Port of Seattle Continues Work With Business Innovation Initiative

The Port of Seattle Commission renewed its involvement for the next two years with Washington Maritime Blue, a non-profit strategic alliance formed to foster maritime innovation and sustainability in support of an inclusive blue economy. The port has partnered with Maritime Blue over the past year and says its new support will help advance economic recovery by offering a maritime accelerator initiative, hosting maritime blue forums, and developing a prioritized strategic plan and budget for 2021-2022. 

Maritime Blue operates a business accelerator program that sencourages entrepreneurial companies identifing access to capital issues facing the maritime industry and working with the port on greenhouse gas reduction strategies. Maritime Blue also helps introduce youth from a diversity of backgrounds to job opportunities through the management of the Youth Maritime Collaborative with additional support from the Port of Seattle and the City of Seattle.

“The Port of Seattle is committed to investing in ways to advance innovation and sustainability in the maritime industry through partnerships with organizations like Washington Maritime Blue. It’s more important than ever as we look to jumpstart our economy that we draw from the maritime expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and environmental ethic inherent in the Northwest to help assure that the economic recovery of our region floats the boats of those who need it most,” said Fred Felleman, Port of Seattle Commission Vice President and Maritime Blue Board member.

The business accelerator program, which is a partnership between Washington Maritime Blue, the Port of Seattle, and WeWork Labs, helps maritime start-up companies innovate and grow sustainably while contributing to the maritime economy. Among the 11 Seattle startups involved in the program were a company with a platform to provide data and insights on ocean health, a maker of technology that extracts contaminants from soil, sediments, and groundwater, and a health care provider for mariners.

“We thank the Port of Seattle for continuing its investment in this valuable work,” said Joshua Berger, the Governor’s Maritime Sector Lead. “These dollars will allow another two years of continued development and growth in an industry that has provided this state its economic ballast.”

The Port of Seattle committed to a contribution of $150,000 per year for the next two years.