When offshore wind giant Orsted A/S established its Providence hub in 2020, it sent a clear signal to the broader ocean economy, says Jeanine Boyle, CEO of Inspire Environmental Inc.
The message, Boyle said, is that “Rhode Island has made a very comfortable space for offshore wind development.”
But now, Ocean State leaders must work to sustain that reputation, Boyle said during Providence Business News’ 2024 Emerging Industries summit on March 13 at the Providence Marriott.
“What Rhode Island has to do is make good on the commitments to develop the infrastructure ... the workforce and economy [for] maintaining those projects,” she said.
Alongside Boyle, the blue economy/Ocean Tech Hub panel discussion at the summit featured Anthony Baro, managing principal of E2SOL LLC; Jim Owens, principal at Nautilus Defense LLC; Marc B. Parlange, president of the University of Rhode Island; Stephen Piper, lead client partner at the state of Rhode Island and IBM Consulting; and Nishita Roy-Pope, founder and CEO of Tribe Academy LLC.
A second panel discussion held later in the morning focused on Rhode Island’s life sciences sector.
Unlike life sciences, panelists noted, Rhode Island already has a wealth of resources needed to succeed as a leader in the blue economy, including research infrastructure, major players and the ocean itself.
It perhaps shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that in the Ocean State, more than one-third of the state’s commerce relates back to the ocean in some way, Piper said.
“Forty percent of Rhode Island’s economy is already tied to the blue economy,” Piper said. “And it’s looking to grow.”
But that growth won’t come without an active push to expand access and resources for the emerging economy, according to Roy-Pope. And that push, she said, needs to start well before it’s time for Ocean State residents to choose a career path.
“If we are going to have a workforce that is excited about the blue economy and opportunities ready for them, it has to start earlier,” Roy-Pope said. “It has to be part of the K-12 program.”
Rhode Island leaders must also push to increase diversity in the emerging economy, Roy-Pope said.
“It has to be intertwined with how you run the business because teams that are inclusive are more innovative,” Roy-Pope said. “They have better customer experience, and they are more profitable.”
In its current state, she said, “the blue economy is here, but it’s not as accessible to everyone.”
But that can change, Roy-Pope said, noting that “because it’s so new, everyone can play a part in it,” with the industry acting as a “great equalizer.”
As part of this effort, blue economy leaders must consider how they can include people of all education levels, Roy-Pope said.
“Maybe you don’t have to have an ocean engineering degree to work in an ocean engineering company,” Roy-Pope said. “Maybe [potential employees are] folks who don’t have college degrees, and how can we provide on-the-job training or other types of micro-learning to give them those hands-on skills? Ultimately, we need to find ways to translate access into means of employment.”
She added, “There are 36,000 jobs that need to be filled. ... It’s going to take a whole community to be invested.”
Boyle also spoke on the blue economy’s potential to promote social change while bolstering the area’s economy.
“We don’t just behave in a sustainable way because it’s the right thing to do,” Boyle said. “It’s also increasingly becoming a part of the metrics we’re measured by, and how we’re going to maintain our place in this blue economy by developing that.”
Parlange said coastal resiliency is an area of particular interest to many companies, which has led to conversations between blue economy ventures and the University of Rhode Island.
Piper, meanwhile, sees particular potential in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
“We have all the jackpots lined up,” Piper said. “We have the right level of support, and the right skill sets.”
But echoing Boyle’s earlier sentiment, he said the state needs to keep that momentum going. “Stay persistent in the investment in this industry, and keep the messaging high on us,” Piper said.
