Leonard and SOA publish a study on the sustainable blue economy

Leonard, the VINCI Group's foresight and innovation platform, and Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA), an association specialising in responsible innovation in the maritime sector, have published a report on the sustainable blue economy. The result of a year's reflection, which began in March 2022 with the launch of a series of events that ran until October, this report highlights the assets of the seas and oceans, which are essential vectors for the ecological transition.

Structured around four main entries (blue finance and public policies, marine renewable energies, rising sea levels and resilience, ports and maritime infrastructures), the report proposes a novel systemic approach to the blue economy and benefits from the enlightened views of renowned experts: Catherine Chabaud, the first woman to complete the Vendée Globe in 1997 and now a Member of the European Parliament, Geneviève Pons, Director General and Vice-President of Europe Jacques Delors and President of the Starfish 2030 mission, Christian Lim, Co-Managing Director of SWEN Blue Ocean, Irina Lucke, Division Manager of Omexom, a VINCI Group company specialising in the life cycle of offshore power plants, Françoise Gaill, Director of Research at the CNRS.

Innovative solutions to better exploit a gigantic potential

While the oceans represent 70% of the Earth’s surface, the sustainable blue economy, whose contours may still seem vague, is a sector that holds great promise in the fight against climate change and its many related challenges. Its extraordinary, as yet untapped, potential is demonstrated throughout the sixty or so pages of this report. The sector, which will be worth $3 trillion a year by 2030 and provide at least 40 million jobs according to OECD estimates, is growing steadily. This is evidenced by the growing number of sustainable blue economy start-ups highlighted here, whose innovative solutions will make it possible to take advantage of this tremendous resource all around us.

Published today, the report will also be presented on 23 May during the final of the Ocean Pitch Challenge 2023 at the premises of Leonard:Paris, partner of the event. On this occasion, ten start-ups selected from the 136 applications received this year will present their solution to the jury, which will include Brune Poirson, Director of Sustainable Development for the Accor Group, Santiago Lefebvre, CEO of ChangeNow, and Philippe Kunter, Director of Sustainable Development at Bpifrance (details and online connection link on request from Ludivine.serriere@vinci.com).

Read the study

 

Contact : Ludivine Serriere, Project Manager at Leonard

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