UNH Breaks Ground on Ocean Mapping Center of Excellence
The University of New Hampshire has broken ground on a new 70,500-square foot building that will house the Center of Excellence for Operational Ocean and Great Lakes Mapping, a state-of-the-art research, office, and instructional space.
With funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Institute for Standards and Technology, the building will also accommodate the growing number of industry partners seeking to collaborate with UNH, advancing engagement with businesses in New Hampshire and beyond.
The facility is expected to open in fall 2027.
“This new building will provide an advanced facility for our world-renowned Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping and expand UNH’s decades-long leadership in hydrographic excellence,” says UNH President Elizabeth Chilton. “We are immensely grateful to NOAA and to Senator Jeanne Shaheen for their ongoing commitment to UNH’s excellence in seafloor mapping.”
Since 1999, NOAA and UNH have collaborated under a cooperative agreement that enables NOAA to operate the Joint Hydrographic Center and Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping on the UNH campus. As a result of this partnership, UNH is now a global leader in ocean floor and coastal mapping, which is essential for safe navigation, national security, protection against natural disasters, and more. Since its inception in 1999, the center has mapped more than a million square kilometers of ocean floor, discovered shipwrecks, helped the federal government respond to natural and manmade disasters, and pioneered the use of autonomous vehicles to map and collect data from the ocean floor.
“The University of New Hampshire has long worked with NOAA to advance critical research — and I was proud to secure funding that will further that partnership with the creation of a new cutting-edge research facility,” says Senator Shaheen. “By creating a training ground for ocean mapping experts, the project will both contribute to scientific innovations with real applications at NOAA while also adding new jobs to our coastal economy."
Goals for the Center of Excellence include delivering hydrographic training and fostering workforce development for ocean mapping operations; providing technical expertise for NOAA’s mapping operations on diverse platforms, including new ships and uncrewed vessels; and partnering with academia and industry to transition ocean mapping research to operations.
An Ecosystem for Industry Partners
Located at the intersection of Main Street and Mast Road in Durham about a mile from the center of campus, the facility will include office and instructional space, as well as two large, high-ceiling areas with overhead cranes — known as a high bays — for storing, outfitting, and staging bulky equipment and small vessels.
UNH and French maritime robotics company Exail collaborated on developing the Dri Autonomous mapping vessel.
Approximately half of the facility will comprise a high bay and offices for industry partners to co-locate, share equipment, and leverage access to UNH researchers and students.
“Engaging with industry collaborators from New Hampshire and across the globe creates high-impact opportunities for our students, boosts the state’s economy, and provides companies with access to state-of-the-art facilities and resources that help them to succeed,” says Chilton. “These public-private partnerships are a critical piece of the university’s strategic plan. As we continue planning for the potential development of the Edge innovation district, this new facility will be a cornerstone of that effort at UNH.”
Since 2022, the number of companies co-locating at UNH has grown by more than 400%, an indication of the increasing demand for industry co-location. Several of CCOM’s 60-plus industrial partners, including New Hampshire-based sonar technology company Klein Marine and the French maritime robotics innovators Exail, already co-locate at UNH, as do companies ranging from New Hampshire-based controlled environment developer Airtho and metal 3D printing innovator SPEE3D, an Australian company. UNH’s John Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center, home to a growing number of industry partners as well as facilities for student and faculty research in advanced manufacturing, will also occupy the new building.
This growing ecosystem of academic and industry collaborators will foster workforce development and bring new technologies and products from idea to market, generating economic value and job creation.