Blue Innovation Symposium highlights marine technology innovators

The Blue Innovation Symposium is coming back to Newport, Rhode Island, for the second time from Jan. 14 to 16 at the Wyndham Newport Hotel. The Office of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education has organized the symposium to connect our region’s economy with leading innovators in the marine technology industry who are working to innovate in areas such as data analytics and cybersecurity. The University anticipates more than 200 attendees and over 30 corporate sponsors.

“The Blue Innovation Symposium is setting the agenda for the coming decade in ocean exploration, which will be defined by cutting edge sensor technology and its ability to harvest data in its many forms,” described Tobias Stapleton, dean of graduate studies and continuing education and one of the founding members of the symposium.

The Blue Innovation Symposium’s goal is to bring together cutting-edge marine technology companies in order to showcase leading industry trends and issues, highlight startup companies and new technologies, and provide educational programming for professionals within the marine industry as well as the general public. One of the founding principles of the symposium is to create an environment conducive to networking, business development, and the elevation of new companies and technologies.

The theme for this year’s two-day symposium will be “Sensors and the Next Wave of Data,” which will focus on ocean technology and its critical importance in the coming decade. Amidst the wide range of topics, panels, and speakers, Jim Bellingham, who is the Director of the Center for Marine Robotics at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, will give a keynote session entitled “Innovation in Ocean Robots.” Other topics will include disruptive thinking in ocean tech investment, next gen sensors and communications, and global innovators and entrepreneurs within the marine field.

“We’ve assembled an impressive line-up of industry pioneers for this year’s event, and our agenda covers what we deem to be the most critical challenges facing the ocean industries in 2020 and beyond,” concluded Stapleton.

The symposium is open to anyone interested in attending. More information about the speakers and registration for the event can be found at www.blueinnovationsymposium.com.