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UBC engineering professor appointed Seaspan chair to advance innovation in marine sector

UBC’s Faculty of Applied Science and Seaspan Shipyards are pleased to announce a new faculty chair position with a focus on marine innovation in robotics and autonomy. Dr. Adrien Desjardins is the new Seaspan Chair in Robotics for Marine Vessels, a position jointly held between UBC’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Department of Mechanical Engineering.This joint position reflects the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of mobile robotic platforms in both research and industry applications.Robotics for marine vessels have the potential to enable more efficient and sustainable vessel operations. Developing Canadian expertise and applications opens the door to an important export market, as international interest grows in using autonomous systems, collaborative robotics and integrated sensing in the marine industry.“The collaboration has huge potential to have a transformative impact on marine engineering innovation in Canada within a short time,” said Dr. Desjardins. “I am excited to develop new paradigms for rapidly accessing and navigating underwater environments. With interdisciplinary teams that include collaboration between UBC and Seaspan, we will move quickly from ideation to solutions that are successfully deployed in the ocean.”Dr. Desjardins has an extensive background in sensing and robotics. His interdisciplinary research is focused on the development of novel sensing methods, machine learning, and autonomous robotic platforms for navigating complex environments, with marine, ocean science, and biomedical applications.He will research and teach in emerging areas such as adaptive sensing and imaging, autonomous navigation, underwater inspection, monitoring of natural environments, and collaborative swarms.This is the third chair to be funded by Seaspan, further enhancing a joint commitment to advance Canadian shipbuilding and support technological innovation in the marine sector.“We are proud to continue and strengthen our partnership with Seaspan in driving forward innovative teaching and research within our local and Canadian marine communities,” said Dr. James Olson, Dean, Faculty of Applied Science. “Strategic partnerships like this play a critical role in building BC’s economy, fulfilling our commitment to protecting our environment, and attracting and training talented students to this important sector.”UBC Applied Science is committed to addressing emerging areas of research to reduce the impacts of climate change, while fostering local and global collaboration. Dr. Desjardins will bring together a wide range of academic and industrial expertise in robotics, advanced sensing, data analytics and AI to develop new solutions for autonomously inspecting marine vessels, measuring environmental impact, and monitoring vessel performance.Seaspan’s $1-million investment into this chair over the next five years—which will be equally matched by the UBC President’s Academic Excellence Initiative—is part of the company’s broader commitment to supporting innovation, sustainability, and skills development under Canada’s value proposition program within the National Shipbuilding Strategy.“We are excited to build on our existing relationship with UBC and further invest in the future of Canadian marine technology,” said Dave Hargreaves, Senior Vice President, Strategy, Business Development and Communications, Seaspan Shipyards.“Dr. Desjardins will lead important research that advances novel sensing and robotic systems that support high-functioning fleets and sustainable ship operations. At Seaspan, we believe this kind of forward-thinking collaboration is essential to ensuring Canada’s shipbuilding industry remains competitive on the global stage.”

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