“BLUE & AltaSea will be USA's BlueTech bookends.” Beth Zonis | Cleantech Open NE/ ACT
We bridge tech innovation with community and culture to power a secure, sustainable, and emerging Blue Economy.
"The Blue Dozen" (BX6) represents twelve pioneering startups from across the globe, each developing critical, early-stage technologies designed to protect, restore, and heal our Planet Blue.
No Ocean, No Economy
Today is World Ocean Day. For me, it is a reminder of how deeply the ocean is connected to our everyday lives, our communities, our economy, and our shared future. The ocean sustains life, supports livelihoods, and inspires imagination, shaping how we work, travel, eat, trade, learn, and envision what comes next.
Although some of us may live far from the coast, the ocean is still present in our lives. It influences our climate, brings goods to ports, and supports industries across seafood, tourism, transportation, shipbuilding, energy, recreation, research, and countless businesses across the United States. In 2023, the U.S. marine economy contributed $511 billion to GDP, generated $827 billion in sales, and supported 2.6 million jobs. NOAA’s recent data shows that by 2024, the marine economy will employ approximately 3.7 million people, adding more than 500,000 jobs from 2021 to 2024.
These numbers are impressive, but they tell only part of the story. The ocean is more than an economic engine. It is a living system, and its health touches coastal and inland communities, established industries and emerging ventures, public health, national security, and global resilience.
At The Blue Institute, we believe that economic prosperity and ocean health are inextricably linked. The future of our human family and the oceans upon which we depend hinges on what we choose to build, restore, and protect. It will be determined by students who see themselves as problem-solvers, entrepreneurs who turn ideas into real solutions, and communities that know their voices, experiences, and futures belong at the center of the blue economy.
When researchers, educators, investors, communities, public agencies, and industries work together, ocean knowledge becomes action. Innovation creates opportunity. And the blue economy becomes more than a sector; it becomes a source of shared resilience.
A thriving marine economy is not only about what we take from the ocean. It is about how we learn to live, work, design, build, restore, and grow in ways that strengthen both communities and ecosystems. It is about advancing coastal resilience, clean maritime systems, sustainable aquaculture, ocean data, blue technology, workforce development, and environmental stewardship.
On this World Ocean Day, I am grateful for the people who are protecting, restoring, and renewing our ocean: students, scientists, fishers, founders, engineers, educators, community leaders, policymakers, investors, and advocates. Their work gives me hope for a healthier ocean and a more resilient future.
The ocean gives us more than we often pause to recognize. Today is an opportunity to celebrate that gift and recommit ourselves to the well-being of our people, our places, and our planet.
Robyn
Robyn Hannigan
President
Blue Institute
Advancing resilient oceans and waters through interdisciplinary science, education, and public engagement
Meet the BX6 Startups leading the next wave of ocean innovation.
When: Demo Day June 25, 2026
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From Local Harbors to Global Horizons: Connecting the North Atlantic Corridor to celebrate a thriving Blue Economy.
When: Autumn, 2026
Blue Economy Week provides the digital and physical infrastructure for regional Blue Economy leaders to showcase world-class innovation. Our mission is to synchronize the voices of the North Atlantic Blue Economy Corridor—connecting deep-tech investment with academic research, workforce training, and the arts. By providing a shared platform for collaboration, we ensure that the regional maritime ecosystem is greater than the sum of its parts.
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Beyond BX6, Blue Institute is developing a Maine-Alaska partnership to pair U.S. Veterans with high-TRL innovations. Leveraging Arctic Encounter leadership, Blue Sentinel aims to solve critical ruggedness and security challenges through dual-use tech in the world's most demanding environments.
"We need a global approach to this from all sides. We need to educate people, we need the scientists to create new technologies, we need the engineers to create the networks, we need every human being to be aware of how precious water is and save it. Everybody has to be involved in a very firm and assertive way." - Isabel Allende, Chilean-American writer
We aim to help educate young people to be the next generation of "Water Thought Leaders" for their communities and the wider world. That could be as simple (and important) as serving on a local water resource committee, or exploring the burgeoning opportunities and career pathways in the blue economy through internships, workforce development, and our future BLUE Semester. Cultural engagements such as the annual "Words on Water" writing contest for poetry, prose and playwriting, offers both the writer and reader reflections on the relationships we all have with water - be it oceans, rivers, or a glass from the tap. Community conferences, art activities and science lectures engage learners of all ages. Our mission is to break down silos, educate, collaborate and to facilitate the creation of water thought leaders, resilient communities, and innovative solutions for clean water, climate resiliency, and healthy & secure oceans. We focus on equity and inclusion particularly for siloed and disparate educators, and innovators from academia, industry and government. We aim long term to bring them together with students for a semester at a time to take a deep dive into collaborative working climate solutions - because we believe strongly in open ecosystem and "innovation through collaboration." Our planet needs collaboration now.
Blue Institute is mission driven to support early stage BlueTech, ClimateTech, and Blue Economy Startups (including ideas growing within a university or a garage), and to develop more sector diversity and inclusion - particularly women and BIPOC in BlueTech. Our "Advanced Topics" BLUE Excelerator supports startups in an intensive virtual three month program with deep technical knowledge, field experienced mentors, and instructive curriculum modules.
Leveraging Boston's innovation ecosystem, BLUE on Boston Harbor, a Northeast "Blue England" consortium in formation, will establish a vibrant ocean access campus as an international landing spot, accelerating sustainable growth in the 'Blue England' region through collaborative innovation, education, research and workforce development in the Blue Economy featuring a dedicated waterfront home for the Blue Institute, expanding the nonprofit's capacity to drive education, research, and workforce development. Alongside a shared labs/co-working facility for Blue Innovation Labs and the Blue Incubator, fostering collaboration among a consortium of Boston Harbor and "Blue England" Regional stakeholders, and international partners.
