Welcome to the Blue Economy Heatmap
The Blue Economy Heat Map presents a network of ecosystem leaders working across marine, coastal, and water-based industries. Developed by DEEP Ecosystem members, it highlights their initiatives, projects, and areas of collaboration shaping the Blue Economy.
Check Our Blue Economy Startup heatmap
Meet Active Members of the Blue Economy Collab
Connect With our most active members
Vasili Sofiadellis
Founder of Changemakers Lab
Vasili builds bridges between African and European innovation ecosystems through Changemakers Lab, supporting impact founders, venture building, and international collaboration relevant to sustainable blue and coastal innovation.
Andreas Stefanidis
President of the Academy of Entrepreneurship
Andreas Stefanidis is the President of the Academy of Entrepreneurship and the Educational Association of Athens (HFAISTOS), and Co-founder of PM Agora. He leads Aephoria.net, a sustainable business education and incubation program supporting startups in Greece.
Anne-Marie Bruyas
International Relations and Cooperation Lead at SPICI srl
Anne-Marie strengthens open innovation and international cooperation across Southern Europe, connecting startups, institutions, and researchers through SPICI’s ecosystem work in Italy and beyond.
Marco Nannini
Managing Director of Impact Hub Milan
Marco leads Impact Hub Milan’s work with social and climate entrepreneurs, creating partnerships, programs, and investment pathways that strengthen sustainability-focused ventures across Italy.
Thanos Paraschos
President of Startup Greece
Thanos connects founders, diaspora talent, and ecosystem partners through Startup Greece, helping position Greece as a stronger launchpad for sustainable innovation across maritime and coastal regions.
Florian Andrews
Founder of SCI Projects and the Black Sea Innovation Cluster
Florian works at the intersection of rebuilding, sustainability, and regional transformation, using SCI Projects and the Black Sea Innovation Cluster to connect innovators across Eastern Europe.
Exploring the Blue Economy Through Data
The ocean economy has experienced remarkable expansion over the past decades, growing 2.5 times since 1995 and consistently surpassing the growth rate of the global economy. By 2023, ocean-based trade reached record levels, with $899 billion in goods alone, reflecting the sector’s increasing importance in global commerce.
This growth highlights the ocean economy as a vital driver of innovation, investment, and sustainable development. Industries ranging from shipping and fisheries to renewable energy and marine biotechnology are rapidly evolving, creating new economic opportunities and fostering technological advancement.
As nations and businesses recognize the strategic potential of ocean resources, the sector continues to attract attention from investors, policymakers, and entrepreneurs seeking to capitalize on its dynamic and expanding landscape.
Investment in the European blue economy has surged over the past decade, reflecting growing confidence in the sector’s potential for sustainable growth and innovation. Before 2012, total investments were relatively modest at €875 million, but from 2012 to 2017, this figure nearly quadrupled to €3,972 million.
Between 2018 and 2023, investment volumes skyrocketed to €13,298 million, driven by increasing interest from private equity, venture capital, and startup funding across key sectors such as renewable marine energy, sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, and ocean technology. This trend underscores the growing role of the blue economy as a focal point for strategic investments, offering opportunities for investors, innovators, and policymakers to shape the future of sustainable ocean industries in Europe.
This strong performance highlights Europe’s growing prominence and leadership in the bluetech sector, reflecting increasing investor confidence and the region’s capacity to drive innovation in sustainable ocean technologies.
Connecting global innovation for real impact in the Blue Economy
