We’re deep into drafting the Tampa Bay Ocean Strategy, a bold blueprint to spotlight our rising ocean economy and the region’s strategic edge. With a clear, unified message, we’re positioning Tampa Bay to attract national attention and future investment.
These are the focus areas guiding our Ocean Strategy:
Focus Area #1: Unify Strategic Regional Collaboration
The Tampa Bay region has had historical success aligning the triple helix of innovation - academic research, industry expertise, and public policy – to unlock the potential of its ocean economy. We have an opportunity to increase this economic impact by expanding stakeholder engagement and fully leveraging their unique assets through sustained, collaborative efforts.
Focus Area #2: Catalyze High-Impact Research
The Tampa Bay region boasts a robust foundation of academic institutions that position it as a leader in high-impact ocean research, with recognition extending from local to global levels.
Focus Area #3: Accelerate Innovation
To fully realize the region’s potential in the BlueTech and maritime sectors, there is an opportunity to build on our strengths with more specialized capabilities, targeted investment, and expanded collaboration. By connecting existing accelerators, research institutions, and defense partners with emerging technologies, Tampa Bay can position itself as a national leader in ocean and maritime innovation.
Focus Area #4: Expand High-Quality Jobs
The Tampa Bay region is home to a strong pipeline of academic institutions—from high schools to universities—actively shaping and preparing the next generation for the ocean enterprise. There continues to be a need for traditional marine skills and new, technology-focused competencies.
Focus Area #5: Sustain Infrastructure Capabilities
The Tampa Bay region hosts three major ports, shipyards, test beds, and a range of specialized facilities that form the backbone of its blue economy. Maintaining and modernizing these assets is essential to ensuring continued growth, innovation, and long-term success in the ocean economy.
Focus Area #6: Strengthen Coastal Resiliency
Being vulnerable to certain environmental risks, we need to protect the region’s communities and economic assets. Strengthening coastal resilience through strategic urban planning, improved insurance frameworks, informed policy-making, and advanced business intelligence and AI tools empowers decision-makers to anticipate risks, mitigate damage, and ensure long-term regional sustainability.
Nisuka Williams
Innovation Manager
Port Security Conference – November 4 Florida’s ports are critical. Join top experts and leaders to explore the urgent challenges facing port security, from cyberattacks to smuggling. Whether you're attending in person or tuning in online, this is a must for anyone in maritime or defense. Underwater Minerals Conference – November 9 - 14 Get in the room with global leaders shaping the future of ocean resource development. From cutting-edge tech to environmental policy, the UMC brings together the brightest minds from 25+ countries for deep discussions that matter.
Thank you to all the ARK Innovation Center and Maritime & Defense Tech Hub tenants who joined us for Rowdies Networking Night with the Chamber! It was one of our first social events together and it rocked. We loved connecting outside the office and cheering on the team from the Bayshore Lounge.
We rely on hurricane categories to gauge risk, but what if the scale is leaving out the biggest dangers? Jennifer Collins, a hurricane researcher and professor in USF’s School of Geosciences, coauthored a new research paper proposing a more comprehensive approach. The current Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale measures a storm’s strength only by wind, yet wind is responsible for just 8% of hurricane-related fatalities. In contrast, storm surge accounts for 49% and rainfall flooding for 27%.