MTS Organizational Excellence Award

MTS AWARD

Organizational Excellence Award

Presented to a company, government agency, program, or non-profit organization in recognition of outstanding contributions to the advancement of marine science and technology.

Award Overview

Award Description

Presented to a company, government agency, program, or non-profit organization in recognition of outstanding contributions to the advancement of marine science and technology.

Eligibility

Open to organizations from any country or territory. MTS membership is not required. Self-nominations are not accepted.

Recipients Receive

A plaque of recognition.

Why It Matters

Recognizes organizations whose leadership, innovation, and achievements have advanced marine science and technology while creating lasting impact across the community.

Nominations

Only one completed nomination form is accepted per candidate. Nominations are competitive and reviewed by the Committee.

Review Process

All nominations are reviewed by the MTS Awards Committee and evaluated based on the organization's impact, leadership, and sustained contributions to the field.

Nomination Requirements

Before submitting a nomination, review the guidelines below to ensure your application is complete.

Nomination Guidelines

Only one completed nomination form will be accepted per candidate.
If a nomination has already been submitted for your candidate, you will be notified.
Only the information requested in the nomination form will be reviewed.
Completed nomination packets are due by May 31.

Required Information

To submit a complete nomination, you will be asked to provide:

Your contact information (Name, Organization, Email, Phone Number)
The nominee’s contact information (Organization name, primary contact, organization type)
A Statement of Nomination outlining the nominee’s qualifications.

Statement of Nomination Criteria

The Statement of Nomination should address one or more of the categories below. Each qualification must be justified in 2,000 characters or less (including spaces) per category.

Advances in Research
Advances in Development
Advances in Design
Advances in Manufacturing
Contributions to Education
Contributions to Administration in Academia, Government, or Non-governmental Organizations
Contributions to Communications, Public Understanding of Technology, and/or Technology Policy
Contributions to Public Service

Optional Supporting Materials

You may upload a cover letter in support of your nomination.

Because the nomination process is competitive, nominators are encouraged to include sufficient detail to provide the Committee with a complete and compelling description of the nominee’s accomplishments and impact.

2025 Award Recipient - Open Ocean Robotics

Open Ocean Robotics is a Canadian marine technology company dedicated to transforming how the oceans are understood and protected. Founded in Victoria, British Columbia, the company develops and operates solar-powered uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) that collect ocean data in a safe, sustainable, and cost-effective way. Its flagship USV, the DataXplorer™, is designed for long-duration missions without the need for fuel or crew, enabling continuous operations with zero greenhouse gas emissions. Equipped with advanced sensors and AI-driven analytics, these USVs provide real-time insights for applications ranging from maritime domain awareness and defense to environmental monitoring, marine mammal protection, offshore energy support, and Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing enforcement.

Past Award Recipients

Browse past MTS Award recipients by year and celebrate the leaders, innovators, and organizations recognized for advancing marine technology.

2020s

2025: Open Ocean Robotics
2024: Seatrec, Inc.
2023: Huntsman Marine Science Centre
2022: Oceans Network Canada (International)
2022: RPS North America (Industrial)
2021: Integrated Marine Observing System Australia (International)
2021: Kongsberg Maritime (Industrial)
2020: Dr. Vladimir Ryabinin (International)
2020: CODAR Ocean Sensors LTS (Industrial)

2010s

2019: Center for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE) (International)
2019: L3 Harris ASV (Industrial)
2018: Peter Haugen (Industrial)
2017: NATO STO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (International)
2017: GRI Simulations Inc. (Industrial)
2016: Dr. Lian Lian (International)
2016: Teledyne Marine (Industrial)
2015: Nautilus Marine Service GmbH (International)
2015: Vencore Services and Solutions (Industrial)
2014: Kongsberg Maritime Embien (International)
2014: RBR, Ltd (Industrial)
2013: Oceans Branch – Department of Innovation, Business and Rural Development, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador (International)
2013: Shell (Industrial)
2012: EDT Offshore Ltd. (International)
2012: Sonardyne International (Industrial)
2011: CONTROS Systems and Solutions (International)
2011: Oceaneering International (Industrial)
2010: Simon Allen (International)
2010: Schilling Robotics (Industrial)

2000s

2009: Dughal J. Lindsay, Ph.D. (International)
2009: VideoRay (Industrial)
2008: International Submarine Engineering (International)
2008: Samson Rope Technologies (Industrial)
2007: TSS (International) Ltd. (International)
2006: Phoenix International (Industrial)
2005: Ferial El-Hawary (International)
2005: Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc. (Industrial)
2004: Noriyuki Nasu (International)
2004: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Industrial)
2003: Manned Submersibles Laboratory, Russian Academy of Sciences (International)
2003: RD Instruments (Industrial)
2002: Jean Jarry (International)
2002: Sonsub, Inc. (Industrial)
2001: Hiroshi Ohba (International)
2001: Oceaneering Technologies Inc. (Industrial)
2000: Hisaaki Maeda (International)
2000: Ocean Design (Industrial)

1990s

1999: Toshitsuguu Sakou (International)
1999: Sound Ocean Systems, Inc. (Industrial)
1998: Don E. Lennard (International)
1998: Service Argos, Inc. (Industrial)
1997: Joseph Seiler (International)
1997: Dynacon, Inc. (Industrial)
1996: Dominique Girard (International)
1996: Vector Cable Company (Industrial)
1995: Vladimir E. Zuev (International)
1995: D.G. O’Brien, Inc. (Industrial)
1994: Seizo Motora (International)
1994: Whitehill Manufacturing Corporation (Industrial)
1993: Alberto G. Lonardi (International)
1993: Williamson & Associates (Industrial)
1992: Frederico de Strobel (International)
1992: Klein Associates (Industrial)
1991: Cliff Tyner, Canada (International)
1991: Western Instrument Corporation (Industrial)
1990: Ascensio C. Lara, Argentina (International)
1990: John E. Chance & Associates, Inc. (Industrial)

1980s

1989: IFREMER, France (International)
1989: Eastport International, Inc. (Industrial)
1988: Arvid Pardo, Malta (International)
1988: Deep Ocean Engineering, Inc. (Industrial)
1987: Noboru Hamada (International)
1987: General Instrument Corporation (Industrial)
1986: Claude Riffaud (International)
1986: Inter. Underwater Contractors, Inc. (Industrial)
1985: Society for Underwater Technology, UK (International)
1985: Ocean Systems Group, Sperry Corp. (Industrial)
1984: Japan Marine Science Technology Ctr. (International)
1983: Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Industrial)
1982: Adm. Yohay Ben Nun, Israel (International)
1982: Harbor Branch Foundation, Inc. (Industrial)
1981: Jacques Piccard, Switzerland (International)
1981: Raytheon Ocean Systems, Company/Submarine Signal Division (Industrial)
1980: Kenji Okamura, Japan (International)
1980: Vetco, Inc. (Industrial)