The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) announced a new program to boost maritime employment and strengthen the position of the Port of Boston as a global hub for the blue economy and maritime business. This plan brings together long-standing leaders of the maritime industry with innovators, accelerators, and entrepreneurs to help businesses thrive with available workspace on the Fish Pier.
“Blue Edge will bring together all the great maritime partners we work with daily with new startups to drive growth and innovation in our maritime sector. These nascent companies seek to revolutionize the maritime industry, find ways to combat climate change, and make seafood more sustainable. Boston is a global hub of innovation and we are committed to supporting this growing sector,” stated Rich Davey, Massport’s Chief Executive Officer.
The blue economy is a rapidly growing sector in New England and represents a wide range of ocean-related businesses and industries, from seafood and shipping to cruises and tourism, marine robotics and sensors, aquaculture, and climate technology. It complements Boston’s traditional maritime industries with new opportunities to transform our coastal area, supporting businesses and creating jobs in the harbor’s marine ecosystem.
Another aspect of this plan is the creation of a Blue Edge research center on the Boston Fish Pier, which will create a waterfront workspace for blue economy startups and an adjacent floating pier for pilot testing and technology demonstrations.
This new center will allow blue economy innovators to have space on the South Boston waterfront to design and test their concepts alongside Massport’s long-standing partners in the harbor, on the Fish Pier, and beyond. The Authority plans to begin construction on this space soon and select an operating partner next year.
The Port of Boston was also recently designated as a Marine Technology Hub, with the goal of boosting the blue economy, through the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative’s TechHub program. Massport will leverage this designation to collaborate with key players in order to strengthen the region’s maritime innovation ecosystem and create more opportunities for ocean-focused companies to thrive in Boston.
