Waves of Innovation: Youth-driven Perspectives for Canada’s Sustainable Blue Economy: A recap blog by Vivian Guido
Happy Ocean Week Canada! The Blue Futures Pathways (BFP) team was in Halifax this year to celebrate. The BFP team participated in the H2O conference learning about ocean tech, innovations and discussing gaps and opportunities for young people to enter the industry.
H2O also graciously provided a great space for parallel programming for students and Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs) providing extra support, as for many, it was their first conference. For the morning part of the session, BFP, along with Dalhousie University/ DeepSense and The Pier/ Port of Halifax led specialized programming, providing insights on how to properly network, and bringing together industry professionals to share their career journeys.
Among the speakers were Dr. Sherry Scully (The Pier/ Port of Halifax), Lucija Prelovec (Dalhousie University/ DeepSense), Rolland Leyte (Kraken), Amy Nugent (Oceans North), Eric Siegel (Ocean Frontier Institute), Jennifer Laplante (Canada’s Ocean Supercluster) and Yuan Yao (Marine Thinking). Key themes from these presentations were about taking opportunities, being open-minded, getting comfortable with the uncomfortable, and connection building, with a commonality that for many, journeys to success are not always linear.
In the afternoon, BFP, in collaboration with Ocean Wise, Qikiqtaaluk Corporation and Niagara College hosted an official, hybrid Ocean Week Canada event – Waves of Innovation: Youth-driven Perspectives for Canada’s Sustainable Blue Economy. This successful event offered participants the opportunity to connect with other young adults from around the country and discuss key concepts, issues and solutions in the ocean and water sectors.
Under the guidance of SOI’s Director of Programs, Tara Mascarenhas, and facilitators, Anna Naylor and Vivian Guido (Blue Futures Pathways), Ronnie Noonan (Pisces), Melissa Feaver (Ocean Supercluster), Lucija Prelovec (Dalhousie University/ Deepsense), Frankie Marquez (OceanWise), Aswathy Alingal Dharmadas and Mohammed Sharfaz Mokkath (Niagara College), participants from different parts of Canada discussed in person and online to share their opinions, ideas and experiences in the hopes of finding solutions and common interests in relation to developing the Sustainable Blue Economy in their regions.
The key topics explored were:
- What does the Sustainable Blue Economy mean to you or your local community? (Including any strategies or specific priorities.)
- Can you share any innovative Sustainable Blue Economy opportunities for young people in your community – existing or potential future ones?
Attendees connected, networked, and engaged in dialogue, sharing insights on these questions, and learning from each other as they reached various outcomes and conclusions. Key themes that emerged included accountability, and collaboration between all stakeholders, with an emphasis on young people and ECOPs having a seat at the decision-making table. It was discussed that with innovation and new commercialization of tech comes the need for socio-economic responsibility. The importance of Indigenous perspectives and knowledge was reinforced with a call for continued funding of Indigenous-led conservation. Moreover, participants emphasized the need for support, including fair compensation for their efforts, funding and inclusion in important discussions on topics affecting their future. Evidently, young folks desperately need more paid opportunities and internships in blue economy sectors across Canada.
Understanding the needs and areas for improvement in Canada’s Sustainable Blue Economy and connecting various nationwide environmental issues, participants made it clear that they want to contribute to finding solutions, and have their voices heard. For them, leading the charge in spreading awareness and encouraging stewardship as well as ensuring transparency and inclusivity in the sustainable development of ocean and water sectors nationwide is non-negotiable.
Carlotta Cataldi, our graphic facilitator, beautifully captured the key points of our discussion, creating a captivating digital representation. This vibrant graphic was shared with all H2O participants the following day, engaging them in the important discussions and youth and ECOP perspectives around a Sustainable Blue Economy in Canada.
This event was the second in a series of workshops aimed at amplifying youth voices. We look forward to sharing more youth perspectives and hosting opportunities for discussions in the future.
