IRAP impacts: Mariner Partners

January 20, 2026 - Saint John, New Brunswick

A 3D rendering of a network storage centre shows row upon row of server racks.

Canadian solution, global impact: Smart innovation for a cooler planet

As the world's digital footprint expands, so does its energy demand. Data centres—the facilities that power everything from streaming and online banking to cloud storage—use almost 3% of the world's electricity, with cooling systems accounting for a major share. Tackling the sustainability challenge this requires not only cutting-edge technology but also international collaboration and bold, creative thinking.

That's where Mariner Partners comes in. Based in Saint John, New Brunswick, this Canadian tech company has spent more than 2 decades driving digital transformation across different industries. With expertise in data analysis, telecommunications and energy systems, Mariner saw an opportunity to use advanced machine learning to reduce the cooling energy used by data centres.

But bringing this ambitious vision to life required more than technical know-how. It needed global perspectives, specialized R&D environments and collaborative innovation on an international scale.

The challenge

Mariner set out to develop an autonomous energy optimization platform that could control HVAC systems in real time, adapting to the unique, ever-changing conditions of data centres. The goal? Smarter, greener cooling—without human intervention.

Yet the path was anything but simple. Controlling entire HVAC systems in large, complex environments demanded new machine learning models, robust testing infrastructure and access to world-class expertise. To move from concept to market-ready technology, Mariner needed the right support at home and abroad.

How we helped

The NRC IRAP played a critical role in supporting the transformation of Mariner's big ideas into commercial clean technology solutions.

Strategic guidance for global innovation:

NRC IRAP's industrial technology advisors worked closely with Mariner, providing advisory services to shape an R&D roadmap that aligned with international trends in sustainable infrastructure. This advisory support on market fit and technical feasibility positioned Mariner to collaborate with partners and innovate with confidence.

Enabling collaboration through the Eureka network:

Through Eureka's ITEA Cluster, NRC IRAP supported Mariner's participation in AutoDC, an ambitious multinational co-innovation project to develop self-healing, autonomous data centres. Mariner joined a powerhouse consortium of 18 partners from Canada, Finland and Sweden, including tech giants like Ericsson, ABB Group and several top-tier universities. This international platform gave Mariner access to cutting-edge insights, cross-border expertise and collaborative testbeds essential for validating its technology.

Funding to turn ideas into action:

NRC IRAP has provided both valuable advisory services and R&D funding to help accelerate Mariner's growth and faciliate collaboration with partners. This support enabled the company to build and test its first breakthrough machine learning-based control algorithms, which ultimately led to EOScool—a commercial chiller plant optimization product that reduces cooling energy by more than 20%—delivering rapid return on investment for operators while cutting carbon emissions.

"NRC IRAP's support and our participation in the AutoDC collaboration project gave us the runway to innovate faster and further than we could alone. Working with world-class experts while building IP here in Canada accelerated everything—from R&D to commercialization."
— Terry Cook, P.Eng, SVP Business Development, Mariner Partners

Mariner's journey proves what's possible when Canadian ingenuity meets international collaboration. With the right support, Canadian companies can lead on the world stage—solving global problems while creating lasting benefits here at home.