Grow Blue Strategy

Grow Blue Strategy Goals

The URI Research Foundation (URIRF) convened and catalyzed this strategic planning effort in collaboration with coalition partners to complete the Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC) Phase 1 planning efforts, leveraging the remarkable momentum developed during development of a BBBRC Phase 2 Grant BBBRC application. This strategic planning effort had two primary goals:

Define a growth strategy for RI’s Blue Economy through a set of specific actions that RI stakeholders can take to advance Blue Economy opportunities and bridge gaps. Actions can take the form of program development, infrastructure building, wider community engagement, and policy/regulatory asks – to name a few examples.
Explore the formation of a Blue Economy Partnership that leverages all of the energy and most importantly co-operation during the BBBRC process to create long-lasting organizational capacity to advance Blue Economy opportunities, be an advocate for the various component sectors, continue to convene community partners and advise Rhode Island’s elected officials and stakeholders on the opportunities and needs for growth in this cluster.

Throughout this strategic planning effort, an overarching new goal for Rhode Island’s Blue Economy emerged around forming a real economic opportunity for all that leverages existing funding streams, programs, and assets to:

Drive a scalable economy backed with both internal and external momentum;

Build a diverse industry base that creates commercial resilience and growth;

Create a job market that represents opportunity for a diverse array of residents with job and career opportunities for all;

Convene community members to ensure a comprehensive, strategic use of existing assets and partnerships;

Develop a shared message of what the Blue Economy is and how it can achieve prosperity.

Actions can take the form of program development, infrastructure building, wider community engagement, and policy/regulatory asks.

What is the Grow Blue Partnership?

The Blue Economy Partnership

The Grow Blue Partnership will serve in response to the feedback from more than 250 Rhode Islanders who have participated in the development of the Blue Economy Action Plan 2030 and advocated for a coordinated effort going forward. These blue economy actors shared their interest in having some entity support a variety of needed roles including:

Coalition building to create opportunities for increased collaboration.

Centralizing resources and providing public access to all.

Marketing RI's Blue Economy assets to diverse audiences.

Collaborating for impact through the state and across state lines.

Providing a resource for guiding competing priorities or gaps between sectors.

What is the structure?

Core partners deliberated and determined that a two-phase
approach to launching the
Grow Blue Partnership was the most optimal.

Phase 1:

Grow Blue Partnership will launch with an independent Advisory
Board and staffed as an initiative of the URI Research
Foundation. The Advisory Board will include a diverse group of
industry and community leaders representing the interests of all
Rhode Islanders.

Launching an Advisory Board supported by the URI Research
Foundation will require the Foundation to secure new funding in
order to support a two-year effort to transition the initial Board
into a new independent nonprofit organization for the future.
These funds should support an estimated 2.5 FTE staffing level
that will include a Project Lead, Coordinator and
Communications/logistics support. They will also support the
continued industry liaison role being led by the URI Coastal
Resource Center.

Phase 2:

The current plan envisions that the Grow Blue Partnership will
evolve into a separate nonprofit organization. The
establishment of a separate nonprofit organization will allow for
an increased level of service and an increase in
impact potential. Centralizing this work in a dedicated
organization will allow for the eventual execution of some of the
recommended actions that currently lack an existing lead
organization and will take time to develop.

What Are The Values?

• Diverse, Equitable, And Inclusive:
Ensure the opportunity to access Blue Economy benefits is available to all, with a recognition of the need to eliminate barriers, build trust, and listen to the input of our most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities.

• Interdisciplinary:
While taking pride in our “small state” status, our size requires us to foster collaboration and leverage resources in order to realize an oversized impact.

• Intentional:
As we focus on connecting our communities with our Blue Economy assets and defined actions, we must work collaboratively to identify and pursue key resources from outside and within the state.

• Advocacy:
The partnership will advocate for those individuals and organizations in the Blue Economy that do not have a centralized body to advocate for themselves.

• Balance:
The Blue Economy provides many opportunities to balance economic prosperity with environmental protections and social justice.

What Does The Partnership Do?

In addition to the actions recommended in the Blue Economy Action Plan 2030, the Grow Blue Partnership will advance five key actions identified as opportunities and needs by community stakeholders.

Act in partnership with RI Commerce and Compete RI as a facilitator of information on upcoming and current funding opportunities from Federal, State and other entities.
Embed equity into Grow Blue communications, stakeholder and community involvement, and access with the goal of eliminating economic and social disparities.
Serve as a network to centralize marketing and engagement efforts of the Blue Economy to expand our message from a local one to a national brand. Utilize this neutral organization to build trust and support throughout the state.
Identify and map all Blue Economy assets across the state and region. Provide them to the public as a resource to support collaboration. Identify the gaps to inform strategic planning efforts for the future.
Serve to identify and advise on cross-sector opportunities and intersections between efforts that can lead to greater economic and community.

Workforce and Talent

Development

The industry sectors that comprise the Blue Economy employ 36k+ today and are poised for significant growth. The job opportunities in the Blue Economy will require a range of skill and education levels. Entry level jobs can support people early in their careers and people that are transitioning between sectors. In addition to new jobs being created, the sector needs replacement workers as many people are nearing retirement age. A focus on preparing individuals for these existing jobs along with future opportunities can build on the growing number of training and education programs, laying the groundwork for future expansion and collaboration.

Growth for Today

Establish a statewide Blue Economy Workforce Development Coalition.
Develop a Blue Economy Training-to-Career Unified Service Offering.
Recognize and celebrate the legacy of the Blue Economy.

Growth for Tomorrow

Invest in early learning education programs (K–8) and high school initiatives that provide all Rhode Island youth with meaningful, hands-on experiences on the water.
Develop a Blue Economy Jobs Now curriculum that prioritizes delivery in disadvantaged school districts.
Create a Blue Economy Jobs Hub and campaign featuring job opportunities, training programs, and career profiles.

EMPLOYERS IN THE BLUE
ECONOMY IN RHODE ISLAND
ARE ALREADY PROVIDING A
SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF
EMPLOYMENT ACROSS A
RANGE OF SECTORS.

Business Growth and Investment

As noted in the industry overview section, employers within Rhode Island’s Blue Economy already provide a significant source of employment across a wide range of sectors. As these companies continue to grow and adapt to changing market opportunities, they can benefit from a supportive network of organizations aligned to address their needs.

Additionally, as Rhode Island’s reputation as a hub for successful Blue Economy endeavors strengthens, new companies will be drawn to establish operations in the state. Helping their leadership teams and employees quickly connect with the broader Blue Economy community will be essential to their long-term success.

US_NAVY_UA_RVRI_20190929_FD_BA17-768x627

Aligning on Business Growth

Establish a committee within the Grow Blue Partnership to lead coordinated business growth and expansion efforts for Rhode Island’s Blue Economy.
Remove barriers to starting and growing businesses in the Blue Economy.

Attracting and Retaining Blue Economy Businesses

Develop a Concierge Service for Blue Economy business retention, expansion, and attraction in Rhode Island.

Capture Capital Investment

Advocate for resources and funding at both the state and national levels.
Invest in climate adaptation and mitigation strategies to protect Rhode Island’s coastline and physical assets.

Infrastructure and Access

A variety of critical infrastructures and assets support Rhode Island’s Blue Economy — none more so than its working waterfronts. These waterfronts are vital spaces for recreation and industry, shared by residents, fishermen, entrepreneurs, and corporations alike.

Blue Economy stakeholders believe that a crucial step toward strengthening the sector is to better capture and understand the current state of these waterfronts: How are Rhode Island’s coastlines used? Who is using them? Are there opportunities for growth, optimization, or a more equitable distribution across industries and uses?

As the purposes and utilization of physical assets across the state become clearer, Rhode Island and its many Blue Economy partners can begin taking concrete actions to enhance collaboration in research and development (R&D). Key actions for fostering successful R&D that expands Rhode Island’s Blue Economy and positions the state as an international leader include unlocking collaborative incentives, creating shared workspaces and assets, and advancing innovation through open-source data.

These efforts will also emphasize educating public officials and community leaders, as well as advocating for the needs of water-based businesses.

Making Waterfronts Work

Develop a working waterfront plan that ensures a diverse mix of businesses and sectors have affordable access to necessary commercial waterfront and dock space.
Perform a fit-gap analysis to better understand which businesses and assets are currently utilizing waterfront space, identify missing commercial entities, and determine where waterfront access can be expanded for business growth.

Catalyzing Collaborative R&D

Develop a physical hub for Blue Economy research and development (R&D), in partnership with industry officials and higher education institutions.
Create digital, open-source assets that increase efficiency among multiple Blue Economy partners moving toward smart and connected assets.
Encourage industry leaders to collaborate on initiatives that grow the Blue Economy through clear value propositions, knowledge sharing, and alignment with broader statewide economic goals.

Implementation for Impact

This Action Plan Offers Two Primary Implementation Priorities:

Launch the Grow Blue Partnership and define the first-year actions it will lead.
Prioritize Blue Economy Action Plan opportunities and needs through broad-based community engagement.

The GrowBlue Partnership and Action Plan opportunities can solidify Rhode Island’s leadership position in the Blue Economy sector and most importantly make an impact in the following ways:

Action	Impact
Educate Rhode Island residents about career opportunities in the sector.	Increase in employment in the Blue Economy. Increase in jobs held by historically disadvantaged populations.
Promote Rhode Island Blue Economy assets to regional and global audiences.	Increase in inbound inquiries from businesses and individuals seeking to locate or collaborate with Rhode Island assets.
Prepare Rhode Island projects and initiatives for federal, state, and private investment.	Increase in the number of projects advancing. Increase in federal funding allocated to projects and initiatives in the state.
Foster adaptation and mitigation strategies to protect Rhode Island’s assets.	Increase in local, state, federal, and private funding to support adaptation and mitigation efforts.

CALL TO ACTION

Here in Rhode Island, the Ocean State, legacy industries such as fishing, boatbuilding, and marine trades are converging with the emerging offshore renewable energy industry and innovative ocean technologies to create powerful intersections that will guide our economy into the future. The Grow Blue Action Plan 2030 outlines 16 action steps that, when implemented, will enhance our physical infrastructure, invest in our workforce, and strengthen our Blue Economy.

These business development initiatives ensure that Rhode Island is ready to meet the opportunities of future economic growth. More than 250 Rhode Islanders—representing businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies—guided the creation of these action steps and will now work together as the Blue Economy Partnership to bring them to life.

Ready to join us? To learn more about how you can be part of this effort and add your voice to our story, visit

www.growblue.org

.

Grow Blue Strategy

Grow Blue Strategy Goals

Throughout this strategic planning effort, an overarching new goal for Rhode Island’s Blue Economy emerged around forming a real economic opportunity for all that leverages existing funding streams, programs, and assets to: