On Thursday, March 10, SeaAhead and Ørsted are hosting a free event at CIC Providence to showcase innovative ideas from startups in the blue economy and offshore wind sector.
According to Neil Hamel, head of U.S. innovation and the venture hub at Ørsted Offshore North America, it’s the first event hosted by the Ørsted Innovation Hub since it was launched in February 2020.
“Over the last two years the blue tech space globally has really gained momentum. So we wanted to gather people from a broad range of ocean industries to hear from some brilliant entrepreneurs and think about how they might be able to work with them on a pilot project or advancing their products,” Hamel said.
At the Innovation in Offshore Wind: Startup Showcase, nine startups will pitch and participate in panel discussions, while representatives from Ørsted and SeaAhead, a bluetech incubator, offer thoughts on opportunities for innovation in the sector. This week, Hamel shared his thoughts on the growing blue economy and how new innovation in tech could shape Rhode Island’s future.
Can you give a broad overview of Rhode Island’s blue economy today and where it could go this year?
Rhode Island’s blue economy spans six sub-industries: Ports and shipping, defense, marine trades, ocean-based renewables, aquaculture and fisheries, and tourism and recreation. Participation in the ecosystem from legacy players and innovative startups has never been stronger – perhaps as evidenced by the Phase I award of the federal Build Back Better Regional Challenge.
The proposed RI Blue Economy Technology Cluster will establish Rhode Island and southern New England as the leading global center of the blue economy backed by a consortium of industry, government, nonprofit and academic partners.
What kind of technologies are at the forefront of this industry aside from wind farms?
Autonomous vehicles and robotics, wave and weather predictions, aquaculture and biodiversity development, AR/VR training, hydrogen production, long duration co-located energy storage, data gathering sensors and AI systems, eco-friendly concrete and other materials sciences…the list goes on!
Can you tell me what your hopes are for this event?
Our hope is that these companies walk away from the event with a list of industry partners interested in piloting their technologies and helping them advance their products. We also hope to give attendees an understanding of how important and how broad the blue tech and blue economy is and some of the exciting innovation that is happening in the space.
Are there any Rhode Island companies that have caught your eye lately?
Yes! The two that are pitching at our event – Jaia Robotics and Current Lab.
Anything else to add?
What started pre-pandemic as the Rhode Island Innovation Hub has grown into our North American Ventures & Open Innovation headquarters, and our team is growing too! We’re looking for an analyst to join our team to help us imagine a future that runs entirely on green energy.
