Zelim announced that it is has established a site in Atlantic Canada, marking its commitment to strategic expansion in the North American maritime market. The site will be located at the COVE ocean facility in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, a major technology hub for maritime innovation.
From April 2026, the office premises will serve as a base for Zelim to advance ongoing partnerships and future opportunities in the region for its AI-enabled technologies, which are designed to enhance the safety and security of operations at sea.
The move builds on Zelim’s solid foothold in the Canadian cruise, ferry and defence industries. In 2024 Zelim demonstrated its flagship man-overboard detection and monitoring system, ZOE, to the Canadian Coast Guard and other maritime partners. Following this, the company was selected in 2025 for the NATO DIANA Phase II programme, through which ZOE was used in a major NATO naval exercise and introduced to the Royal Canadian Navy. Since then, Zelim also secured a commercial contract with BC Ferries in February 2026 to equip four new-build ferries with its ZOE technology.
Headquartered in Edinburgh, UK, Zelim has been preparing for its next phase of international expansion, with the recent launch of a defence business unit and key additions to its senior leadership team, positioning the company for continued momentum in the global defence, cruise and ferry, port, and offshore energy sectors.
The Canada office will be led by Zelim’s newly appointed regional Vice President, Brigadier General (Retired) Tom Dunne. Having served as a search and rescue (SAR) leader with both the Royal Canadian Air Force and the United States Coast Guard, Tom brings deep knowledge of SAR operations in challenging maritime environments.
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.”
“Zelim’s expansion into Canada is an important step for the maritime industry,” said Melanie Nadeau, CEO of COVE. “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.”
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