The Blue Economy is vital to the Ocean State. There are a lot of very significant parts of the Rhode Island economy that are directly connected to the ocean. The list of ocean industries in Rhode Island is lengthy. It includes shipping, aquaculture, fishing, boating, and tourism. We have world-class marine science and undersea defense research programs. And, of course, Rhode Island is the national leader in offshore wind deployment.

To put the Blue Economy into perspective, I like step back to reflect on the work we’ve done in textiles and composites. Rhode Island has a legendary tradition of textile manufacturing and expertise in high-end composites, but the different players in that space, although individually very capable, were not well integrated with one another in terms of supporting their industry. So, we did some convening to help get over that barrier and we created the Rhode Island Textile Innovation Network (RITIN). Those companies are now working together to advance their industry. That collaboration produced a new facility that will be supported by the US Navy to help design high-tech fabrics, including composites, here in Rhode Island.

We have a lot of strong players in the Blue Economy in Rhode Island, but I believe they can more effectively serve their common purpose if they collaborate rather than try to work alone. This is particularly true considering that the big infrastructure bill proposed by President Biden is coming up in Congress. It will be really important that all these industries have a forum of some kind to go to so that we can prioritize their needs and make the required investments. Companies may miss out on the opportunity to get big things that help their industry if they are not pulling together.

What we have seen is that once the convening function is achieved, people pretty quickly begin to find common ground. When there is a real plan, people will engage. Nobody wants to be a part of a ceremonial group. Once the group is doing things and gaining momentum, however, people feel that they are part of something that is productive. Then they are able to look beyond very local, company-specific concerns and see the larger picture.

Rhode Island’s size gives it a certain economy of scale when it comes to collaboration. You can get most of the people that matter on an issue together in a room in Rhode Island and you can get pretty fast decision making. Plus, because we all bump into each other so often, there is a higher-than-average level of trust. You know you are going to bump into whoever you’re dealing with again, and again, and again. So, there is an incentive for behavior to be cooperative.

At the national level, I believe there is a role for Congress in advancing the Blue Economy. I will be working very hard to add Blue Economy segment to the Biden Build Back Better program. There are a lot of good national components in place that we can pull together into an effective piece of legislation.

Looking ahead, I hope we can get big things done on the Blue Economy at the national level. The Biden Administration is going to be all-in to the extent that it is an administrative function. The Biden appointees to places like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and to the administrative agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are going to focus very heavily on climate issues. Even non-traditional organizations like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will be involved. So on the executive side, I have a lot of confidence.

On the administrative side, I have quite a lot of confidence as well, although that has to move a little bit more slowly because of the Administrative Procedure Act’s process requirements. One thing that I am feeling very good about is former Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo serving as U.S. Secretary of Commerce. She comes to that office not only with her loyalties to Rhode Island, but also having been steeped in ocean and coastal issues. She helped manage the development of the first offshore wind farm in the United States—the Block Island Wind Farm. She is going to be a very knowledgeable player in this space and I think she is determined to get a lot accomplished.