The Ocean Collective Summit 2024 kicks off with a powerful reminder of the incredible beauty and diversity of our oceans. Every conservation effort and act of protection sends ripples through our world, creating waves of change that preserve the vibrant marine life and breathtaking seascapes inspiring wonder and sustaining life on Earth. This urgent mission to protect our oceans unites us all, forging a path toward a better world where future generations inherit a thriving, healthy ocean. Join this vital journey and be part of the movement dedicated to safeguarding our planet's most precious resource.
The Innovative Solutions Showcase features rapid-fire presentations from dynamic companies pioneering technological and scientific advancements to safeguard our oceans and protect our environment.
Technology provides tools and solutions necessary to mitigate and even reverse environmental degradation. From real-time ecosystem monitoring to advanced data analytics, technology empowers precise, data-driven decision-making and effective conservation strategies. Science, equally vital, addresses the multifaceted challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and lays the groundwork for developing innovative and effective approaches to these global issues.
By integrating technology and science, these trailblazers are leading the charge in ocean protection and restoration, offering hope and innovative pathways to a sustainable future.
Dan Lundqvist / Addressing Marine Environmental Challenges through Nanofibers
Kenny Lim / Sustainable Recovery and Recycling of Lithium-Ion Batteries
Dr. Jerome Lombardi / UrbaX Nanotechnology Platform — Building a Greener Future: Nano-Engineered Binders
Dr. Malika Meghjani / Advancing Marine Robotics for Ocean Conservation
This session explores the transformative potential of the blue economy, highlighting its crucial role in driving economic growth while safeguarding the environment. Topics will include the economic impact of the blue economy, its contribution to livelihoods across various sectors, and the importance of effective governance and international cooperation in managing ocean resources sustainably, in line with the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Investment opportunities within the blue economy will be examined, from renewable energy to greentech, illustrating how these sectors offer diverse and lucrative prospects, as well as the impact investing as a catalyst for positive change and the use of innovative financial instruments to mobilise capital and mitigate risks associated with ocean-related projects.
In this session, you will also learn about sustainable management practices, advocating for collaborative governance and ethical standards, as well as community empowerment, resilience against climate change, and the promotion of sustainable development.
The Lombok-based JARI Foundation is dedicated to highlighting and preserving the region’s rich marine and coastal biodiversity, which is essential for local ecosystems and livelihoods. Central to JARI’s approach is community involvement. By engaging local residents in tourism activities, the foundation fosters a sense of ownership, provides unique cultural experiences for visitors, and helps preserve traditional heritage.
Discover how JARI blends sustainable tourism practices with community engagement to create a balanced and respectful interaction between tourism, culture, and the natural environment. The Alas Strait project, for instance, underscores the contrast between mass tourism and sustainable tourism, advocating for practices that minimise environmental impact and promote long-term benefits for local communities. Other initiatives include a camping tourism management project that showcases how local knowledge and participation can enhance visitor experiences while ensuring environmental protection.
Building on its existing LiveOnBoard tour, JARI recently introduced the Alas Strait boat experience. On top of enjoying stunning sunset views from Gili Kenawa, visitors can now explore and learn about the small islands within the Alas Strait, diving deeper into local culture and biodiversity. This will in turn support the local economy as well as conservation efforts.
In today’s world, where global trade is heavily dependent on maritime transport, balancing economic growth with environmental protection is crucial. With around 90% of world trade conducted by sea, the maritime sector is vital to global employment, GDP, and commerce. However, it also faces significant challenges, including environmental degradation and the impacts of climate change.
This session explores the "Theory of Change," which emphasises the need for a shift from thought leadership to actionable leadership within the maritime industry. The focus is on transforming industry practices to ensure growth does not come at the expense of the environment.
Central to this transformation are partnerships that unite stakeholders from governments, businesses, environmental organisations, and local communities. These collaborations are essential for driving innovation, setting industry standards, and implementing practices that safeguard our oceans while promoting economic development. Learn how collective action and shared responsibility can turn the maritime industry into a model of sustainable growth.
Businesses must embrace sustainability to conserve resources, reduce costs, and comply with regulations. Sustainable practices enhance brand reputation, attract eco-conscious consumers, and ensure long-term viability. They drive innovation, foster employee satisfaction, and mitigate risks, contributing to economic, environmental, and social resilience.
This session provides a compact yet comprehensive guide to driving sustainable change within your organisation. Learn core concepts, practical strategies, and techniques for identifying conservation opportunities in your operations. Discover case studies and best practices of successful initiatives that balance environmental goals with business objectives.
Leave with clear, actionable steps to implement conservation practices in your business, ensuring both sustainability and profitability.
Entrepreneurship is about seizing opportunities to introduce innovations in the marketplace, generating new value for individuals, the economy, and society. Increasingly, entrepreneurship has been recognized as a potential force for social good. Traditionally concentrated on financial gains and economic growth, entrepreneurial methods can be applied to foster sustainable development, including in conservation efforts.
The Ocean Innovators Challenge is an exhilarating session where three young entrepreneurs present their groundbreaking, conservation-focused business ideas to a panel of judges. These experts evaluate pitches based on innovation, impact on marine conservation, scalability, and feasibility. This dynamic format encourages audience participation, fostering creativity and collaboration within the marine conservation community.
Entrepreneurs:
Nuryanee Anisah / Turning Tides: Innovating Sustainability through Upcycled Textile Waste
Abery Lia Chan / Diving into Circularity: Accelerating the Biodegradability of Swimwear
Elizabeth Tseng / Revolutionising Sustainability: Seaweed-Based Plastics as the Game Changer in the Fight Against Plastic Pollution
Judges: Fabien Cousteau, Alan Wah, Justin Lee
Attendees arrive, mingle, and enjoy light refreshments.
As global resource depletion becomes a pressing issue, it's crucial to challenge and expand our narratives around sustainable development. Innovative approaches are needed to address the complexities of resource management and drive effective sustainability practices.
This discussion will explore how to redefine sustainability goals and strategies to better manage resource depletion and achieve long-term environmental and economic balance.
The ocean is one of our most important ecosystems, yet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Life Below Water is among the least funded sustainable goals. To have healthy and abundant oceans, we need to complement ocean preservation efforts with a sustainable blue economy, which seeks to promote economic growth, social inclusion and improvement of livelihoods while ensuring environmental sustainability of the marine ecosystem. Both private and public capital is needed to drive this initiative, presenting investors with potential opportunities across industries and sectors from ocean-based climate solutions and sustainable seafood, to ocean intelligence and innovative financial instruments and tools. This panel session will explore the business and investment case for ocean action, with a focus on innovative ocean solutions that can help to unlock a sustainable and prosperous future.
While discussions about the food system often focus on agriculture and land, crops and livestock, it’s high time to bring blue foods - i.e. those produced from oceans, lakes, and rivers - to the table. They have an essential role in addressing overfishing, achieving food security, ending malnutrition and building healthy, nature-positive, and resilient food systems.
Investing in blue food industries not only enhances food security by diversifying food sources but also supports economic growth, and provides livelihoods, especially in coastal and developing regions. According to UN reports, blue foods are already a cornerstone of the global food system, offering essential nutrition to over 3 billion people and livelihoods to hundreds of millions. The potential for blue foods to contribute even more is immense.
Joey Goh / Aligning Consumer Demand with Sustainable Seafood Supply Chains
Mihir Pershad / Cultivating a Sustainable Future
Dirk Eichelberger / SAT’s Role in Teaming Up with Nature and Shaping the Future of Blue Food Production
The global energy landscape is rapidly evolving to address the urgent challenges of climate change, energy security, and increasing demand. Preparing the energy mix of the future is crucial to transitioning from unsustainable fossil fuels to a more diverse, resilient, and low-carbon system. This transition integrates renewables like solar, wind, and hydropower, alongside emerging technologies such as hydrogen, energy storage, and carbon capture.
Leveraging diversity is key to this transformation. Diversity of thought, technology, and collaboration can drive innovative solutions and overcome complex energy challenges. Projects like REIDS-SPORE on Semakau Island in Singapore showcase how diverse teams and technologies—ranging from microgrids to renewable integration—can develop resilient, low-carbon systems tailored to local needs.
By embracing diverse approaches, the future energy mix can deliver cleaner, more reliable power while fostering economic growth and supporting the global decarbonisation agenda. Preparing this mix is not just about meeting energy needs but ensuring a sustainable, inclusive future for all.
Join MJ as she delves into the evolving landscape of science communication through social media, highlighting its crucial role in connecting the scientific community with the public. She will showcase how platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok can effectively disseminate scientific knowledge in engaging and accessible ways. By utilising storytelling, visual content, and interactive features, MJ demonstrates the power of these platforms in reaching diverse audiences and enhancing their understanding and appreciation of science.
This talk underscores the importance of effective science communication and its ability to inspire curiosity, spark conversations, and empower individuals to make informed decisions. MJ aims to inspire her audience to embrace social media as a transformative tool for science education, fostering a more informed, engaged, and scientifically literate society.
Innovating with Nanofibers: A Brainstorm Workshop on Commercialisation and Environmental Impact