Press Release: Blue Innovation Symposium '22

The Blue Innovation Symposium, https://blueinnovationsymposium.com/, New England’s largest blue technology conference, is taking place at the Wyndham Newport Hotel, Middletown, RI from February 22-24, 2022. See below for highlight’s from this year’s agenda and an attached press release which provides additional detail. There’s a lot happening within the blue economy, both here in New England, and across the United States, and this program will bring together key stakeholders from the US and Canada to showcase these developments.

Highlights from the Blue Innovation Symposium '22

An Economic Update Breakfast, The Future of the Region’s Blue Economy, featuring Dr. Marc Parlange, President, University of Rhode Island and Stefan Pryor, Secretary of Commerce, State of Rhode Island who will discuss the state’s recent feasibility award through the US Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC), which could bring tens of millions of dollars to the state to support the region’s blue economy.

Rising Tide Awards, each year, the Blue Innovation Symposium recognizes 2 companies and an individual for their significant contributions to the marine technology industry. This year, the awards will go to Dive Technologies (Quincy, MA), Sensor Technology (Ontario, Canada), and Jim Hanlon, the former director of the Center for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE).

The Future of Offshore Wind and accelerating innovation in the OSW industry, featuring Dr. Rodney Cluck, Chief, Office of Environmental Programs, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Department of the Interior and Neil Hamel, head, US Innovation & Venture Hub, Ørsted. Note: At the 2020 Blue Innovation Symposium, Ørsted made the official announcement that they’d be opening their US Innovation Center in Providence, RI.
Accelerating our Regional Blue Economy and Fostering Blue Technology Innovations, featuring Captain Benjamin Van Buskirk, Director, NavalX, Whitney Tallarico, Director, Tech Bridge, Vic Ricci, Chief Technology Officer, Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC), Christian Cowan, Executive Director, 401 TechBridge, Molly Magee, Executive Director, Undersea Technology Innovation Consortium (UTIC), Hope Hopkins, Director, MassChallenge, Blue Track, and more than 16 blue technology start-ups, including Jaia Robotics, a Middletown, RI based marine robotics startup that recently graduated from MassChallenge’s blue track. These speakers will discuss how the region is supporting blue technology firms today and how these programs are expected to grow over the next several years.