The Tampa Bay region, led by the St. Pete Innovation District, is poised to be a leader in the growing New Blue Economy. This is a different approach than the traditional blue economy. The New Blue Economy is a knowledge-based economy - data and technology lead the way for deeper analysis of challenges and opportunities in the marine environment. The work pivots from looking to the sea not just for extraction of material goods (e.g., food and fossil food productions) and critical services (e.g., shipping, coastal tourism) to a broader effort to address societal challenges and inspire disruptive technology solutions (e.g., underwater exploration, autonomous vehicles, coastal mapping that impacts flood insurance modeling).
Read more about what the New Blue Economy means for St. Pete.
There are many quotes about innovation and how it is fostered. I have several hanging in my office. We recently looked to these as we were deciding the name for our new breakfast series. Our brainstorming kept coming back to the concept that ideas are the beginning - they create the "spark" that fuels innovation.