Background
Océanide Inc. is a Quebec company founded in 1982 by company president Dr. Mario Gagnon, an expert in the fields of physic, oceanography and atmospheric engineering. Dr. Gagnon completed his first and second degrees at the University of Quebec at Rimouski in physic and oceanography. He then occupied a research post at the INRS - Oceanology, from 1972 to 1988. Afterward, he pursued doctoral studies at Laval University in civil engineering, specializing in numerical modeling in hydrodynamics using the finite elements method.
One of Océanide Inc. first successes was the development of an autonomous Spar buoy designed for the recording and for the transmission of oceanographic and meteorological parameters. In the 80s, the company realized mandates in the field of physical oceanography.
Océanide Inc. experienced a revival in the 90s with the addition of new domains of activities connected to oceanic engineering: the modeling of coastal processes. The two (2D) and three dimensional (3D) numerical modeling software represent the fruits of numerous years of hard work, including collaboration with Laval university; they are in constant evolution. Several projects were realized in the field of 3D hydrodynamic modeling in Canada. Some of these mandates were executed in association with researchers from the university sector and in partnership with great engineering firms of Québec.
With the development of the wind energy power in the east of Canada, the company developed a three-dimensional atmospheric model using finite elements technology to analyze and predict the distribution of winds; and to study the distribution of the wind energy power over a small region. The use of the model aims to simulate and predict the regime of wind and wind energy power at various heights over an uneven region. This Research and Development activity was supported by the governments of Québec (Ministry of the Natural Resources) and of Canada (National Research Council of Canada).
The company realized some international mandates in Morocco (determination of the zero hydro in Tangier, at Ksar Sghir and in the site of the new Mediterranean Tangier port) and in Senegal (study aiming to define the optimal characteristics of the emissary of Dakar).
The objective of the company is to develop numerical models
in the field of the oceanic and atmospheric processes. Due to the close proximity
of educational and oceanographic research institutes (Institut des Sciences
de la Mer, Maurice Lamontagne institute, Institut Maritime du Québec,
Technopole Maritime du Québec, Technocentre Éolien de Gaspé,
Corporation de Gestion Intégrée des Ressources Éolienne),
and by partnerships with the university sector (University Laval, INRS - Eau,
UQAR) and private sector (Procéan Environment Inc, SNC - Lavalin, Groups
BPR) Océanide Inc. is capable of supplying professional services of
great quality to its clients.