Page 55 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2023

From left to right:
Yi Chao, Seatrec; Peter Alexander, SafetyNet Technologies; Grace Chia, Beex Autonomous Systems; Peter Macy, Blue Ocean Gear; Dennis Yancey, Marauder Robotics and Jigger Herman and Alessandra Bianchi, Seatrac.
2605 13th St., Gulfport 228.896.2824 | www.gulfblue.org
story by Lynn Lofton photos courtesy of Gulf Blue
their testing. We also have deep and shallow testing ranges which is unique.”
Natalie Guess, innovation and entrepreneurship program manager with USM and who works directly with visiting groups, states “They see the Gulf as our greatest asset.” Guess explains that blue tech companies have a substantial potential for impact. “Over the next decade, the World Bank projects the blue economy to grow to $3 trillion annually.”
The Gulf Blue Navigator program supports established blue tech startups at a critical stage of growth, preparing them to scale strategically and efficiently, according to Guess. Specifically, they are looking for startups that work within six categories defined by the resources and assets of the Gulf Coast ecosystem. Those are uncrewed maritime systems, smart ports, precision maritime aquaculture, data analytics for ocean and coastal resilience, ocean friendly plastics, and sea and space systems.
Five of the six startups accepted into the program’s initial cohort are diverse and three are female owned. Blue Ocean Gear from California manufactures intelligent
tracking buoys. SeaTrac from Massachusetts manufactures, sells, and rents multi-purpose solar-powered uncrewed surface vehicles for real-time data collection. BeeX from Singapore builds advanced underwater vehicles and software tools. Seatrec from California manufactures ocean data collecting buoys with a built-in energy harvesting system powered by ocean temps. Marauder Robotics from Georgia builds remote network platforms that collect data and automate underwater tasks done by divers.
Noting that blue companies are important for creating industries for the next generation, Guess said today’s students understand robotics and the blue economy. Indicating the global reach of the program’s inaugural applicants, 12 different countries were represented
among the 48 applicants. Foreign delegations visit, such
as the German group who were in Gulfport the day South Mississippi Living visited Gulf Blue. Visiting this month are a Japanese delegation and the Mandela Fellows, an elite business group from all over Africa. South Mississippi and its place in the blue economy are becoming known around the world.
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