™ Exploring Opportunities for Marine Renewable Energy in Maritime Markets WPTO-EDA Industry Challenge Partnership B lue economy industries sustainably leverage the resources of major bodies of water, offering vast opportunities for economic growth Swelling demand for ocean-derived food, materials, energy, and knowledge is driving rapid growth in this emerging sector; however, its continued expansion relies upon securing the energy sources necessary to effectively power it To better support economic development, entrepreneurial ventures, and job growth in this developing sector, the U.S Department of Energy Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), in partnership with the U.S Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA), awarded $4 million for the 2020 Industry Challenge: Innovation in the Blue Economy Under the Powering the Blue Economy initiative, seven organizations received awards to support entrepreneurship and accelerate company growth in their communities or regions with an overarching goal to drive growth in the blue economy Over the next years, these organizations will contribute to that growth by: • Supporting the commercialization of blue economy technologies • Improving the competitiveness of blue economy startups • Increasing connectivity and collaboration between blue economy stakeholders • L everaging the blue economy broadly to support innovation and job creation Meet the Recipients These seven organizations were awarded grants for energy innovation related to ocean activities and to advance other broader blue economy initiatives Building Blue Business Models: The Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association’s Blue Pipeline Venture Studio will spark innovation in Alaska’s ocean economy through a platform that engages industry, entrepreneurs, investors, and government to support the state’s top entrepreneurs in the development of scalable ocean economy business models The project will also identify gaps in existing ecosystems and attract talent and technology from outside the state to develop the ocean economy Testing the Waters: By providing innovators from all over the country with the ability to conceive, test, scale-up, and demonstrate innovative water technology directly with customers, the Cleveland Water Alliance will grow the region’s water economy The project will develop accelerator testbeds within four environments: watershed, utility, consumer, and industrial water use; and convene customers and entrepreneurs across the Lake Erie basin around key challenges and opportunities in the freshwater sector Boosting Blue Tech: A collaboration between the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium Corporation and SeaAhead, the BlueSwell Incubator Program will bridge gaps between blue economy stakeholders Building off partner and regional capabilities, the program will support innovators on the path from the lab toward commercialization through grants, a 20-week go-to-market strategy curriculum, mentorship, and access to investors Blue Economy on the Oregon Coast: A partnership between Oregon State University’s (OSU’s) Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) and Oregon RAIN, the Hatfield iLab will serve as a hub for accelerating growth of blue economy tools and technologies along Oregon’s 362-mile coastline The iLab will bring together existing blue technology innovation hubs for a variety of stakeholders and will support blue economy tools and tech development startups on their journey toward commercialization Sparking Startups: Led by the University of California, San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, StartBlue is a new accelerator that supports the creation of advanced science and engineering startups to tackle our ocean-focused challenges and integrate solutions into science, industry, investment, and government networks Based at UC San Diego’s extensive marine facilities, StartBlue provides its cohort of startups with a curriculum, mentorship, and access to potential partners, investors, and customers Economic Development for Isolated Coastal and Island Communities: Through the advancement of sustainable, affordable energy and water infrastructure technologies, as well as the facilitation of knowledge and technology transfer, the University of New Hampshire project will spur economic development opportunities for remote island, coastal, or islanded communities in the Gulf of Maine Meeting Maritime Needs in Washington State: Led by Washington Maritime Blue, project partners include the Washington State Department of Commerce, the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, the City of Tacoma, Tacoma Power, the University of Washington, TractionSpace, and more The project will provide incubator/accelerator technology and commercialization services to entrepreneurs, support the development of high-paying jobs, drive growth in the regional maritime economy, demonstrate cutting-edge maritime technologies, and unlock millions in statewide capital and innovation investments Help us grow the expanse of the blue economy Learn more about the 2020 Industry Challenge: Innovation in the Blue Economy and become a member of the Powering the Blue Economy Community: energy.gov/blueeconomy EDA Industry Challenge FY20 Grant Recipients Innovation in the Blue Economy Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association Anchorage, Alaska Blue Pipeline Venture Studio Cluster Development Project Washington Maritime Blue Bothell, Washington Puget Sound Region Blue Economy Regional Collaboration Initiative Cleveland Water Alliance University of New Hampshire Cleveland, Ohio Enhancing Economic Opportunity for Isolated Coastal and Island Communities through Resilient Energy-Water Microgrid Systems Blue Economy Innovation Initiative Durham, New Hampshire Oregon State University Corvallis, Oregon The Oregon Coast Blue Economy Marine technologies RapidPrototyping and Ecosystem Development Project University of California Scripps Institution of Oceanography New England Aquarium Corporation La Jolla, California Boston, Massachusetts StartBlue Blue Economy Accelerator Development Project BlueSwell Incubator Program From Anchorage to Boston, the FY20 EDA Industry Challenge grant recipients are sparking blue economy expansion through entrepreneurship Photo Credit: WPTO For more information visit, energy.gov/eere/water Cover composite images from iStock 917614562, 614436826 WATER POWER TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE DOE/GO-102020-5509• December 2020