Blue Economy Innovation Program
From campus to coastline: design solutions that matter.
What is the Blue Economy?
The blue economy comprises economic activity related to the ocean, seascapes, coastlines, intertidal regions, and connected coastal watersheds. According to the World Bank (2017), the blue economy is the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, while preserving the health of ocean ecosystems. NC State is rapidly becoming poised to be a leader in fueling resilient and sustainable growth in next-generation maritime technologies (bluetech) and economies.
NC State’s award-winning Blue Economy Innovation Program (BEIP) started in August 2020 as a working group to garner the ideas and expertise of NC State students, staff, and faculty and foster innovation and entrepreneurship. In February 2023, the Blue Economy Innovation Program was formalized within the Coastal Resilience and Sustainability Initiative (CRSI), appointing Dr. Chris Osburn as Director. In March 2024, the BEIP received the Innovation and Impact Award from NC State’s Sustainability Council. In March 2025, along with the CRSI, the BEIP was merged into the Climate and Sustainability Academy.
Learn more about the BEIP’s “Ocean of Opportunities” presented during NC State’s Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions summer 2025 course.
NEW! BEW25: Fall Blue Economy Workshop
The 5th Annual Creating Solutions for the Global Blue Economy Workshop will be held October 24-25, 2025 at the Hospitality and Culinary Arts Center on the CMAST campus in Morehead City, NC.
This design-thinking workshop is free for all NCSU undergraduate and graduate students regardless of major who are accepted into the workshop. Lodging and catering are included and ride share options will be available.
Overview: North Carolina is ideally positioned to create a US mid-Atlantic hub of innovation for maritime science-based technologies, bluetech, by tapping North Carolina’s broad ocean-connected resources. As the global population grows, humanity will continue to demand more from the ocean. However, the risks posed by presses such as sea-level rise and pulses such tropical storms have heightened awareness and concern about the long-term sustainability of our oceans and our coastal communities that power economic activity related to the ocean and its connected coastal watersheds: the blue economy.
This workshop brings together graduate and undergraduate students, postdocs, stakeholders, industry experts, and academics to Carteret Community College and the Center for Marine Science and Technology (CMAST) in Morehead City, North Carolina to begin working on solutions to these challenges. We are in the midst of the UN Ocean Decade 2020-2030 and this workshop is a great opportunity to create solutions that matter!
This year’s program is sponsored by a generous Clean Economy Bridge grant provided by the German Consulate in Atlanta. A delegation from the University of Rostock (Germany) and the Ocean Technology Campus will make this a truly global experience.
Read the agenda here for more information on the workshop.
Why you should attend:
- Networking opportunities with innovators, subject matter experts, and other stakeholders
- Apply STEM skills to real-world challenges facing the ocean and coastal communities
- Build Your Portfolio: Walk away with a career-relevant experience you can highlight to future employers or graduate programs
- Sample Topics: Aqua-/mariculture; Coastal Erosion & Water Quality; Marine Renewable Energy; Coastal Flooding & Saltwater Intrusion; Sensor development and AI
Applications for the Blue Economy workshop has closed.
Promoting the Blue Economy through Innovation
The BEIP has three main activities designed to promote the blue economy at NC State and with local and regional partners.
Annual Workshop
In 2021, the “Creating Solutions for the Global Blue Economy” inaugural workshop (hosted at Carteret Community College) brought together entrepreneurs and knowledge experts with NC State undergraduate and graduate students to inspire innovation and entrepreneurship. This effort, led by Dr. Osburn, has attracted the interest of incubators, like First Flight Venture Center and Sea-Ahead, Inc., to help catalyze ideas generated by students into potential entrepreneurial endeavors. With generous support from NC State and external sponsors, the workshop remains free to undergraduate and graduate students. The workshop continues to be a core component of introducing the blue economy to the Wolfpack community.
- Read past workshop reports by clicking the links below:
Innovation Course
A blue economy course at NC State is offered through the Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences. MEA 439 / 539* Interdisciplinary Innovation in the Blue Economy is offered every fall and is open both to undergraduate (sophomores to seniors) and graduate students and expands upon the workshop, which takes place concurrently in the fall semester. There is no prerequisite and the course is open to all majors! (*Listed as MEA 493/591 Special Topics in Marine Science for Fall 2025)
Networking and Mentoring
The third goal of the BEIP is to engage and leverage partnerships with various NC State units, including the Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, the Center for Marine Science and Technology (CMAST), the KIETS Climate Leaders Program, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Center for Geospatial Analytics, the Center for Environmental Economics and Policy, and the Data Science Academy. These partnerships provide abundant resources for mentoring students interested in the blue economy.
The BEIP also is building networks to NC Sea Grant, the NC State Climate Office, and the Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, as well as NC’s Renewable Ocean Energy Program. Outside of NC State, the BEIP partners with Carteret Community College, Stardust Startups, UNC-Chapel Hill’s Institute of the Environment, UNC-Wilmington’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and others on initiatives and events to build a larger blue economy innovation ecosystem in North Carolina.
These collaborative efforts position NC State at the forefront of advancing the blue economy, driving sustainable innovation, and creating opportunities for future generations.
Student Successes
STUDENTS! Are you interested in working on problems related to ocean sustainability, develop technologies, and create solutions? The BEIP is an idea future-focused program for getting students involved.
The BEIP is proud to highlight recent successes of students who have been part of the program and are working towards innovations for a more sustainable blue economy!
- Reid Barnett – Founder of Ceretune, LLC, has won the Collegiate Competition prize at OceanExchange in October 2024 and the Pitch Prize at EarthX in March 2025
- Nathan Daughtry – Founder of WaveSafe Maritime Solutions was a recipient of the 2025 NC State Innovation and Entrepreneurship Force Multiplier Award
- Dylan Gretok – Founder of Seagull Sustainability developed alternative plastics based on seaweed. Dylan was recently accepted into the Mercedes-Benz beVisioneers fellow program.
- Kelly Fawcett and Libby Ivory – both were recipients of the Stardust Startups NC Coastal Idea Challenge! Kelly’s innovation was “Little Free Beach Box” and Libby’s was “Albatross Aerobotics”
Upcoming Events
ASABE Bioprocess Startup Student Competition
This event helps students cultivate entrepreneurial skills and translate academic innovation into real-world impact. Due date in April 2026. Details here.
News and Updates
September 2025 – BEIP Director Chris Osburn Presents Wicked Problems Wolfpack Solutions webinar “Oceans of Opportunity”
Fall 2024 – NC State’s Blue Economy Innovation Program has developed the NC’s Blue Economy Report in collaboration with NC State’s Social Innovation Fellows and UNC Wilmington’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (All Blue). The report provides a comprehensive overview of the blue economy, detailing its challenges, proposing solutions, and highlighting current events and efforts within North Carolina. We encourage you to share this report within your network, on social media, your website, newsletters, etc., as we aim to reach a broad audience and spread this important information widely.
The BEIP was honored to receive an NC State Sustainability Award for Innovation and Impact!
The BEIP was noted in a recent video for NC State Innovation and Entrepreneurship that also featured Social Innovation Fellows who worked with us last year and will lead a blue economy webinar series starting this fall!
🌊 Ready to make waves?
Sign up for the Blue Economy Listserv here to learn how you can solve real-world ocean challenges.
You will receive periodic emails with announcements and notices about BEIP activities including the annual “Creating Solutions for the Global Blue Economy” workshop.