Technological Tide Is Rising Across Maritime Industries

February 2, 2024
Written by Heidi Anderson
Source: Innovate LI

Water is as cherished as land on Long Island, and always in the news.

There’s lots to talk about, water-wise, regarding the New York Climate Exchange – a first-of-its-kind international center for developing and deploying dynamic solutions to our global climate crisis, anchored by Stony Brook University – and offshore wind farms situated between 15 and 30 miles from Long Island shore. And recent startup interactions showcase increasing innovation regarding regional marinas and aquaculture enterprises.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, inflation-adjusted gross domestic product for the national marine economy increased 7.4 percent between 2020 and 2021, improving at a rate 1.5 percent greater than the overall U.S. economy. And in 2021, the NOAA Office for Coastal Management reported Tourism and Recreation at $153 billion – accounting for more than one-third of the nation’s marine GDP and great news for Long Island.

The New York Sea Grant, a cooperative program that includes SBU administration and specialists, published a paper in October 2022 echoing similar progress for U.S. aquaculture, specifically in New York State and on Long Island, where aquaculture – the breeding and harvesting of fish, shellfish and aquatic plants – has a long history of economic importance. (It’s also a great read on the history of your favorite seafood, harvested or cultured, shore to table, right here on the Island.)

It’s easy to see why Nick Planson – founder of Maine-based Shred Electric, a 2023 finalist in the Cleantech Open Northeast competition – pivoted his target sector from recreational snow vehicles to sea farmers.

Thoughtful discovery and market analysis revealed an opportunity to apply Shred Electric’s skills and experience – battery integration into small machines and various kinds of craft – toward improving safety margins for sea farmers. Now, the 2022 startup is electrifying sea farms by replacing gas-powered generators and pumps with patent-pending solar- and wind-charged portable batteries.

Speaking of applying next-generation thinking to oceanic ventures, Canadian innovator VoltSafe – which has come up with first-ever prong-less magnetic plug for high power – is expanding to the boatyard and marina. A simple retrofit of its conventional shore-based power tech has enabled smart features ideal for maritime use, without electrocution risks.

Now Voltsafe is plugged into seafaring industries, collaborating with likeminded innovators on the development of new marine-specific charging standards and discovering new ways to support the power needs of larger vessels.

There are many complexities of what was, is and could be at and near our shores. But coastal maritime interests provide a worthy opportunity for collaborative thinkers and deep-tech solutions.

It’s great to see the tide of maritime innovation rising on Long Island, as more resources – and big thinkers – get on board.

Heidi Anderson is the executive director of Stony Brook University’s Clean Energy Business Incubation Portal.