Ocean Economy Imperative 2026

Technology readiness levels and investment sizes of ocean economy sectors FIGURE 4 Renewable Energy Investible ThemesRelative size of recent investments2Ocean conservation Transport Extractive industriesInfrastructure <$50M <$500M ~$200MCircular economy and blue technology Sustainable seafood EnablersReflecting an overall early stage of development, domains in the ocean economy are clustered in the pilot and demonstration phase; more funding is needed to show that emerging technologies work in the field.The relatively small ticket size of recent investments creates space for investors to support more and more varied pilots and demonstration projects to push to scale. TidalOff-shore wind Low-carbon ports Offshore methane abatement and electrificationMarine-sourced biomaterials -- Carbon utilization Research and development TRL1 1-4Field pilot & demonstration TRL1 5-6 Technology scaling phase Market scaling phasePharmacology research Oil spill prevention & responseEngine & powertrain electrification Invasive species controlIllustrative Non-Exhaustive The only oceans domains that have scaled to date (according to a TRL assessment) are those aimed at current business models; relatively larger investments within the decarbonization theme reflect both confidence in the technologies and the capital intensity of projects.Alternative fish proteinOcean data collection and analysisOil & gas de-commissioning Floating solar PVReduce ocean pollution (plastic)Digital platform and big data Shipping efficiency & digitalization Sustainable fisheriesSustainable aquaculture Alternative fuel production & supplyMarine protected areasSustainable feed alternatives Set-up & commercial launch 1 7-8Deployment TRL1 9Market transformation Notes: 1. TRL = technology readiness level; 2. Relative size of investments based on recent industry news on acquisitions, investments, and large-scale projects; focus on high-profile investments Source: Based on expert interviews and consultations conducted March – August 2025 Beyond the dominant trends of decarbonization and digitalization already covered, four emerging investment areas are shaping early-stage ocean innovation: the blue bioeconomy, ocean-based energy, restoration and nature markets, and pollution-mitigating technology. Between 2010 and 2025, cumulative enterprise value across seed, early and late growth ventures in these areas rose from $1.1 billion to $24.7 billion (Figure 5). This growth reflects a deepening pipeline of ventures moving beyond proof-of-concept toward early commercial scale, despite shifts in the mix across opportunity areas. The Ocean Economy Imperative: Defining Value, Managing Risk and Mobilizing Investment 12