Sustainable Ocean Summit

PROGRAM

Explore the exciting sessions planned for both BlueFIN and SOS, featuring thought leaders and innovators in ocean sustainability and blue finance. These discussions will delve into the critical challenges and emerging opportunities shaping the future of the blue economy.

Whether it’s advancing sustainable practices or driving financial solutions to protect our oceans, this is your chance to connect with global experts and make an impact.

5 November: Day 1

Sustainable Ocean Summit

09.45-10.30

Ocean Executive Forum: The Signature SOS Multi-Sector Panel of CEOs

• What are your perspectives, as an ocean CEO, on the needs, opportunities and challenges re business leadership on ocean sustainability?

 

• How can greater progress be achieved by the private sector leadership to address ocean health, and the intertwined issues of climate and biodiversity?

 

• How do we better develop the collaboration between ocean sectors that is needed for increasing the speed and scale in tackling the complex, multi-sectoral challenges facing the global ocean ecosystem?

 

Moderator:

o Paul Holthus, Founding President and CEO,  World Ocean Council

 

Panel:
o Danial Kaabi, CEO, Sea Horizon Offshore Marine
o Alex Raventos, CEO and Co-Founder, X1 Wind

o Mark Ko, Managing Director, Tian San Shipping
o Donna Lanzetta, CEO, Manna Fish Farms
o Linden Coppell, VP Sustainability and ESG, MSC Cruises
o Guillaume Durieux, CEO, Pacific Peering *
o Pablo Garriga, President, Maresmar Group *

10.30 – 11.15

Leadership in “Corporate Ocean Responsibility”: The Role of CEOs and Boards 

• What are the ocean sustainability responsibilities of an ocean industry Senior Executive or Board Member?

 

• What can one Senior Executive or Board Member of one company in one sector do to best advance the collaboration needed between ocean sectors to increase the speed and scale of tackling the complex, multi-sectoral, global ocean challenges?

 

• How can and have you best engaged and inspired other Senior Executives and Board Members to participate in coordinated leadership, collaboration and action on ocean.

 

Moderator:
Paul Holthus, Founding President and CEO, World Ocean Council

 

Speakers:
o Céline Gerson, Group Director, Americas; President, USA, Fugro
o Elisabeth (Heggelund) Tørstad, Board member, numerous companies and organizations; fmr CEO, Asplan Viak; fmr CEO, Oil and Gas, DNVGL; fmr CEO, DIgital Solutions, DNVGL

11.15 – 11.45

Coffee Break

11.45 -12.30 

Ocean Smart: How to Radically Scale Up Ocean and Climate Data Collection from Vessels, Platforms and Cables

• What is the most effective way to coordinate between ocean scientists and ocean industry operators in order to engage industry in data collection and sharing (Ocean Indu Smart) in support of the UN Decade of Ocean Science?


• What are the investment opportunities linked to greater industry involvement in data collection and sharing and how can these be developed?


• What are the priority incentives, locations, topics and technology to engage more ships and platforms in collecting data?


Moderator:
o Omer Pomeroy, SMART Ocean-SMART Industries Programme Manager, World Ocean Council


Panel:
o Wassim Daoud, Head of Sustainability and CSR, Ponant Foundation
o Noël Buttin, CTO, Pacific Peering
o Carles Castro Muniain, Co-Founder and CTO, Ocean Data Network
o Simon Bennett, fmr Sustainability Advisor, Swire Shipping; Global Sustainable Advisor, Priya Blue Green Ship Recycling

12.30 -13.30

Lunch Break

13.30 – 14.15

Data for Speed and Scale in Ocean Sustainability: The Digital Ocean, Big Ocean Data and Ocean (Internet) of Things

• What are the status, trends and forecasts for the development of the Digital Ocean, Big Ocean Data and the Ocean (Internet) of Things for ocean sustainable development?

 

• What are the benefits (economic, sustainability, maritime security, etc.) from a Digital Ocean that produces Big Ocean Data and harnesses connecting the ocean in support of the ocean, and what are the challenges to achieving these benefits?

 

• What are the business and investment opportunities for advancing the most beneficial progress in the Digital Ocean, Big Ocean Data and Ocean (Internet) of Things for ocean sustainable development – at national, regional and global scales?

 

 

Moderator:

 

Panel:
o Kortney Opshaug, CEO and Founder, Blue Ocean Gear
o Luis Gutierrez, Executive Officer, EuroMarine
o Jacob Ruytenbeek, Founder and CEO, SailPlan
o Hannah Brocke, Co-founder and CSO, PlanBlue
o Pedro Torres, Executive Director and CMO, Esri Spain

14.15 – 15.00

How can Space Support the Sustainable Blue Economy?

• How can space data and earth observations support the development of sustainable Blue Economy?

 

• How can European Space Agency (ESA) Space Solutions support business development technically, financially and with partnerships?

 

• How can the World Ocean Council best collaborate with ESA and other space agencies in support of the sustainable Blue Economy?

 

Moderator:

o Hermen Westerbeeke, Director, Responsible Alpha

 

Panel:

o Nil Angli, Business Applications and Partnerships Officer, European Space Agency (ESA)
o Pooja Mahapatra, Principal Advisor – Climate and Nature, Fugro
o John Lusk, CEO, Spire Maritime *
o Vinit Bansal, CTO, Co-Founder, PierSight Space *

15.00-15.30

Coffee Break

15.30 – 16.15

Private Sector Solutions for Ecosystem Restoration, Regeneration and Nature Based Solutions
  • What is the state of the art in ocean regeneration and how can this be scaled up?

  • What are the barriers to scaling up and what should be done to address them?

  • What do large ocean industry operators and investors need to know about partnering with or investing in ocean regeneration enterprises?

Moderator:
o Mehrnaz Ghojeh, Co-Founder, Okhtapus *

 

Panel:
Vriko Yu, Co-founder and CEO, Archireef

David Washbrook, Founder, Red Sea Reef Builders

Ari Greenberg, COO, Sea Forester

o  Igansi Ferrer, CEO, Ocean Ecostructures *

o  Sam Suter, Head of Marketing, Econcrete *


o Nidia Martinez, Director, Climate and Resilience, Howden *

16.15 – 17.00

Advancing Coastal Infrastructure Resiliency and Adaptation

• How can the ocean business and investment community best ensure that ports and essential coastal infrastructure are being adapted to ensure resiliency to extreme events?

 

• How can the ocean business community best collaborate on this with other key stakeholders (g., multilateral development assistance, national governments, science community)?

 

• What is the best way to develop a global, business and investment leadership alliance to ensure ports and coastal infrastructure worldwide is ready, resilient to the impacts of extreme events?

 

Moderator:

o TBC

 

Panel:

Bernhard Rannegger, fmr Head Sustainability Solutions, Swiss Re; Founder and CEO, ScyAI

 Théophile Bongarts, Head of Coastal Adaptation, Ocean and Climate Platform

Joan Cabezas, CEO, Nactiva

o  Geralding Andrieux, Founder and CEO, BlueMorpho *

James Sutcliffe, CEO, Centre Port Holding *

Nidia Martinez, Director, Climate and Resilience, Howden *

Day 2: 6 November

Sustainable Ocean Summit

09.45-10.30

The Green Shipping and Ports Transition Ecosystem

• How are ports and shipping contributing to the overall sustainable Blue Economy, and what are the key challenges and barriers to this?

 

• How can a Center of Excellence best accelerate and advance sustainable ports and shipping?


• How should ports and shipping best engage with other ocean industry sectors to address more broadly shared ocean sustainability needs and opportunities?

 

Moderator:
o Ginger Garte, Director of Sustainability, LR Maritime Decarbonisation Hub; fmr Senior Advisor Maritime Resilience, Lloyds Register

 

Panel:
o Anne Katrine Bjerregaard, Head of Strategy and Sustainability, Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping
o Per Tunell, Vice President, Group Sustainability and Business Development, Wallenius
o Julie Green, Deputy Director General, CLIA Europe
o Fernando Marcos, Sales Director, MAN Diesel and Turbo España
o Phanthian Zuesongdham, Head of Division, Port Process Solution, Port of Hamburg
o Carlo Raucci, Director, Sustainable Fuels and Strategy, Maritime Decarbonisation Hub, Lloyds Register
o Noelia Ortega, CEO, Centro Tecnologico Naval y del Mar CT

10.30 – 11.15

Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Ocean Business Sustainability and the Blue Economy

• How can AI best support ocean industries to operate sustainably and responsibly?

 

• What ocean industry sectors have made the most progress in AI applications?

 

• What are the key trends and opportunities for ocean AI development and investment?

 

Moderator:
o Kai Pohlmann, Co-Founder, German Ocean Foundation and the AI for the Oceans Award; Co-Founder, MAI Marketing Automation Intelligence

 

Panel:
o Marcus Warrelmann, CEO, SEA A.I.
o Niels Snog, CCO, Bearing AI
o Rita Sousa, Partner, Faber Ocean / Climate Tech
o Brice Bouffard, CEO, Acteon *

11.15 – 11.45

Coffee Break

11.45 – 12.30

Ocean/Blue Carbon Removal: Supply and Demand CO2 Removal Solutions at Scale
  • Supply: What is the status of business development for coastal and ocean CO2 removal and creating the supply of marine carbon removal and what are the barriers to progress?
 
  • Demand: How can ocean-related companies with net-zero commitments best support the emerging suppliers of ocean-based carbon removal?
 
  • Ecosystem: What value can a business association bring in facilitating and accelerating  the business of blue carbon and ocean CO2 removal, e.g. to develop best practices, standards, etc. to ensure confidence?
 

Moderator:
o Jill Storey, Ocean Carbon Removal Advisor, World Ocean Council 

 

Panel:
o Sapir Markus-Alford, Co-Founder and CTO, Gigablue
o Raffael Jovine, Founder and Chief Scientist, Brilliant Planet
o Monica Larrazabal, Head of Commercialisation, SeaO2

12.30 -13.30

Lunch Break

13.30- 14.15

Natural Capital and the New Tools for Funding Ocean Regeneration and Conservation

Moderator:
TBC

 

Panel:

o Isaac Najera, ESG Senior Manager / READS Product Owner, REPSOL
o Rafael Sardà, Senior researcher CSIC. ESADE Business School Assoc. Professor
o David Álvarez, CEO, Ecoacsa
o Anna Lloveras, Chief Science Officer,Ocean Ecostructures
o Tomas Ostazabal, Natural Capital Lead, Worley

14.15-15.00

OceanX: A Mission to Explore the Ocean and Bring it Back to the World


• Why is ocean science, exploration, discovery, education and communications important to the ocean innovation and investment communities?

• What motivated Ray Dalio, a global finance leader, to launch and support OceanX?

• What should ocean industry, innovation and investment leaders be doing to help better understand and document the ocean?

 

Moderator:
o Paul Holthus, Founding President and CEO, World Ocean Council

 

VIP Speaker:
o Vincent Pieribone, Co-CEO, OceanX

15.00 -15.30

Coffee Break

Day 3: 7 November

Global Blue Finance Summit

09.45-10.30

Blue Finance Executive Forum: The BlueFIN High-Level Panel across the Finance Sectors

• What are the needs and opportunities for collaboration and coordination across the blue finance ecosystem to best achieve speed and scale in supporting a sustainable Blue Economy and the ocean-climate-biodiversity nexus?

 

• What are the current trends in blue finance, including growth sectors, investor interest and emerging opportunities?

 

• What are the risk-return profiles of different blue economy investments and how do they compare to traditional investments

 

Moderator:
TBC

 

Panel:
o Ingrid Kukuljan, Head of Impact and Sustainable Investing, Federated Hermes
o Douglas Heske, CEO, NewDay Impact Investing
o Adonai Herrera-Martinez, Director, Environment and Sustainability, EBRD
o Erik Wandrag, CEO, Oceans Finance Company
o Kerstin Schmeiduch Director, Corporate Communications and Sustainability, Purina global business unit, Nestlé
o Christopher Rex, Head of Sustainability and Research, Danish Ship Finance
o Karla Gallardo, Founder and CEO, Viwala; Representative, Meso-American Reef MAR+Invest Fund

10.30 – 11.15

How to Scaleup Impact Investing for the Blue Economy

• How is impact investing is driving change in the Blue Economy, focusing on investments that generate both financial returns and positive environmental outcomes?

 

• What are the key metrics and frameworks for measuring the impact of investments in the Blue Economy?

 

• What are impact investors looking for in Blue Economy projects and how should business or investment strategies be aligned to reflect this?

 

Moderator:
o Paul Holthus, Founding President and CEO, World Ocean Council

 

Keynote 1: 

Jennifer PrycePresident and CEOCalvert Impact

 

Keynote 2: 

o Chris Gorrell Barnes, Co-Founder, Ocean 14 Capital

11.15 – 11.45

Coffee Break

11.45 – 12.30

De-Risking Investment and Accelerating Innovation: The Power of Early Collaboration Between Startups and Corporates for Prototyping and Pilot Testing

• How do corporates identify and choose which startups to collaborate with for pilot testing?


• What internal barriers do corporates face when working with startups, and how are they addressed?

 

• What challenges do startups face when approaching large corporations for collaboration?

 

• How has early collaboration with corporates helped startups refine their product or scale?


• What guidance or best practices have emerged for startups trying to navigate corporate partnerships?

 

Moderator:
o Carlos Esteban, Partner, Faber (Ocean/Climate VC)

 

Panel:
o Alejandro Samaniego, CEO, Titanium Technology
o José Luis García Hernández, Venture Development and Open Innovation, Enagás Emprende
o Miquel de la Mano, Technical Director, Barcelona Port Innovation
o Diego Meseguer, Director, R and D, Marine Hempel

12.30 – 13.15

Investing in Ocean CO2 Removal and Blue Carbon: The Role of Private Finance in Marine and Coastal Carbon Sequestration

• What is the state of private financing for ocean CO2 removal and blue carbon and what are the challenges that financiers are facing?

 

• What can be done to attract more investors to the opportunities that ocean CO2 removal and blue carbon present?

 

• Is there a need and value in having a blue/ocean carbon “buyers’ community” to support and scale market development, e.g., by engaging leading ocean industry companies in shipping, ports, dredging, etc.?

 

Moderator:
TBC

 

Panel:
o Laura Penrose, CDR Sourcing Manager and Science Lead, CarbonX
o Ram Amar, CEO, Rewind Earth
o Zach Cockram, Vice President, Policy and Partnerships, Vesta

Marc von Keitz, Director, Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment *


13.15 – 14.15

Lunch Break

14.15 – 15.00

Unlocking Capital for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the Blue Economy

• What are the challenges and opportunities in financing SMEs that operate in the Blue Economy?

 

• How well are innovative financing options (e.g. microfinance, crowdfunding and venture capital) working for SMEs and how can the support ecosystems (incubators, accelerators, etc.) help SMEs thrive in the Blue Economy?

 

• With SMEs representing 90% of economic activity and 70% of jobs in emerging markets, why do SMEs lack access to finance and what can be done about it and what can we learn from successful emerging market investment strategies to attract more capital to the Blue Economy?

 

Moderator:
D. Michael Adams, President, Ocean Assets Group

 

Panel:
o Antoine Rougier, ESG and Impact Manager, Deliberate Capital
o Paul Martin, Partner, Aquamarine Impact Capital Partners
o Pierre Rousseau, Chairman, Blue Alliance, Nomad Plastics, GeoTrash Management

15.00 -15.45

Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD): What does it mean for ocean companies?

• What are Nature-related Financial Disclosures?

 

• How will these disclosures be developed and applied to the ocean context?

 

• How can ocean industries best engage and collaborate in the development and implementation of Nature-related Financial Disclosures?

 

Moderator:
o Keynote: Tony Goldner, Executive Director, Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)

 

Panel:
o Chris Perceval, Global Head of Market Engagement, S&P Global Sustainable; Member, TNFD
o Ezrah Schraven, Global Lead, Marine Resources, PWC

Ian Hudson, Head of Environment, AngloAmerican; Member, TNFD *

15.45 – 16.15

Coffee Break