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.
The Innovation District and six partners were recently selected to help grow startups that are working on technology/data solutions for the ocean economy. This powerful collaboration is made possible thanks to $13.9 million awarded by the NOAA Ocean Enterprise Accelerators program.
Kudos to Lauren Bell, the Innovation District's Hub Community Manager, for her acceptance into the Leadership St. Pete Class of 2025. Lauren is a rock star at the Innovation District.
Are you like me? Give me a physical map and I get excited! Maybe its a carryover from the pre-GPS days, but I think it is such a fun way to explore an area.