The UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Alliance for the Blue Economy (All Blue) will host the inaugural Ocean Innovation Conference from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Sept. 19, at the UNCW Burney Center. Panel discussions include Sparking Regional Blue Innovation, Ocean Innovation Technology, Innovations in Sustainability, and Innovation Investment.
Open to the public, the conference will convene leaders from the business, government and academia sectors.
“By bringing together influential figures in the industry and the region, the CIE aspires to ignite a more collaborative process in developing new ideas and innovation in the blue economy and to create a vibrant blue economy hub in Southeast North Carolina,” said Heather McWhorter, CIE director.
Conference speakers include Wilmington native Rear Admiral Laura M. Dickey, deputy for material readiness, United States Coast Guard. She will provide key insights about USCG’s current activities and how future plans will impact coastal North Carolina.
Marine biologist and best-selling author Wallace J. Nichols, also known as “J,” will discuss the “Blue Mind” movement, an emerging field of research and health and wellness practice that explores the cognitive, emotional, psychological and social benefits of water.
The luncheon keynote speaker is Jake Kheel, author of “Waking the Sleeping Giant: Unlocking the Hidden Power of Business to Save Our Planet” and vice president of the Grupo Puntacana Foundation in the Dominican Republic. Kheel, who is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker, will share information about the Dominican Coral Innovation Hub and discuss the role of the private sector in marine conservation.
Event sponsors include NC Idea, NC Sea Grant, the City of Wilmington, UNCW Center for Marine Science, Blue Mind Coworking, Cape Fear Community College Small Business Center and the NC Small Business and Technology Development Center at UNCW.
The Ocean Innovation Conference has been endorsed by the United Nations Ocean Decade for Sustainable Development Program. Their mission is to seek transformative ocean science solutions for sustainable development, while connecting people and our ocean.
"This significant endorsement recognizes the importance that new ocean technologies, extensive research, and global cooperation play in achieving sustainability goals related to our ocean," said Heather McWhorter, director of UNCW's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Learn more about this designation here.
For more information about the conference, including speaker biographies, session details and links to event registration, please visit the CIE website.
This article has the following tags: Research & Innovation Engagement