How a Cockburn Business Grant helped Scott’s clever invention set sail
When Scott Wovodich was working as a crew transfer operator, shuttling surveyors and pilots to massive cargo ships 15 to 20 miles out at sea, he witnessed something that would change the course of his career. As waves surged and his small boat bumped against 300-metre-long vessels, he watched surveyors grab and climb rickety wooden ladders to perform the dangerous but essential task of weighing ships.
“I had this little surveyor on my shoulder and I had to count him off the ladder,” the Coolbellup resident and marine engineer said. “The ladder disappeared above our heads. I was like, that’s it, there has to be a safer way to do this.”
That moment of clarity in 2018 sparked the creation of his business, Over 3 Oceans, and its flagship innovation, OLi Systems — an autonomous draft line surveying system that’s set to transform how ports measure vessel weight worldwide.
The technology tackles a process that dates back to the 1600s, when Samuel Plimsoll designed the Plimsoll line to prevent merchant ships from sinking. Today, ports still rely largely on manual labour to measure a ship’s displacement weight (the difference between its weight entering and leaving port) to calculate cargo quantities for customs and optimise operations.
“At the moment, people still need to actually go on board and do their manual installations and calculations,” Scott said. “Whereas with the device I’ve built, you pretty much place it on the ship and it automates from the get-go.”
The OLi System is a straightforward device that crew members set up on board before loading or unloading begins. After initial calibration by surveyors, it provides real-time digital visualisation of the loading process through a dashboard, eliminating the need for dangerous offshore transfers and manual measurements.
But the journey from concept to reality wasn’t without challenges. Development began in 2022, starting with off-the-shelf technology and custom algorithms. Scott’s team built test tanks, achieved accuracy within 10 millimetres, and completed their minimum viable product (MVP). A critical turning point came in 2023 when Scott received a $5,000 matched business grant from the City of Cockburn, in the Innovation and Major Projects category.
“That gave us a chance to upgrade the actual external devices that we were purchasing,” he said. “We went from a cheap brand to a brand that was tested in the field, in the maritime industry already. The price difference went from $100 a unit to $700 a unit and we needed to buy six of them.”
It was a game changer. The grant proved the concept and helped build the MVP successfully. Scott particularly appreciated the accessibility of the City’s program.
“Their process for their grant was super easy; it was straightforward; there was not much thinking involved apart from storytelling.”
Now, Scott has an ambitious goal: testing the fully optimised system in Western Australian ports by 2027. He envisages OLi Systems improving port efficiency, increasing resource output, enhancing safety, and standardising documentation across the global maritime industry.
“I want to take a whole industry into one system,” he says. “It’s a big goal, but I know it can be done.”
Could a business grant make your dream a reality? The next round opens Sunday 10 May 2026. Find out more information by visiting the City’s Business Grants page.
Want to maximise your chances of success? The City of Cockburn, in partnership with the MCCC, is bringing you a Business Grant Application Workshop on Tuesday 14 April, led by expert grant writer and assessor John Tedesco, to help you learn how to craft a winning application.
Or join our Micro Business Networking Session for a short, insightful workshop on the do’s and don’ts of strengthening your application on Wednesday 27 May 2026.