Marine Science and Data Analytics are two of the target industries in St. Petersburg (learn more at Grow Smarter). These areas have always been intertwined but they are converging in deeper and unique ways under the NEW Blue Economy. The NEW Blue Economy is “a knowledge-based economy, looking to the sea not just for extraction of material goods, but for data and information to address societal challenges and inspire their solutions” according to Dr. Richard Spinrad (EOS.org). The traditional blue economy developed around tangible resources (e.g., food and fossil fuel production) and critical services (e.g., shipping, coastal tourism). Data was often nothing more than a supporting function.
In the future, the role of data, information, and related disruptive technologies will be critical. The ability to acquire, transform and interpret data will drive policies, sustainability efforts, new business ventures, and more. The Innovation District is fortunate to have academics, government and private industry partners already embracing the NEW Blue Economy. The potential is tremendous! Stay tuned for future updates on how the District and its partners are making strategic plans to further the NEW Blue Economy
From the SPID June 2022 Newsletter
The St. Pete Innovation District Master Plan received the 2026 Future of the Region Award for Built Environment at the 32nd Annual Future of the Region Awards
The St. Pete Innovation District is proud to be a member of The Continuum, a national network of ocean enterprise accelerators created to move ocean intelligence and marine technologies
In the weeks following the devastating fire at the USF College of Marine Science lab, the St. Petersburg community proved that resilience is strongest when people come together