Blue Economy Innovation and Entrepreneurship
UNCW and Southeast NC are positioned to grow a world-class Blue Economy and CIE is taking action to implement a strategy to make that happen. The Blue Economy is comprised of the businesses, technologies, and activities contributing to sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth and improved livelihoods and jobs.
Our mission is to establish the region as a global leader in the innovative and entrepreneurial solutions to challenges in the marine environment.
At UNCW, we have more than 100 faculty that are directly in the marine sciences, or in some way affiliated with the work being done to preserve ocean and coastal environments. Marine Science accounts for the majority of our university’s sponsored research.
Among the universities in the UNC system, UNCW has the greatest number of undergraduate and graduate students in marine biology, marine science, and environmental sciences – and is the only university with a degree program in Coastal Engineering and plans for a PhD program in Applied Coastal Ocean Science.
Today, one in six jobs in our region are in the Blue Economy. The CIE Blue Economy workgroup is actively developing initiatives to launch and grow more businesses, attract growth-stage ventures from around the country and entice international companies to select Southeast North Carolina for their bluetech expansions.
Blue Economy Resources
Please check out this article by Oceans Caucus Foundation and Consortium for Ocean Leadership, Rebuilding The U.S. Economy Through The Blue Economy.
Watch Waterloop#59 podcast with Diane Durance on Growing the Blue Economy in North Carolina.
Please contact us to learn more and receive updates on our progress. We welcome volunteers for the Blue Economy workgroup called the "Alliance for the Blue Economy (All Blue) and to participate in community forums. More information about All Blue can be found here.