The World Ocean Council (WOC) is excited to announce a new multi-year strategic partnership with OCEANOVATION, a leading innovation ecosystem, dedicated to advancing sustainable ocean solutions, to drive transformative change across the global blue economy.
Starting this April, this collaboration will unite the strengths of WOC’s global network of ocean industry leaders with OCEANOVATION’s deep experience in innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment. The partnership aims to accelerate the development and scaling of ocean solutions that are both commercially viable and environmentally impactful.
At the heart of the collaboration is a shared vision: to foster a more resilient, regenerative, and innovation-driven ocean economy. Through a dynamic roadmap of co-created initiatives, WOC and OCEANOVATION will bring together startups, corporates, investors, and policymakers to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing our ocean—from climate change to pollution, biodiversity loss, and sustainable resource use.
What to expect from this partnership:
Innovation & Technology Development:
Co-hosted innovation challenges and competitions focused on key ocean sustainability issues, along with joint white papers and research to spotlight emerging innovation trends.
Startup Support & Blue Investment:
Enhanced pathways for ocean entrepreneurs to access funding, mentorship, market entry, and corporate pilot opportunities through the WOC network.
Global Events & Thought Leadership:
A flagship Ocean Innovation program at the Sustainable Ocean Summit (SOS) and BlueFIN as part of Barcelona Blue Week each November, plus year-round expert panels, webinars, and new initiatives like the Ocean Innovation Excellence Award.
Cross-Sector Collaboration:
The creation of industry working groups uniting corporates, innovators, and researchers to co-develop solutions around data & AI, plastic pollution, ocean energy, and sustainable shipping.
“This partnership is a major step forward in uniting the power of corporate and business leadership with innovation to tackle ocean resilience and sustainability challenges,” said Stewart Sarkozy-Banoczy, CEO / Managing Director of WOC. “Together with OCEANOVATION, we aim to unlock new opportunities for ocean startups and scale meaningful solutions globally with our corporate members and partners.”
“OCEANOVATION is excited to collaborate with WOC and bring together innovators, investors, and industry leaders to build a healthier ocean future,” said Rick Wall, Founder of OCEANOVATION. “By aligning our ecosystems, we can accelerate progress and amplify impact.”
WOC and OCEANOVATION will activate a series of joint actions to inspire and empower the next wave of ocean solutions. Whether you're a startup founder, investor, corporate leader, or policymaker, we invite you to be part of this collaborative movement shaping the future of the ocean economy.
