Grow Blue Strategy Goals
Strategic Planning Effort for Rhode Island’s Blue Economy
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:
Goal 1 - Growth Strategy
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.
Goal 2 – Partnership Formation
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.
Actions can take the form of program development, infrastructure building, wider community engagement, and policy or regulatory asks.
Overarching Goal – Real Economic Opportunity for All
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:
Key Outcomes
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.