Economic Update Breakfast: The Future of the Region's Blue Economy

Join us for our next Economic Update, in partnership with the Blue Innovation Symposium:

The Future of the Region’s Blue Economy- A fireside chat with Dr. Marc Parlange, President, University of Rhode Island, and Stefan Pryor, Secretary of Commerce, State of Rhode Island, and facilitated by Peter Rumsey, Chief Business Development Officer, URI Research Foundation/URI Ventures.

Rhode Island has a diverse and world-class blue tech ecosystem including industry, governmental, and research organizations that make significant contributions to the blue economy both regionally and around the world. To provide support to these existing assets, foster startups, and attract blue technology firms to the state, a team including the University of Rhode Island and the State of RI, recently submitted a proposal, and was selected as one of 60 finalists to the US Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC).  If selected for a full award, it would mean millions of dollars in funding to support industry through specific infrastructure projects, and workforce training initiatives. 

The proposed RI Blue Economy Technology Cluster (RI BETC) will establish Rhode Island and Southern New England as the leading global center of the Blue Economy, building upon existing regional, national, and global assets and backed by a consortium of industry, government, non-profit, and academic partners. This initiative will impact Rhode Island’s entire Blue Economy which spans 6 sub-industries: ports & shipping, defense, marine trades, ocean-based renewables, aquaculture & fisheries, and tourism & recreation. 

We hope you can attend and hear about how URI and the State of Rhode Island are supporting blue technology firms and how potential funding from EDA might benefit our region’s blue tech community.

Thank you to the Economic Update series sponsor, People's Credit Union.