to our labour economy. With Coretech, they developed software to record and analyze drilling data, including apps for collecting data at the rig site. They knew they didn't have to try to build a Snapchat to build a successful company - and as a result, they're among our most successful local startups. They combined an innovative mindset, with a practical, realistic view of what type of business opportunity can really be successful here. Then they built it - both software and company. Major props!

Randy Pointkoski Follow Me 2015-12-04 9:55 AM AST

Reply 2 0

This event on December 2 was a great event in many ways. 1. It was well organized 2. it was very well attended 3. identified opportunities for technology within the fisheries industry 4. was a great introduction of CBU's Entrepreneur-in-residence Permjot Valia ..... 5.The room was full of economic vibrancy.. .. GREAT JOB BY TEAM from Louisbourg Seafoods!