During the second week of March, PIN’s member hub, the Blue Economy Incubator (BEI) of the Port of San Diego, attended the 12th World Ocean Summit & Expo in Tokyo, Japan, hosted by The Economist magazine. This was the first time the Port of San Diego participated in the event. The Economist Impact team brought together a diverse group of global ocean leaders from industry, academia, investor groups, non-governmental organizations, and governments.
The Summit’s programming and side events were built around the theme of healthy seas and sustainable growth. Highlights included an opening night reception hosted by British Ambassador Julia Longbottom at the British Embassy and a speech by His Excellency Shigeru Ishiba, Japan's Prime Minister, on the country's commitment to the ocean.
The 12th annual World Ocean Summit & Expo, supported by The Nippon Foundation, convened a wide cross-section of the ocean community, including business and finance, government, policy makers, civil society, and academia. The summit focused on the transition to a sustainable ocean economy, ocean stewardship, strategies to restore ocean health, advancements in marine technology, and collaborative efforts to address ocean pollution.
Paula Sylvia, acting director of the Port of San Diego’s Aquaculture and Blue Tech Team, co-presented with Vanessa Scott, director of Industry Relations, Innovation & the StartBlue Ocean Enterprise Accelerator at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, as part of the "Innovation Showcase," sharing how the Port and Scripps are advancing the Blue Economy and establishing the San Diego region as a leader in sustainable oceans. Jason Giffen, vice president of Planning & Environment at the Port, participated in the “Balancing Commerce and Conservation: Making Shipping Safer for Marine Life" panel.
The BEI team also took part in a workshop hosted by Hatch Blue on “Advancing Blue Carbon through Global Partnerships,” where participants were interested in the Port’s work on blue carbon, aquaculture, and shoreline resilience. Additionally, the team joined roundtable discussions on “Charting a Course for a Native-Positive Blue Economy” and “Driving Nature-Positive Actions in the Shipping Industry.”
The Summit provided an opportunity for the BEI team to connect with potential Blue Economy funders and investor groups focused on Return on Investment and Return with Impact, aiming to restore ocean health and accelerate a sustainable ocean economy.
Next year’s Summit will be held in Montreal, Canada. PIN looks forward to participating and encourages others in the PIN community to join as well.
