Construction begins on UNH Ocean Mapping Center of Excellence

Construction is now underway at the University of New Hampshire on a new 70,500-square-foot (roughly 6,550-square-metre) facility that will house the Center of Excellence for Operational Ocean and Great Lakes Mapping. The purpose-built building will bring together research, office and instructional functions in a modern environment designed to support the centre’s expanding role.

Supported by funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Institute for Standards and Technology, the project also creates room for a growing network of industry partners looking to work alongside UNH. In this way, the centre aims to strengthen ties with businesses in New Hampshire and further afield. The new facility is scheduled to open in autumn 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.”

Advancing scientific innovations and coastal economy

Since 1999, NOAA and UNH have worked together through a cooperative agreement that allows NOAA to operate the Joint Hydrographic Center and the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping on the UNH campus. This long-standing collaboration has helped position UNH as a global authority in seafloor and coastal mapping – work that supports safe navigation, strengthens national security, and improves preparedness for natural hazards. Over the years, the centre has mapped well over a million square kilometres of ocean floor, located historic shipwrecks, supported federal responses to both natural and human-made disasters, and played an important role in advancing the use of autonomous vehicles for seabed data collection.

“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.

Engaging with industry collaborators

Located about a mile from the centre of campus, the facility will include offices and instructional space, as well as two large, high-ceiling areas with overhead cranes – known as high bays – for storing, outfitting and staging bulky equipment and small vessels. 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, UNH has seen a sharp rise in the number of companies choosing to co-locate on campus, reflecting a clear appetite for closer collaboration between academia and industry. Several of CCOM’s 60-plus industrial partners already maintain a presence at UNH, including New Hampshire-based sonar technology company Klein Marine and French maritime robotics specialist Exail. They are joined by a diverse mix of organizations, from controlled environment developer Airtho in New Hampshire to Australian metal 3D printing innovator SPEE3D. The new building will also house UNH’s John Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center, a growing hub for both industry partners and student and faculty research in advanced manufacturing.

Together, this expanding network of academic and industry collaborators is set to strengthen workforce development and help move emerging technologies and products from concept to real-world application, contributing to economic activity and new job opportunities.