This article was contributed by Lydia Thomas, UNCW CIE Program Manager.

“Being the All-Blue Intern at CIE has been an incredible experience. I have been studying oceanography at UNCW for three years now, but my time at CIE is what showed me a new perspective about the ocean. Throughout the data collection and map assembly process, I learned that the Blue Economy truly is a multifaceted ecosystem. Each sector has a delicate balance of reliance and support with another. The assets map acknowledges this interdependence and has the sectors in one place instead of being in isolation from each other. I am honored to be a part of a team that recognizes the importance of the Blue Economy and its connectivity in North Carolina. I have had the opportunity to work with and meet encouraging people and grow professionally. My time at CIE has expanded my viewpoints and I feel even more inspired to enact positive ocean change.” - Carolyn Greenway on her All Blue Internship at CIE. 
 
Mapping North Carolina’s Blue Economy Assets has been an ongoing project for the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and All Blue* for the last two years. The goal of the project is to visually display data that represents Blue Economy Assets in North Carolina, provide a resource and database for entrepreneur support organizations and/or for those interested in the Blue Economy, and inspire residents of North Carolina to expand their efforts, connections, and businesses to revolve around the Blue Economy.     

Carolyn Greenway, UNCW CIE Intern, picked up this project when she began her All Blue internship in January 2024. Carolyn is an UNCW undergraduate student studying Oceanography, with a minor in Spanish.

*The Alliance for the Blue Economy ("All Blue") is a local, multidisciplinary initiative to establish Wilmington and southeast North Carolina as a national and global leader in the Blue Economy. Learn more about All Blue on the UNCW CIE’s website.

Defining the Blue Economy Assets
A “blue economy asset” refers to resources, technologies, or activities that contribute to the sustainable economic growth of ocean and marine environments. For clarity, the companies or “assets” on the map were divided into categories: Bluetech Startups, Tourism & Recreation, Ports & Shipping, Environmental Consulting and Engineering, Renewable Energy, Defense, Marine Construction, Living Shorelines, Aquaculture, and Entrepreneur Support Organizations. 
 
Stage 1: Collection and Organization of Data
The process began with intense data collection and refinement, started in 2021 by a group of All Blue interns. Each company/asset was researched to find the company name, founder or director, address, coordinates, city, contact information, description and more.

To find NC Bluetech Startups, Greenway researched and utilized investors, award information, innovation focused events, news articles, entrepreneur support organization portfolios, and universities. As an example, Greenway attended innovative events such as UNCW CIE’s EcoInnovate Weekend. There, she spoke with the CEO of Water Loop and the CEO of Local Catch, both local blue startups.

Defense and Renewable Energy Data Collection: Public government information was gathered and utilized to accurately capture information regarding offshore energy projects in NC and coastal defense areas.

• Offshore wind energy data- https://www.boem.gov/renewable-energy/mapping-and-data/renewable-energy-gis-data
• Coastal defense areas- https://www.milvets.nc.gov/benefits-services/military-bases-north-carolina

Tourism and Recreation, Ports and Shipping, Marine Construction and Environmental Consulting and Engineering Data Organization: Files were shared by UNCW Business Student, Ryan Macurdy, with previously gathered information regarding the tourism and recreation and ports shipping sectors of the data across several counties in North Carolina. The main sources used to generate this database were the North Carolina NAICS Code, UNCW Library Database, Data-Axle Reference Solutions, PrivCo, and Westlaw. All information was combed through and organized into a separate excel to ensure:

1. The business is still open
2. Accurate description
3. Accurate address 
4. Clear correlation to the Blue Economy (as defined above)

 
Stage 2: Creation of the Map 

Image 1: A glimpse of the preliminary Blue Economy Assets Map.

Carolyn Greenway is working with Troy Alphin, Benthic Ecologist and CIE’s Scientist in Residence, and Ashley Belwoff, Geographic Information Systems Technician at the UNCW Center for Marine Science Benthic Ecology Lab, to design and create the North Carolina Blue Economy Assets Map. 
Geographical information was gathered for each asset and transferred from CSV files into ArcGIS Pro. Part of the Esri geospatial cloud, ArcGIS Online is cloud-based mapping software that enables you to connect people, locations, and data by using interactive maps. 

Each pin on the map (see Image 1) corresponds to a company/asset, its color matching one of the following categories: Bluetech Startups, Tourism & Recreation, Ports & Shipping, Renewable Energy, Defense, Marine Construction, Environmental Consulting and Engineering, Living Shorelines, Aquaculture, and Entrepreneur Support Organizations.

When a pin is clicked on, a pop menu with the business name, founder or director, the sector, a tag line (or two), and geographic information will appear for all sectors except Living Shorelines. The pop-up menu for a Living Shorelines pin contains the business name, project name, site location, and other geographic information. 
 
Next Steps
 
The North Carolina Blue Economy Asset Map is ongoing and is in the final stages of refinement and creation as of July 2024. It will be posted on the UNCW CIE All Blue website in the upcoming weeks and discussed in a lightning talk at the annual Ocean Innovation Conference on September 17th, 2024 (tickets on sale now, register here!). 

Connect with CIE
To learn more about CIE and our services, programs, and events, follow us on social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, or YouTube. CIE’s website is www.uncw.edu/cie. 
 
Feedback or thoughts? Please comment below or connect with me!
 
Heather McWhorter, MS, PE, ECM, is the director of the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. CIE is a resource for high-impact start-ups and the early-stage business community to help diversify the local economy with innovative solutions.