Zelim is deepening its global footprint with a strategic move into Atlantic Canada, establishing a new office at the COVE ocean facility in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia—one of the country’s leading hubs for maritime innovation. The expansion signals a decisive step in the company’s North American growth strategy, positioning it closer to key partners and operational environments where its technologies are already gaining traction.
Set to open in April 2026, the new site will serve as a regional base for advancing Zelim’s AI-enabled maritime safety and security solutions. Designed to enhance operational awareness and response at sea, these technologies are increasingly relevant as maritime operators contend with complex, high-risk environments.
Zelim’s arrival in Canada builds on a series of milestones that have steadily strengthened its presence across the country’s maritime sectors. In 2024, the company demonstrated its flagship man-overboard detection and monitoring system, ZOE, to the Canadian Coast Guard and other partners. Momentum continued in 2025, when Zelim was selected for NATO’s DIANA Phase II programme, deploying ZOE during a major naval exercise and introducing the system to the Royal Canadian Navy. More recently, in February 2026, Zelim secured a commercial agreement with BC Ferries to equip four new-build vessels with its technology.
Headquartered in Edinburgh, UK, Zelim has been preparing for this next phase of international expansion through the launch of a dedicated defence business unit and the addition of senior leadership talent. These moves align with its ambitions across defence, cruise and ferry, port operations, and offshore energy markets.
Leading the Canadian operation is Brigadier General (Retired) Tom Dunne, Zelim’s newly appointed regional Vice President. With extensive experience in search and rescue operations through both the Royal Canadian Air Force and the United States Coast Guard, Dunne brings operational insight shaped by some of the world’s most demanding 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.”
The move is also welcomed by the local innovation ecosystem. “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.”
With a growing portfolio of partnerships and deployments, Zelim’s Canadian expansion underscores both the rising demand for advanced maritime safety technologies and the country’s role as a proving ground for innovation in challenging operational conditions.
