Technology and the Blue Economy: From Autonomous Shipping to Big Data

70 per cent of the planet is covered by water, and 90 per cent of global economic trade is transported by sea. The world's seas and oceans are big business. Based on gross marine product, the ocean can be considered the world's seventh-largest economy, with the total global value of the Blue Economy predicted to rise to $3 trillion by 2030.

Grounded in detailed market research, and brought to life through over 250 meticulously researched case studies, Technology and the Blue Economy presents a compelling overview of an inspiring and innovative sector that includes offshore renewable energy, ports and harbours, shipping, maritime surveillance, cyber security, aquaculture and ocean conservation. It tackles questions like these:

• With Earth observation satellites providing unprecedented levels of data about the ocean, can machine learning capabilities develop at pace to make sense of all this new information?
• How can ships protect themselves when one shipping firm alone records 50,000 daily attempts to breach its cyber security systems?
• With floating wind farms now pushing further out to sea to convert natural energy, what role do robots have in managing essential maintenance in these more remote environments?
• When passenger ferries are already sailing themselves and self-docking in port without human intervention, are we entering an age where human error is eradicated?
• With fish farming predicted to account for 62 per cent of all the seafood consumed globally by 2030, how can 3D imaging cameras and net-cleaning robots help to stop mass deaths of fish that can run into millions in a single incident?
• In the age of smartphone ubiquity, how important a role might social media and citizen science play in ocean conservation?
• With luxury cruise ships now marketing themselves as 'smart, connected cities', crunching passenger data in real-time, do they now provide the gold standard of customer experience within the tourist industry?
• Is optical scanning technology the solution to countering slavery at sea, a real concern in the south-east Asian fishing industry?
• Can satellite-enabled tracking and autonomous clean-up systems help to counter one of the greatest conservation issues of the day - the fight against ocean plastic pollution?

Technology and the Blue Economy explores how innovators can develop the right business models to capitalize on growth opportunities, and analyses the critical success factors for emerging technologies.

About the Authors

Nick Lambert is co-founder and director of NLA, a Blue Economy solutions company, which specializes in the Blue Economy and tech innovation in associated domains. He advises corporates on a wide range of marine and maritime issues, and regularly hosts and delivers keynote speeches at high-profile conferences.

Andy Hamflett is co-founder and director of NLA and a journalist, researcher and innovation expert on new technologies. He leads innovative research projects that explore the emerging potential of Big Data for social impact.

Jonathan Turner is co-founder and director of NLA and specializes in customer-focused organizational process design, lean methodology and performance measurement through analytical skills and practical use of data.