OCEAN + 50: Projecting the Future of Global Ocean Industries at WOC Sustainable Ocean Summit

Future Ocean Industry Scenarios to be Presented at Unique SOS 2015 “Ocean + 50” Session

What are the projections for ocean industry activity in the coming decades? What opportunities and risks will future ocean use create for each sector, for the collective ocean business community, for the ocean economy overall, and for the ocean itself?

The “Ocean + 50” plenary at the WOC Sustainable Ocean Summit (SOS) will tackle these fundamental questions in an unprecedented look into the future of ocean use around the world and across the sectors. Expert presentations will cover shipping, oil and gas, fisheries, aquaculture, renewable energy, cruise tourism, marine mining and submarine cables in this first-ever comprehensive platform on the future of ocean industries.

In line with the SOS 2015 theme of "Sustainable Development and Growing the Blue Economy - the Next 50 Years", the session will address the trends, geographies, assumptions, opportunities, and risks for each sector over the coming 50 years. The session will focus especially on 2015-2030, the time frame for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) soon to be adopted by the U.N.

The WOC is identifying experts to provide global overview presentations on the future of: shipping, oil and gas, fisheries, aquaculture, renewable energy, cruise tourism, marine mining and submarine cables. Prospective speakers from industry, government, international organizations, academia, or science who are qualified to provide a synthesis of future scenarios for any of these sectors are encouraged to contact paul.holthus@oceancouncil.org. 

The results of “Ocean + 50” will feed into WOC and ocean business community efforts to address sustainable development and the SDGs, especially for SDG 14 on the Ocean.

An updated SOS 2015 program will be posted soon. Presentation abstracts may be submitted until 31 July 2015 at http://www.oceancouncil.org/site/summit_2015/.