The Port of San Diego has welcomed its 15th participant to a program designed to support environmentally focused maritime startups, approving a pilot collaboration with Ocean Ecostructures that aims to enhance marine biodiversity in the bay. The Blue Economy Incubator, launched in 2016, provides financial backing and testing grounds for companies developing sustainable ocean technology.
Ocean Ecostructures specializes in technology that encourages marine life growth on artificial structures like docks and piers. The company's approach is designed to measure and improve environmental conditions at ports while allowing normal operations to continue uninterrupted. Under the two-year agreement, the port will invest up to $208,000 in exchange for royalty payments that could total as much as $1.25 million from future revenue.
Board Chair Ann Moore emphasized the port's commitment to environmental stewardship and public waterfront access through the incubator program. Ocean Ecostructures CEO Ignasi Ferrer noted that the San Diego partnership represents the company's entry into the United States market after previous deployments in Europe and the Middle East.
Other active participants in the incubator program include PortXchange, which offers emissions tracking software for maritime operations, and VoltSafe, which is developing magnetic shore power connections for marina slips. Additional projects involve water quality monitoring, sustainable fishing light alternatives, and seaweed aquaculture research.
The incubator has approved funding for a total of 15 companies since its creation, including one reinvestment. The Ocean Ecostructures biodiversity project will be installed at multiple bay locations with ongoing effectiveness monitoring throughout the pilot period.